rss feedGerman influence in Qingdao, China – this time, with images of Bavarian architecture
I began visiting China in the 1990s – at a time when online photo storage systems had not yet exploded for the masses. So, most of my photos are stored the old-fashioned way in envelopes tucked in boxes in my parents’ garage.
I thought I’d share pictures of Qingdao, China from my visit in 2000 – especially this Bavarian-inspired building that the German governor once used when German troops occupied the area.
Why share images that are nearly a decade old?
Images – no matter when they are published, shown publicly or viewed privately – always tell a story and show people a slice of what life was, or is, like.
And for me, China remains a fascinating and, at times, complicated place.
Also, I think there’s still a perception among some that China is filled with soaring modern glass boxes, boxy plain-looking buildings from Mao’s era or structures with upturned eaves. To an extent, that is true.
This German mansion was built between 1903 and 1908 at a hefty price tag of $210,000. Its 30 rooms took up 13,245 square feet and housed a German-made grand piano from 1876.
As I noted in my travel article about Qingdao for the San Jose Mercury News, the mansion was so grand that even Kaiser Wilhelm became upset and the German governor lost his job.
I’m actually glad I had time to dig around in my China boxes to post these images.
They bring back some great memories.
If you like Tsingtao Beer, grab a bottle and look at the label. You’ll see an image of the pagoda on Zhanqiao pier.
Below and above are images of a church in Qingdao, the No. 2 Tsingtao Brewery and another example of European architecture in Qingdao.
The twin-tower Catholic Church in the city was finished in 1934.
And the other yellow-and-maroon building pictured below is, to the best of my recollection, a medieval Christian Church – complete with a tower and German-made J.F. Weule machinery that operated three clocks.
As I estimate it, this church is about a century old.
It’s easy to think that globalism only happened in the 2000s, when the words outsourcing, offshoring and comparative advantage gained popularity among business and policy leaders worldwide.
Really, though, the idea of globalism has been around for centuries.
And as I’ve talked about before, German and British businessmen started Tsingtao Beer because occupying troops were, well, thirsty and wanted a taste of home.
When I visited the No. 2 factory, I realized that it used – at that time – technology and machinery from Germany.
Yes, my images and trip to Qingdao are dated. The city has changed, as I’ve noted.
But there are landmarks in that city – and worldwide – that are worth visiting to get a sense of a place and the history that has swept over us.
