Qingdao also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 7.5 million (2009) in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. It borders Yantai to the northeast, Weifang to the west and Rizhao to the southeast. The character 青 in Chinese means "green" or "lush", while the character 岛 means "island". Qingdao is administered at the sub-provincial level.

Lying across the Shandong Peninsula while looking out to the Yellow Sea, Qingdao is a major seaport, naval base, and industrial centre. It is also the site of the Tsingtao Brewery. The world's longest sea bridge, the Qingdao Haiwan Bridge, links the main urban area of Qingdao with Huangdao district, straddling the Jiaozhou Bay sea areas. In 2009, Qingdao was named China's most livable city.