The 34th edition of the Qingdao International Beer Festival opened on Friday in the coastal city of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, ushering in a 24-day extravaganza that will run until August 11.
The festival, themed "Qingdao Cheers with the World," has two venues in Qingdao West Coast New Area and Laoshan District. This year's event features over 2,200 varieties of beers from across the globe, offering a rich tapestry of flavors and brews for attendees to explore while promising a unique experience for both local and global guests.
Throughout its duration, the festival will hold seven major activity sectors, such as cultural and sports and collaborative exchanges in the area. Over 2,000 scheduled events, ranging from musical performances and artistic parades to sports competitions designed to entertain visitors, will be held.
To enhance the visitor experience, the festival also introduces new consumer scenarios and an array of tourism routes, ensuring that the joy of the festival extends beyond the beer itself and into the rich cultural and scenic offerings of Qingdao.
"The Qingdao Beer Festival is very good. I like it the most here. I love Qingdao, and I love Qingdao beer. Cheers!" said a tourist from Russia.
"The festival spans a vast area where we can sample a wide variety of beers from different countries, each with its unique flavor. I think this is fabulous. And having fun with friends. I think this is so great," said another tourist who came from the Netherlands.
Qingdao City also launched an innovative combination of the festival and beach camping, which has become a hit among visitors and is emerging as a new hot spot for consumption.
As one of the world's four major beer festivals, the Qingdao International Beer Festival has established itself as a magnet for beer enthusiasts and a catalyst for the local economy. The other three famous beer festivals are Germany's Oktoberfest, the Great American Beer Festival in the U.S., and the Toronto Beer Festival in Canada.
Qingdao Int'l Beer Festival opens with global cheers, festive celebrations
The lineup for the 2025 Spring Festival movie season was officially revealed on Wednesday with six highly anticipated films set to hit the big screens in China on the first day of the Spring Festival on January 29.
The six films -- Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force, Ne Zha 2, Detective Chinatown 1900, Operation Leviathan, Boonie Bears: Future Return, and The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero -- span a range of genres and feature impressive creative teams.
Since pre-sales began on Jan 19, advanced sales for the holiday line-up were the fastest ever to reach 100 million yuan (about 13.8 million U.S. dollars).
At a launch ceremony for the Spring Festival movie season, held at the China National Film Museum in Beijing, the cast of each film highlighted the unique selling points of their movie.
"The viewers will not only uncover the hidden points of plot from the first installment of Creation of the Gods, but also get a real sense of the characters and their evolving relationships through a brand new theme," said Wuershan, director of the movie Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force.
Adapted from the classic Chinese martial arts novel by Jin Yong, The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero captures the essence of Chinese chivalry with its portrayal of selfless heroism.
described it as a story with stirring heroism.
"The soul-stirring and awe-inspiring heroic spirit conveyed by the film will be touching, memorable and romantic as well," said Tsui Hark, who directed the film.
The animated film Ne Zha 2 continues the adventures of hero Ne Zha -- a beloved Chinese mythological figure -- with a focus on comedy and spectacular visual effects.
Retaining its signature style, the popular detective series Detective Chinatown 1900 promises twists and turns with big production values and glittering special effects.
As China's first film about nuclear submarines, Operation Leviathan presents a broader underwater battlefield and more complex combat scenarios, offering a unique perspective on naval warfare.
The Great Hero -- the last chapter of the "Boonie Bears" sci-fi series -- combines extreme romance and bold imagination to take viewers on a futuristic adventure.
Different discount and subsidy policies for moviegoers during the Spring Festival were also announced at the launch event with local film authorities across the country organizing special events and promotions to encourage cinema visits.
Supporting institutions, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China UnionPay, Maoyan Entertainment, and Taopiaopia, are expected to provide at least 600 million yuan (about 83 million U.S. dollars) in subsidies for moviegoers during the holiday season.
Six new films set to hit China's big screens on Chinese New Year's Day