Two to three days covers the highlights. Spend one day in the old town around Zhanqiao Pier, Badaguan and the beer museum, a second on the beaches and seafood streets, and a third on Mount Lao, the Taoist mountain east of downtown, reached by bus or Metro Line 4.

Yes. Tsingtao is the older romanization of the same name, used before pinyin became standard. The city kept it in one famous place, the Tsingtao Brewery, founded here in 1903, so the beer and the city share one name in two spellings.

It takes place every summer and has been held since 1991. Traditionally it opens on the second weekend of August and runs about 16 days, though recent editions have started in July. Venues have included Laoshan District, Golden Sand Beach in Huangdao and the old town near Zhongshan Road.