First held in 1991, the Qingdao International Beer Festival has grown into Asia’s largest beer event. Every August, starting on the second Sunday of the month, the festival kicks off and runs for 16 days in the city’s Shilaoren National Tourism Resort. This sprawling 35-hectare 'Beer City' is built specifically for the occasion, where beer lovers from all over the world come together. While you can always grab a Tsingtao Beer in Qingdao, nothing compares to the carnival buzz of the festival. Expect a fun mix of live music, international brews, and plenty of opportunities to sample the local favourite—Tsingtao Beer, of course. One quirky Qingdao tradition to note: fresh beer is often sold in plastic bags. So, don’t be surprised when you see people strolling the streets with a bag of beer in hand. It's all part of the fun.

This sprawling parkland featuring pine forests and dunes is said to resemble something from another planet. This is a protected area and wild birds are abundant. There are also lovely beach areas for those interested in surfing.

Designed with "education in mind", this popular high-tech theme park offers more than 20 attractions, shows and events in a 60 hectare park. Here, visitors can experience images and sounds through the world's most sophisticated film projection systems, including 360-degree movie theatres, giant film screens and 3D movies. The park is situated outside Poitiers and offers new attractions every year.

The impressive collection contains 41,500 volumes gifted to the town by writer and thinker Menéndez Pelayo. The building right behind the historic (early 20th century) library used to be the former home of this celebrated scholar.