Qingdao, on China's east coast, has a population of nearly 8 million. A major seaside resort city with the world's third-largest port, it hosted the sailing events at the 2008 Olympics.
Qingdao's economy grew rapidly after China's economic opening. Known for producing seafood products, textiles and electronics, the city is also home to what was once a German-founded brewery that has since grown into a global company.
Hosting the 2008 Olympic sailing regatta was meant to further cement Qingdao's status as China's sailing and yachting hub going forward. A partnership with the city of Kiel — host of Kiel Week, the world's largest sailing event — helped establish the sport there ahead of the Games.
The Qingdao International Sailing Centre project covered some 450,000 square meters of construction on land, in the harbor, and across the race course itself, including an Olympic village and a water sports center. Several of the venues were designed for reuse after 2008 — the Olympic village, for instance, was converted into a luxury hotel — alongside two harbors, spectator stands, and other striking structures built out over the water.
Planning for the sailing center began back in 2001, with the ambitious goal of hosting "the best Olympic sailing regatta ever." Open international tenders were held both for the overall project and for its water and environmental components, drawing on ideas from the "green Olympics" concept, including an expanded biopark and preservation of other popular local recreation areas.
