I have been warned about QingDao. My friend from Beijing had told me that in the middle of summer, Qingdao is a hot destination. It is not so much the temperature I need to worry about, but the crowd. The signs before I arrive wasn't good either, most of the hotel cheap and good enough was fully booked for the weekend I was there. When I arrive, there was indeed quite a crowd in the city centre and on the beach.
Fortunately, I was able to get a hotel right on the step of the ferry terminal and then move out later to one opposite the railway station.
However, my luck ran out with the train to Beijing. The High-speed train was fully booked on Sunday. There weren't even standing ticket. All the trains leaving on Saturday for Beijing have only standing tickets. I booked the standing tix and hope that someone would vacate their seats along the way. That means I have only a full day to take in as much sight as possible.
Even late in the evening, the beaches in Qingdao was crowded. The tourists, many whom may have came from further inland, took full advantage of their seaside vacation. Even when it is getting dark at sea, many can still be seen bopping up and down in the water.
The beaches were still busy with snack kiosks, souvenir (sea shell, corals, etc) sellers. One Chinese guy was sitting beside his own scrawling on the seaside broadwalk, complaining about police persecution. Of course he attracted the crowd...and the local police.
Well, if the beaches are that crowded at night, it should be more so when the hot summer sun comes up. 
Qingdao reminds me of another Cinese seaside city: Xiamen. It is not just the sea and the blamy breeze, but also because the local folks in both places seems to operate at a more relaxed pace than the rest of China. I assume the relax-looking folks are locals, since the tourists would be busy shopping/eating/doing as much as they can cram in. 
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