This gallery contains 21 photos.
The Italian Concession is unique in history, because it is probably the only Italian colonial territory in all of the Far East. It was established in 1901 and was governed by the then-Kingdom of Italy till 1947. In my view, it … Continue reading
This gallery contains 13 photos.
The French concession was established in the same year as the British concession, in the aftermath of the Treaty of Tientsin. It sat to the northwest of the British Concession, and was about two thirds of its same. The main … Continue reading
This gallery contains 17 photos.
The Five Great Avenues is a residential area towards the Western end of the British Concession. It is a rectangular area containing more than 22 suburban streets lined with concession-era residential villas. In its heyday, this was the heart of … Continue reading
This gallery contains 20 photos.
The British Concession was the oldest foreign concession in Tientsin, dating from 1860. It was leased in perpetuity to the British Crown and occupied some 200 acres on the left bank of Pei Ho River. The seat of administration was … Continue reading
This gallery contains 9 photos.
Of all the cities on this Grand Tour of the Far East, Tientsin (spelled Tianjin in pinyin) is my favourite by far, for three reasons. First – unlike any other treaty port in China, Korea or Japan, Tientsin consists of 8 … Continue reading
This gallery contains 13 photos.
The grande dame of the Tsingtao hospitality scene at the turn of the century was the Hotel Prinz Heinrich, built in 1899 by the Germans on a stunning location along the Tsingtao waterfront. It was named after Prince Heinrich of … Continue reading
This gallery contains 16 photos.
In 1914, following Japan’s declaration of war on Germany – Japan was part of the Allies in World War I – the Empire of the Rising Sun occupied the former German colony of Tsingtao. It would rule the city twice … Continue reading
This gallery contains 26 photos.
The Eight Passes Villa District, or Badaguan, is the most beautiful area of Tsingtao city, hands down. A residential district, it was built by the Germans between 1898 – 1914, and then subsequently enhanced and beautified during the Japanese era. … Continue reading
This gallery contains 33 photos.
Today’s Qingdao is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in China. And much of it has got to do with its architectural heritage, which has been remarkably preserved, and is set against a dramatic natural landscape of sea … Continue reading
This gallery contains 13 photos.
Tsingtao (known as “Qingdao” today) is a rarity in the history of colonialism – in that it was a German colony. The Germans came late in the colonial game (in the 1890s); and they established a scattering of colonies in … Continue reading
Dream Of A City 