Some Quick Info About Qingdao by the Numbers:
114
In China, to ask for a telephone number of a registered business or individual, call 114 with the name and perhaps an address to assist in the search for the number. Many companies are not listed, however, so this is not a foolproof way to track down info. Reverse search for locations if you possess the number will work only if the location is a business.
532
The area code for Qingdao including Chengyang and Huangdao is 532. To place a long distance call from within China, it is necessary to add a 0 before the area code and then dial the number. If calling from overseas, dial 86 532 (without the 0) and then the number.
8
Qingdao telephone numbers have 8 digits, the same as most large cities in China. This change was instituted to allow more new numbers to be added in the Qingdao area. Existing numbers of 7 digits were modified by the addition of the lucky 8 to the front of the telephone number.
1, 2, 3 ….
The main beaches in Qingdao are numbered. The most popular in summer is Beach 1; the restricted beach in Badaguan that charges a fee and was visited by Deng Xiao Ping is Beach 2; and the beach with great night views of the city is Beach 3. Beach 5 near Zhan Qiao is informally called Muscle Beach as there are guys working out there during the warm weather.
7,000,000
7 million is one figure often quoted for the population of Qingdao. This number includes all of the outlying areas of Qingdao such as Laixi, Laoshan, Jimo, Chengyang, Pingdu, and Huangdao. The city proper probably houses closer to 2.5 million.
1903
The year that the Tsingtao Brewery was founded, this date appears on bottles of Tsingtao Beer.
1897 – 1898
The year that German forces took the Jiao’ao Concession including Qingdao, at that time spelled as Tsingtau, was 1897. The Qing government ceded the area to Germany in March of 1898.
7
There are 7 official districts in Qingdao. Taidong is not one of them. They are: Shinan, Shibei, Sifang, Laoshan, Chengyang, Licang, Huangdao.
110
Emergency police hotline.
119
Fire hotline.
120
Emergency medical services hotline.
12580
This number is operated by China Mobile and can be called for info on ferry status or other traffic conditions updates.
8281.7777
Taxi Complaint Hotline.
266000
266000 is the official standard postal code for the Qingdao area. Each sub district builds off of the 266 base, for example the area around the train station is 266001. The postal code for central Qingdao, including around May 4th Square and Qingdao University, is 266071. Mail addressed to Qingdao 266000 should be deliverable regardless of the exact postal code, so when in doubt just use it as a default.
Relevant Links:
History of Qingdao
Qingdao on Wikipedia
Tsingtao Beer History