Is Qingdao the safest city in China? The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) says residents of Qingdao feel safest in their home city compared to 38 other Chinese cities. It does seem that the Dao has a pretty tranquil vibe. I’ve walked the streets many a late night with the worst offense being someone who did not like the cut of my jib, and said so in the form of a Mandarin expletive that rhymes with cow. Even the United States government says that, “For most visitors, China remains a very safe country. Petty street crime and business disputes between U.S. and Chinese partners are the most common concerns.”
The idea that Qingdao lacks some (or most) of the chaos of other locales reminds me of the time I went to pick up a visiting musician at the Qingdao Liuting Airport. The band had a ton of gear, so we had to arrange 2 vehicles to transport both the group and their noisemakers to the concert hall. Once the guys had packed up the cargo truck with a small fortune of wood, wires and strings, we got into a Buick minivan and started out. The band leader worried that if the truck with the gear didn’t follow directly behind us, it might drive off into the sunset, never to be seen again, with the precious cargo fenced off to a clueless nightclub.
“Not to worry,” he was told by one of our Qingdao based contingent, “this is Qingdao”, as if just the name was shield enough. Maybe it feels safer in Qingdao, but that’s just the perception. Is it really true? Tell us your experiences in Qingdao and other cities in the comments section if you care to share. Until then, look sharp, and remember 110 is the number to call in case of police emergency.
More info from the Qingdao Financial Daily via South China Morning Post
Locals in Qingdao say they feel most safe in Qingdao, out of 38 Chinese cities.
The report comes from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Marxism who issued a Public Service Blue Book which ranked citizens’ satisfaction towards basic public services. It was found that Qingdao has a safety index of nine and was regarded as the city where people felt most safe in. During the past few years Qingdao’s Public Security Bureau has worked to keep the city safe and secure. The bureau divided the city in control areas and created 86 public security and surveillance points and 84 mobile police rooms at densely populated locations and those with a high crime rate.
In addition, a 1,500-strong security team was deployed to keep law and order in the city while a security team of 2,300 was dispatched to school campuses to prevent crimes in schools. This year 267 districts in Qingdao achieved “zero crime” and reported crime rate in previously high crime rate communities fell by 70 per cent.
Qingdao has a population of 8.7 million and GDP of 566.6 billion yuan (2010 stats). Qingdao was recognized as China’s most liveable city according to the China Institute of City Competitiveness in 2009.
Relevant Links:
South China Morning Post “Qingdao is the safest city in China”
US State Department Overview of China Safety