Residence of German Governor

At the end of the 19th century, the territory of the city of Qingdao is settled belonged to Germany. It was a well-fortified, strategically important port: it was the base of a cruiser squadron and a naval battalion.

Of course, the German authorities were not only engaged in strengthening the borders and the port but they also actively developed the city. They changed the layout of streets, constructed industrial enterprises, and actively built new houses in the typical European style. However, this did not last long as in 1922 Germany returned the city to the Republic of China. Then a real change of power began: first the Japanese dominated there, then – the United States. Only in 1949, the city returned to China.

In memory of the German period, Qingdao has preserved the beautiful house of the German Governor which is one of the main architectural gems of the modern city.

The magnificent house was built of granite in 1908. Its architectural design combines the austerity and romance of old German buildings, making the Residence of the Governor look majestic and cozy at the same time.

It stood out not only for its appearance but also for its interior decoration. It was a realm of luxury: fireplaces, numerous chandeliers made of precious stones-rubies, sapphires and emeralds, handmade carpets.

The huge hall of the music salon contained a magnificent grand piano produced at the famous factory in Stuttgart in 1876. It was a special instrument: the keys that were used more often were made of ivory and the rest were made of wood. Only two such instruments have survived to this day – one in Qingdao and another one in Stuttgart. Moreover, there was an old large clock which played a beautiful melody at certain moments.

It was possible to preserve this splendor only because the building of the Governor's Residence always housed important state objects. The Governor himself lived there till 1934. In the post-war period, the residence housed a Chinese-Soviet pioneer camp. In 1999, there was created a museum dedicated to the culture and history of the city.