Angela Patterson (right) takes a selfie with her friends while hanging out at the Qingdao Sculpture Park. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The safe harbor, picturesque mountains, and fresh sea air, coupled with its temperate climate, made Qingdao an ideal place to host the 2008 Olympics sailing competitions. 

In the years leading up to the Olympics, the city grew rapidly. Young Chinese graduates looking for opportunities and foreign businesses looking to leverage the global platform rushed to find their place in Qingdao. The old shipyard in Shinan district was reimagined into the Olympic Sailing Center. The government did an excellent job of keeping pace with the city's growing needs for convenience and transportation. Shopping malls and high-end retail stores soon began to replace the night markets.

In preparing for the Olympics, not only did the entire city come together, but the entire country. Riding on country roads throughout Shandong province, signs boasted the excitement of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Taxi drivers and wait staff in restaurants studied different languages to best communicate with arriving foreigners. I witnessed the beauty of a collective nation, celebrating a countrywide event with enthusiasm and support. There was no other commitment quite so moving as seeing thousands of Qingdao's citizens on the beaches collecting the green algae that threatened to disrupt the sailing events. Coming from a very individualistic society, I am so thankful to have seen what can be accomplished when people in China work towards a shared common goal.

While Qingdao is a young city in terms of history compared to its other Shandong neighbors, it is nevertheless a center for both art and innovation. Creative sculptures and mosaics dot the coastline and major thoroughfares, and Sculpture Park, located in Laoshan district near Shilaoren Beach, draws locals and tourists alike. Sculpture Park and the surrounding seaside area also inspire evening performances of drums, woodwinds, and brass horns. You can always find music in Qingdao – whether in one of the several performing arts venues or in a small jazz club. As the home to two of the top global home goods brands – Haier and Hisense – Qingdao has greatly benefited from both the sponsorship and competitiveness of each company's technological innovations and the shared economic impact on the city's rapid growth.