From Xiaonian, Chinese traditional festivals, local people will take part in many traditional activities to express their good wishes, bid farewell to the old year, and usher in the New Year. During this time of year there’s no livelier a place to be than one of the various outdoor Spring Festival fairs located throughout Qingdao. Vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables, visitors eating delicious snacks and savoury meals, families picking through assortments of festive red and gold decorations…If you are interested in these lively fairs, let’s check it out!

Licun Fair

Licun fair and has existed for many years and is very well known throughout Qingdao. Zhizha, one of the most popular snacks among the locals, originated here in Licun, and many different vendors can be found selling this salty crispy treat.

Poli Fair

With a history of more than 300 years, Poli fair is an intangible cultural heritage site of Qingdao and has been featured on CCTV many times. The mutton soup here is famous throughout China, foodies from all over the country have travelled to the Poli Market just so they can try it.

Shazikou Fair

The most notable feature of the Shazikou fair is the wide selection seafood and other Marine goods, especially dried goods, most of which are processed by the local fishermen themselves. Here you can find fresh seasonal or year round seafoods, and of course many other local foods and goods.

Wanggezhuang Fair

Wanggezhuang Fair is a famous century-old outdoor fair. It is close to Gangdong, Huichang, and other fishing ports and docks, making it a great place to buy fresh seafood. This large market is also very close to the many scenic spots located in Laoshan district, so it’s very common for locals to explore the fair, and then also visit the beautiful nearby scenery.

Shangma Fair

The many vendors here in Shangma fair provide a large collection of products to choose from, up to a hundred different categories of goods and thousands of varieties. Over the years this fair has become an important distribution and trading center for seafood in Jiaozhou Bay. The marine goods here are quite distinctive, and some say that many products here cannot be bought elsewhere, which makes this Market an essential stop for Qingdao’s seafood lovers.

Liuting Fair

At the Liuting fair you can buy many different goods, but this market is well known for its delicious big, steamed bread, and the local pig’s feet. While you’re here you can also visit the east Liuting tea market, and the nearby antiques fair.

(By Yuan Yu)