Text by Charles J. Dukes

Imagine ordering beer for 3.4 million,with sides, and a bit of entertainment while you are at it.

That's the task of the organizers of the world-famous 16th Annual Qingdao International Beer Festival, the largest such festival in Asia, which begins on August 12 in Qingdao, a coastal city in East China's Shandong Province. The beer will continue to flow for 15 days through August 27.

Wen Yuansheng, vice-director of the beer festival said, "This is the biggest festival in Qingdao, with more than 240,000 square metres of attractions featuring beer, top-level entertainment and a carnival at the main venue. It's a 'Citizen's Festival,' a 'Carnival Festival' and an 'International Festival.' "Our first and main objective in hosting the festival is to he pijiu (drink beer)! Here, we say: Qingdao ganbei (cheers!) with the world."

Qingdao, home of China's famed Tsingtao beer, an official sponsor of the 2008 Olympic Games, and the host city for the 29th Olympic Sailing Regatta in August 2008, will be swarmed by millions of beer drinkers from China and around the world, who are expected to consume in excess of 930 tons (the 2005 festival total) of the city's favourite amber delight. There are two key venues for the celebration, one at its main venue in the Qingdao International Beer City in Lao Shan District, where beers from Qingdao, China and a dozen or more famous international brews will be featured in a carnival atmosphere, and at a second, more subdued, venue in Huiquan Square near Qingdao's No. 1 bathing beach in Shinan District. But the festival is celebrated citywide, on Pijiu Jie (Beer Street) and in every bar and restaurant in the city.

"The main difference between our festival and the one in Munich (the Oktoberfest with about six million visitors, who consumed about five million litres of beer and more than 200,000 pork sausages in 2005) is that theirs is mainly a local event, while ours is an international event."

The first high-level test event for the 2008 Olympic Sailing Regatta, the International

Sailing Federation-backed, Olympicclass "Good Luck Qingdao International Regatta 2006" (August 18-31), featuring more than 300 sailboats and as many as 500 sailors from 45 countries and regions, will only add to the international flavour of this year's beer festival. It will also fully test the city's preparedness as a co-host with Beijing of the Games.

It's also certain to attract the attention of TV giants such as CCTV, CNN and the BBC.

Not that anyone needs any special event or reason to visit this beautiful, hilly city that rests alongside 870 miles of pristine Yellow Sea coastline, marked by sunny beaches, rocky outcrops, mountain trails, capes, bays and islands. Avoiding the "cookie-cutter" label attached to descriptions of many other Chinese cities, this city of 7.4 million is a favourite of tourists, Chinese or foreign, at any time of the year.

People delight in strolling Qingdao's 40-kilometre-long coastal nature trail, dodging heavy breakers that sometimes slam into the sea wall at the city's May Fourth Park or swimming at any of the city's delightful, well-equipped bathing beaches, which are as clean as any in the world. Because it has retained cultural artefacts and structures from its ancient, colonial and revolutionary periods, there is very much for any tourist --beer drinker or not--to see and do. To all this has been added modern aquariums, museums and other sites of interest, such as some of the most restful and laid-back restaurants and bars, all found near some of the best four- and five-star hotels in China.

The city is a favourite of Chinese honeymooners. Would-be newly-weds can be found posing for wedding pictures on sunny days, especially in and around Lu Xun Park.

But August is a time for drinking beer.

"It all begins with our opening ceremony outside the beer city," Wen said. "Then, when we open the gates, everyone will be greeted by people wearing colourful costumes. There will be songs and a lot of colour.

"Each night, there will be performances on our centre stage (capacity about 3,500)

and all during the day there will be acts on 21 smaller stages on the venue. This is a time of relaxation in Qingdao and we arrange fun for the whole family. There will be a carnival and rides for children and adults, all kinds of entertainment and things to see and do.

"We use the carnival to create an emotional atmosphere and to involve more people. We even have a 'masked ball' so people can really relax and express their passions. Qingdao people are dynamic and emotional, but they also like to relax and enjoy themselves. All this helps us express the concepts of 'Peaceful China, Peaceful Qingdao.'

"We understand that through their emotions, people express their dreams." Wen said organizers leave the recruitment of acts up to a professional talent agency, but past performers have included national and international stars such as singer-musician Zang Tianshuo and other top-grade performing artists from overseas, the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions.

"We're even bringing in a top DJ from the United States," Wen said.

Numerous beer-drinking contests are staged, but while the prizes are big--one

includes a car--the drinking tasks are reasonable and designed for maximum fun and entertainment.

At 10 yuan per ticket (plus drinks) during the day and 20 yuan per ticket at night, the Qingdao International Beer Festival is an entertainment bargain that may be hard to beat. But even at these rates, the festival brings about 2.9 billion yuan (US$363 million) into Qingdao's coffers, more than the revenues from the May 1 and October 1 "Golden Weeks" combined. Wen said prices at the main venue are carefully monitored and controlled to "only slightly higher than outside the beer city," and he said various agencies of the Qingdao Municipal Government keep a close eye on commercial practices, health and safety conditions during the event.

And it works.

As a Chad Pearson wrote on the That's Qingdao Web site, "As a foreigner you will

be swamped with offers of free beer to ganbei. I've gone to the beer festival in the past and not had to buy a single beer. The Chinese are so generous and kind, they are happy to show foreigners a good time." Wen said, "An old saying goes that Qingdao is the Switzerland of Asia or a Hawaii. But if we are to develop well, we must do it according to our own characteristics.

"The beer festival is representative of Qingdao. It shows our characteristics and

brings more national and international people to Qingdao.

"This is why we say, 'ganbei to the world.'"