Southampton

Not long until Southampton Conference - it will be interesting to see this city from a visitors point of view rather than a day trip (it is about 2hours from my home). This is certainly a city of contrasts from the harbour to the countryside. Southampton is twinned with Qingdao - "Switzerland of the Orient", a beautiful seaside city, which is located in the southeast part of Shandong Province. To the east, a short distance across the Yellow Sea, lie Korea and Japan, making Qingdao an important city for international trade.

For thirty three years, up to 1949, Qingdao was a colony of Germany and Japan. Thus, Qingdao has a great deal of European architecture. This foreign architecture - a remnant of the colonial past adds to the attractions of this seaside city. The red roofs, green trees, blue sea and azure sky make Qingdao a colourful picture. Surrounded by the sea on three sides, Qingdao attracts many tourists.