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Diocese of Qingdao

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Diocese of Qingdao
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Qingdao Diocese covers seven districts (Chengyang, Huangdao, Laoshan, Licang, Jiaozhou, Shibei, Shinan and Sifang) and five cities (Jiaonan, Jimo, Laisi, Pingdu and Rizhao)

Language

Mandarin Chinese and Shandong dialect are in use in the diocesan territory.

History

In 1898, a German priest first came to Qingdao. He built a wooden house at Tianhou Temple of Taiping Road for preaching purpose and it was the only Catholic Church in Qingdao. Later between 1900 and 1902, he brought a piece of land bordering Qubu Road, Anhui Road, Deyuan Road, Zhejiang Road and built a church with bricks and tiles. In 1925, Apostolic Prefecture of Qingdao was carved out from the Apostolic Vicariate of Yanzhoufu with 11 counties came under its administration.

On March 18, 1925, German Father Georg Weig was designated be the first bishop of the vicariate. The vicariate was elevated to Vicariate Apostolic of Qingdao in 1928 and Father Weig was ordained a bishop on Sept. 23 the same year by Cardinal Celso Benigno Luigi Costantini, the Apostolic Delegate to China.

In 1942, Bishop Thamos Tien Ken-Sin of Yanggu Diocese (now part of Liaocheng diocese) was transferred to Qingdao as the bishop of the vicariate. Bishop Tien was later elevated to be the first cardinal in China by Pope Pius XII on Dec. 24, 1945. The following year, Cardinal Tien was transferred to be the Archbishop of Beijing Diocese. In 1948, German Father Augustin Olbert was appointed as the bishop of Qingdao Diocese until the establishment of People's Republic of China in 1949.

Transportation

Qingdao Liuting International Airport, set up in 1958, is one of the most important air transit centers in China. At present there are 96 national and international airlines, serving 48 destinations both at home and abroad.

Highway
Several major highways pass through Qingdao, including Jiqing Expressway, Qinghong Expressway, Jiaozhou Bay Expressway, Tongsan Expressway, together with 204 National Highway and other four trunk lines crisscrossing the city, and thus form a favorable traffic network extending in all directions.

 

Railway
Daily trains go to more than 15 major cities of China including Beijing, Shanghai, Jinan, Taishan, Hezhe, Weihai, Wuchang, Nanchang, Xuzhou, Zhengzhou, Xian, Lanzhou, Chengdu, Taiyuan, Dandong and Tonghua.

Climate

Qingdao city has a temperate monsoon climate with distinct marine features. All four seasons in Qingdao are mild without extreme cold or hot temperatures.

Its weather is humid with abundant rainfall, and the temperature differences during a day are slight. The hottest season is in August with the average temperature of 25.1 degrees Celsius and the coldest in January with the average temperature of 0.9 degrees Celsius. Autumn and winter in Qingdao are windy; in winter the temperature drops below zero centigrade, although the sea does not freeze.

Economy

Qingdao has a total coastline (including islands) of 870 kilometers, 730 kilometers of which are continental coastline. It is China's fourth largest port for foreign trade and an important base for ocean research. Qingdao Port is a natural harbor containing the largest container transportation hub in the Yellow River Delta region and along the Western Pacific coast. It has trade relations with more than 450 ports in over 130 countries and regions in the world. The total economic output value grows fast and sustainable. The overall economic performance and speed of growth is in the leading position among the 14 state-level development zones. Pillar industries include: electronics and telecom, information and home appliances, chemical engineering and rubber, beverage and food, automobile and shipbuilding, garment and ornaments.

Topography

Qingdao is located in the southeastern part of Shandong Province. The city borders the Yellow Sea on two sides. To the east of Qingdao, a short distance across the Yellow Sea, lie Korea and Japan, making the city an important port for international trade. Qingdao is a beautiful seaside city with clear air and enchanting sea view. The red roofs, green trees, blue sea, and azure sky form a bright and colorful picture of the city, which is known as "Switzerland of the Orient". Population Qingdao has a population of 8,710,000.

Education

The Ocean University of China and the Qingdao Technological University are located in Qingdao.

Culture

Qingdao, a German concession taken in 1897 and ceded for a total of 99 years, retains much of its colonial architecture and charm. The city has changed hands many times since then. The Japanese took the port in 1914, formerly ceded to them by the Treaty of Versailles in 1921. The city was returned to China in 1922 and in 1938, it was then taken back by the Japanese and finally returned to China during World War II, 1945. However, the dislocations of these changes have left little mark upon the city proper. The German influence in Qingdao extends beyond impressive architecture to many other areas; from town planning, creating lush wooded avenues and some of China's best parks, to local customs.

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