Qingdao's old lanes find fresh energy in laughter

"My grandma lived here, and so did many of my relatives and schoolmates. We'd drop by friends' houses, run wild in the lanes, grab grilled skewers from street corners, and play games on open patches of ground. This was our childhood — the life that nourished us," said Huang, who rose to fame with the 2006 hit comedy Crazy Stone.

"The lanes were narrow, paved with flagstones fitted piece by piece. The uneven surface would rattle cars driving over them. Yet this urban texture of the old town feels so distinctive, so vivid and so memorable to me now."

In the 1990s, as Qingdao's urban core pushed eastward and its infrastructure aged, these Liyuan courtyards fell into decline and gradually lost their former bustle. In 2019, the city launched a preservation and renewal effort across the historic blocks. By 2022, the Liyuan area around Zhongshan Road and Dabaodao was under concentrated restoration, and trendy shops, themed hotels, and immersive theaters soon moved in.

To further energize these restored buildings, and with support from the local government, Huang launched the comedy festival two years ago, inviting comic troupes of various styles to perform and rallying Qingdao-born celebrities to lend their support.

"It's about tucking contemporary cultural vitality into the cracks between the flagstones of these courtyards, breathing fresh cultural energy into the old town," said Huang.