The 18th Qingdao International Beer Festival, with the slogan “Celebrate the Olympics, Ganbei to the World” (ganbei means “bottoms up”) and a cartoon mascot called Ha Ha Beer, took place in the International Beer City. The festival hosted a wide variety of activities to promote local tourism and the modern service industry.

The were several programs during the beer festival, including the opening ceremony, beer drinking contests, trade exhibitions, gala performances and recreational sports games. Accordingly, the whole venue was divided into three sections – beer drinking, entertainment and comprehensive services – for better administration.

Nearly 48 brewers, including popular domestic brands like Tsingtao, Yanjing and Kingway, as well as international beer giants such as Carlsberg, Heineken, Moulin Rouge and Paulaner, attended the event and offered a rich assortment of beers.

There were also many entertainment activities, including a beer-drinking contest publicized in seven languages – Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese – that attracted beer lovers and connoisseurs from home and abroad.