Former German Governor's Residence

青岛德国总督楼旧址博物馆

The German governor’s residence in Qingdao, completed in 1907. It is China’s best-preserved German castle-style building, with its original furniture and fireplaces on display. Mao Zedong once lived here.

The former German Governor’s Residence is at 26 Longshan Road, on the southern slope of Signal Hill. It was designed by German architect Lacharwitz and built between 1905 and 1907 as the official residence of the German governor of Jiaozhou Bay. At the time, it was the most luxurious building in Qingdao. From 1934 it was known as Yingbin Hall, the State Guesthouse. In 1957, Mao Zedong stayed here and held meetings. It was listed as a national key cultural heritage site in 1996 and opened as a museum in 1999. The building combines the Jugendstil and neo-Romanesque styles of the German Wilhelmine era, with a granite base, yellow walls, red tile roofs, towers, gables and luxurious marble decoration. It is considered the best-preserved German official residence in China. Highlights include the wooden paneling, fireplaces, crystal chandeliers and stained glass in the ground-floor hall and banquet room. On the upper floor, visitors can see the governor’s bedroom, study and the room where Mao Zedong stayed, which retains original German furniture from the 1900s, a piano and tapestries. The basement displays the building’s history and photographs of Qingdao during the German period. The large lawn, cedar trees and the Signal Hill backdrop in front of the building offer the best angle for photographing this German-style castle, especially when the autumn foliage turns red. Admission is about CNY 20 in peak season (April to October) and about CNY 13 in the off-season. Tickets can be booked through the official WeChat account or purchased on site. Audio guides and scheduled guided tours are available. Getting there: about a 10-minute walk from Jiangsu Road Station on Metro Line 3, or a short walk down from Signal Hill, or about 15 minutes on foot from St. Michael’s Cathedral. Plan about an hour here, and combine it with Signal Hill and University Road on the same route. Note: flash photography is not allowed indoors, and some rooms can only be viewed from the doorway. The museum is generally open on Mondays too, but check the official announcements.

Former German Governor's Residence

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