Badaguan Scenic Area (八大关)

Badaguan (Eight Passes) is a residential district of tree-lined lanes around Shanhaiguan Road in the Shinan District of Qingdao, Shandong, China. Its streets are named after famous passes of China, and each lane is planted with a particular tree or flower, from pines and cherry blossoms to maples and crab apples. The district is lined with villas built mostly in the 1930s in a mix of European styles, including Gothic, Spanish, Russian, Greek and Scandinavian, and some were formerly the homes of officials and foreign residents. Visitors walk the shaded lanes, look at the varied architecture and pass by small beaches along the coast. Individual villas, such as the Huashi Lou (Flower Stone House), can be entered for a fee of about CNY 10 to 50, and some are used as hotels, museums or cafes. Street access is free and open around the clock. A visit typically takes about two hours on foot, though bicycles and electric buggies are available to hire. Late April is popular for the blooming trees and flowers, and autumn brings colour to the maples. Weekends are busy, and the area is a favourite location for wedding photography, so quiet lanes are best on weekday mornings. Photographers focus on the villa facades, the tree-lined avenues and the coastal boulevard. The district is reached by bus 26 or 31, or by Metro Line 3 to Yanan 3rd Road Station and a walk, and it is close to the beaches and the seaside promenade.