Chinese city allows tourists to enjoy and trade brews like stocks in a 'Beer Exchange'

Various parts of the world expound upon the uniqueness of their culture to draw in tourists. In many cases, they highlight a natural wonder such as a river, canyon, or mountain. Others present historical landmarks in which famous battles happened, historical figures were born, or other monumental events had taken place. Then there’s Qingdao, a city in China which celebrates beer. In fact, they celebrate it so much that they have a bar that sells it like a stock market.

Located in East China within the Shandong Province, Qingdao has become a vacation spot for beer lovers across the world. While offering various summer festival activities and water sports such as sailing, paddle boarding, and kayaking, the main attraction is the Qingdao Beer Exchange bar. The bar is a combination of the New York Stock Stage mixed with your favorite outdoor brewery.

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The 360-degree bar offers 30 different types of beer in which their prices vary upon their popularity. Every ten minutes, the price of the beer is influenced by the popularity and number of purchases for each one as customers scan the QR code. Customers serve themselves as beer is poured straight from the tap. At the top of the bar is a “stock ticker” that shows all the prices that have gone up or have lowered. Popular beers get higher in price as the other brews’ prices lower to entice customers. Beer enthusiasts get a kick out of either trying different beers on the cheaper end or knowing what beer is the most popular brew at that moment. As mentioned, the prices of each beer are updated every ten minutes, however they will go back to their usual prices at the start of the next business day.

Qingdao isn’t just using beer as a tourist attraction, but also highlights it as part of their history. In the late 19th century, the city was occupied and colonized by Germany. Using German brewing techniques with local ingredients, the first Tsingtao Brewery beer was made in 1903. After being in the beer business for over a century, Tsingtao Brewery and their beers have become internationally known and are sold in over 120 countries.

The city of Qingdao is just one spot that beer lovers make a special international trip to experience quality brews. Fans of pilsner take a trip over to the Czech Republic to take tours around breweries where the pilsner style of beer was born. They could make a trip to Westvleteren, Belgium to taste the celebrated Westvleteren 12 beer that’s brewed in a tiny monastery. Another beer hotspot is obviously Germany, with Bavarian beer tours to the Hofbräuhaus in Munich and to the world’s oldest brewery in Freising. If you’re a beer lover that doesn’t want to pull out your passport to try some different brews, many beer tourists recommend checking out the 36 breweries in Cincinnati, Ohio that have been around since the 1800s.

Whether you wish to sample different beers or “invest” in them in a stock market style, there are many refreshing options available to you throughout the world.