Concrete walls, skyscraper city waterfront

Skyscrapers and seaports

A key port city on the coast of northeastern China, Qingdao sits across the Yellow Sea from Incheon, South Korea. The narrow, distant view in our photo is dominated by sleek glass skyscrapers, marking the city center of this 10 million-strong metropolis. But wander the streets of Qingdao and you'll see smatterings of Romanesque revival architecture. Those are leftovers from the German occupation of the city, which despite only lasting about 16 years (1898-1914) left an enduring stylistic mark.