Zoom in on any beer tent at Qingdao's Golden Beach during this summer's Qingdao International Beer Festival, which ran from July 17 to Aug 15, and you would have found the city's summer pulse racing at full throttle.

On stage, a live band whipped the crowd into a rhythmic frenzy; below, thousands of revelers swayed to the beat with tipsy enthusiasm, clutching hefty glass mugs that clanged together in deep, resonant thuds, whether with friends or strangers.

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This was the everyday scene of the festival.

The monthlong carnival drew 7.18 million visits and saw the consumption of about 3.1 million liters of beer. Three separate venues, each with its own character, catered to a broad spectrum of visitors.

"I really liked the atmosphere of the festival: fun, joy, and the kindness of the locals. I was impressed by the fireworks, the drone show and the parade of musicians," says Alena Maior from Moscow, Russia.

She and her mother recently chose Qingdao as their first destination in China and stayed for seven days. Back in Moscow, whenever she dined at Asian restaurants, she would order Tsingtao Beer.

"My favorite is wheat beer. I was pleased to visit the city and try the original taste right from the place of production," she says.

"I would advise all my friends to visit Qingdao in August to enjoy the sea, the sun and the beer festival. I'm sure the city is no less beautiful in autumn and spring. But we Russians love to swim and sunbathe, so the brighter the sun, the better."

The main venue at Golden Beach offered a family-friendly atmosphere that appealed to all age groups. Night skies were illuminated by 1,500 drones in synchronized flight, blooming fireworks and a 3D light show, their radiance flickering across the waterfront.

Nine large beer tents housed both globally renowned brands and local craft brews. A new highlight this year was the futuristic beer tent, where smart food-making services and interactive performances were offered by robots. The integration of multiple intelligent robots added a cutting-edge, tech-driven dimension to the venue experience.

The square area featured a packed schedule of events such as drinking contests, street basketball tournaments, balloon volleyball matches and street dance battles.

The sub-venue in Laoshan district, on the other hand, created an amusement-park-like vibe that appealed to young crowds. Over a dozen beer-themed games were offered, allowing visitors who completed challenges to earn festival "coins" that could be used for purchases throughout the venue. Trendy music gigs, stand-up comedy and other performances added to its appeal.

Another sub-venue in Dabaodao, located in the city's old town, took a different approach by integrating highly interactive activities into the historical neighborhood. It featured city music corners, street art performances and role-playing tours, enabling visitors to enjoy an immersive experience. This sub-venue received approximately 3.98 million visits during the festival, a year-on-year increase of 1.5 percent, with a single-day peak of 195,000 visitors.

Bi Wenmeng, brand manager of a local beer-themed homestay, says the property was nearly fully booked throughout the festival.

"We served fresh beer directly from the Tsingtao Brewery, decorated the property with beer-themed elements, and offered hop soap DIY workshops alongside Tsingtao Beer Museum souvenirs, all of which were popular gift choices," Bi adds.

The festival brought together over 2,300 beers from more than 50 countries and regions, alongside a sprawling food street highlighting local seafood, delivering an authentic taste of the coast.

Qiu Yi, from Zunyi, Guizhou province, organized a beer festival trip for her parents and their friends.

"In Guizhou, when we gather, we enjoy having a few drinks, sharing some food, and having a good time. The lively atmosphere of the beer festival provided the perfect setting for our parents to socialize and enjoy themselves," she says.

In 2023, she visited Oktoberfest in Germany, the famous folk beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria. She says that by comparison, the Qingdao International Beer Festival offered a wider variety of food, more diverse performances and more amusement facilities, though she feels it lacked some of the cultural distinctiveness that gives Oktoberfest its strong sense of identity.

According to Wang Defang, a former worker at Tsingtao Brewery, the inspiration for launching the Qingdao International Beer Festival came from the brewery's technical staff members who were sent to Germany in the 1980s to study brewing techniques and experience the grandeur of Oktoberfest firsthand.

On June 23, 1991, the first Qingdao International Beer Festival kicked off in Zhongshan Park. Drinking contests, fashion shows and float parades were staged one after another, drawing more than 300,000 visitors over eight days.

"At that time, there were only about 40 to 50 domestic beer varieties and a few international ones, but it still excited the local residents and visitors alike," Wang recalls.

"Back then, there weren't many entertainment options. In summer, people would gather there, whether they knew each other or not, and they'd clink glasses, chat, sing and dance. It was a particularly carefree time," says Xi Wei, a Qingdao native who has witnessed the festival grow in scale and attract more out-of-town visitors.

Many of her childhood summer memories are tied to beer.

"When summer arrived, small shops in the alleys would put out tables on the street. Five or six people would crowd around each one, and every restaurant's doorstep was packed with diners. Every eatery had a draft beer dispenser. I often took plastic bags or other containers to fetch beer for my dad from those machines," she recalls.

Today, her home is just a 10-minute walk from Golden Beach, and she often takes a stroll to the beach during the festival.

In her view, everyone can find something to enjoy at the festival.

Those who love a lively atmosphere can watch performances and clink glasses with friends inside the beer tents; those who prefer quieter moments can watch the festive fireworks from the nearby beach.

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"When the fireworks go off, I can smell the sea breeze mixed with the scent of gunpowder. At moments like that, whether the people around me are friends or strangers, we all look up and cheer together, and that doubles the joy," Xi says.

When the final firework fades, and the last mug is emptied, the city's summer lingers on — in shared cheers, in the froth of beer, in the salt on the breeze, and in the promise of next year, when the tents rise again.

Contact the writer at xingwen@chinadaily.com.cn