It has been more than four years since construction began on Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, which has turned the formerly barren land into a shining "super starfish".

Let's take a look back on the construction of the airport, which has sprung up from nothing over the past four years.

Construction of Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport begins in April 2016. [Photo/guanhai.com.cn]

An aerial photo taken in 2016 shows the general outline of the airport. [Photo/guanhai.com.cn]

The terminal building is under construction in 2017. The new airport, located approximately 39 kilometers northwest of Qingdao, is expected to serve 35 million passengers by 2025 and 55 million by 2045. [Photo/guanhai.com.cn]

By the end of 2017, the airport has begun to take shape. [Photo/guanhai.com.cn]

The airport is linked to Qingdao's downtown area and its neighboring cities by a dense road network and urban railway system featuring expressways and high-speed trains. [Photo/guanhai.com.cn]

An aerial photo of the airport under construction [Photo/guanhai.com.cn]

The new airport is ranked 4F, internationally the highest level for an airport and the same as Beijing Capital International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport. [Photo/guanhai.com.cn]

An aerial photo of the new airport in Qingdao. By 2045, when both of the airport's phases are completed, it will be able to handle about 1 million metric tons of cargo per year, allowing 452,000 landings and takeoffs. [Photo/guanhai.com.cn]