Shinan district in Qingdao, Shandong province is restoring the old downtown area. Along the Huangdao Road, there are a great number of historical buildings, which are expected to take on new looks by the end of this year.

Pingkang Wuli, a rare four-story "Liyuan", is under restoration in the Huangdao Road area. Liyuan were a special architecture that were built by Germans for local Chinese residents during Germany's administration of Qingdao from 1898 to 1914. Their style resembles an elevated quadrangle courtyard which has combined the structure of traditional Chinese courtyards with western architectural style.

Pingkang Wuli is under restoration. [Photo/Guanhai News]

The courtyard located south of No 19 Weixian Road has been renamed Fuxingli. It was in disarray two years ago, but it is now being operated in a trendy format with pubs, coffee bars, and trendy shops.

According to official plan, Shinan will complete the protection and renovation of 54,000 square meters of buildings in the Huangdao Road area by the end of this year.

Thanks to the favorable environment brought by the conservation and innovation of the old downtown area, the place has also made great progress in inviting investment. 

According to Sun Biao, a representative of Shanghai Luoman Lighting Technology Co, which plans to locate its northern headquarters in Qingdao, the company is enlarging its share in northern China in industries such as digital creativity and artificial intelligence.