Friends gather at the bacchanal carnival in Qingdao. Ten revelry tents and three leisure tents allow visitors to enjoy more than 200 beers and local snacks. [Photo by SONG XUGUANG/FOR CHINA DAILY]

Ge Weijie, manager of the International Beer Tent, one of the three leisure tents, says they have prepared a range of beers from such countries as Germany, Belgium, Japan and South Korea.

"This year's beer festival provides around 1,300 types of beers, and 1,000 of them can be found here," says Ge. "We also have beers from SCO countries, such as Russia and Kazakhstan."

Ge runs a beer-experience center in Qingdao, where people can learn about how to make different types of beer and sample brews from different countries.

"Unlike other revelry tents that are crowded with loud music, our tent is a quiet place where you can sit down and enjoy the beer and food casually," says Ge.

"We have paired Chinese and Western dishes to match the different kinds of beers, from (kebab-like) chuan'er to baked lobster with cheese."

Local seafood complements the beer that can be found in every tent. According to Ge, besides shrimp and clams from Qingdao, they also offer Argentine red shrimp and Japanese scallops.

The more than a monthlong bacchanal carnival is not just about drinking beer, but is also a great way to spend the summer enjoying entertainment by the sea.

The Phoenix Fire Dance Show is a must-see showcase that gathers more than 160 fire performers from over 40 countries, kicking off at 8 pm every day during the festival.