The closest I've ever been to the world...
As I write this, the event has come and gone in a whirl. With the arrival of thousands of foreign dignitaries, the press from hundreds of countries, and major changes to the city all around us, the efforts of months of preparation finally were put to the test. I think I mentioned more than once the amount of construction that was met in every street corner - roads, lights, and landscaping galore! The government brought in thousands of policemen and military from across China in the past month. I felt for the first time as though I understand what it is like to live in a military occupied city (however, the occupying military was thankfully our own). Shops, schools, factories, and other major businesses were completely shut down, roads cut off, public transportation halted and in some parts of the city, residents were given a curfew then later told they were not allowed homes for up to four days with their curtains drawn at all times. My fellowship was told it could not meet during the weekend the events took place. Even our neighborhood, which lies a little further outside city center (where most of the attendees of the convention were staying) had a rise in security measures that the Iranian president (and his party) was staying in the seaside hotel about a ten minute walk from our apartment.
For residents of Qingdao, the Summit can certainly be described as having been an inconvenient domination of our lives for the past few months. However, the city itself does look beautiful now and the entire event certainly brought Qingdao to the forefront of of global news. This means I've been able to find lots of great videos with information and footage of the city I call home!
Below, I have included news coverage of the entire SCO Summit Opening Ceremonies (organized and directed by the same man who did the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Olympics). The actual Lights and Fireworks Show is only about 20 minutes, but the introductory coverage of Qingdao is really informational. I have written up a breakdown of the timestamps (for those of you that don't have an hour to watch the entire broadcast), so you can skip to the parts you are interested in watching. The segments in red are ones I recommend (though it's all fun and fabulous)!
After that, I have a few more videos related to Qingdao! They all give a really good look at the history, culture, and the beauty of this awesome city! I hope you check them out sometime!
VIDEO SEGEMENT BREAKDOWN
Behind the Scenes Information about Gala
6:33 - 9:09
Inside look at Lights & Fireworks Show (repeated elements from previous segment)
9:10 - 11: 59
Unique history and highlights about the city of Qingdao
12:00 - 13:05
International influence in Qingdao, connection to SCO
13:08 - 17:47
First Look at Qingdao the night of, some of the cultural background on the show, & a discussion of the Qingdao people's perspectives on this event
17:49 - 20:28
Segment on Qingdao's signature & world famous beer (Tsingtao Beer)
20:29 - 23:02
Segment on Qingdao's Automated Port
23:06 - 26:52
Discussion of symbols, popular attractions, & historic icons in Qingdao
26:53 - 27:52
Segment on the Sailing Culture, Qingdao is home to China's Olympic Sailing Center (Segment is interrupted by the start of ceremony)
SCO 2018 INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT
OPENING CEREMONIES
Qingdao skyline lit up for SCO Gala, beginning of the ceremony
28:52 - 31:21
Global SCO Leaders arrive, including 16 Presidents and Prime Ministers (information on SCO and the influence of this Summit)
31:22 - 32:11
Formal Welcome
32:20 - 53:57
OPENING CEREMONY BEGINS
LIGHTS & FIREWORKS EXTRAVAGANZA
53:58 - 58:10
News anchors reflect on the event & recap important moments (cuts off)
PHOTOS RELATED TO THE SUMMIT
MORE VIDEOS ABOUT QINGDAO
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The focus of this short documentary is the German architectural influence in a certain area of Qingdao (7 minutes) | Aerial Tour of Qingdao (2 minutes) |