When we first arrived, my friend, Renee, carried a Chinese magazine with tiny little thumbnail images of pottery, shops and cafes that were supposedly here in Qingdao. Quite frankly, the photos looked too cute so I figured it was just typical stock photos for some other city. But she persisted, showing our non-English speaking driver “We want to go HERE. Art, pottery, coffee, I’M DESPERAAAATE!!!!” He kept shrugging his shoulders, shaking his head, made a couple calls and then took us to this small cobblestone pedestrian street off of Nanjing Lu called Creative 100.
You can find it here:
It’s crazy that after living only 2 hours away in Haiyang for 3 years, I never heard of this place! We were pretty impressed with the area. And although there aren’t 100 stores in here (which I believe is the reason for the name) and yeah, maybe it’s no Shanghai or Beijing, for a creative space in Qingdao, this place is awesome and a really nice way to spend an afternoon.
A converted warehouse, there’s a row of little boutiques, cafes, books, a printer, and pottery stores. The RED STAR Qingdao Magazine office is here as well.
Close to the entrance on the left is Tian Wu Fang Pottery. Lately they have been open all week long.
You can hand-build, use the pottery wheel, paint and glaze. We had a ball!
If you are looking for a printer, this store is well priced and the people are helpful. Even if you don’t speak Chinese, just show them what you want.
Pricing was 5 rmb for color printing on photo paper, A4 or 8.5×11 inch size. They even do printing on canvas. My friend told me they patiently showed her all the different types of canvas they offer.
A stunning and comfortable mix between traditional and modern, Clay is not your average ceramic store. Their items are modern, unique but simple. A far cry (and a nice departure) from the typical bright colored floral and dragon designs.
Horcrux café, Euro-style and very cozy!
Great little bookstore – Sonospace Bookstore 不是书店 has a café as well.
Letterpress impressed us the most!
They have letterpress printing and cotton paper making workshops. Another fun thing to do with the kids!
Gotta head home now…
See you there!
Love this! Do you know if they do any classes on making clay sculptures? So excited to find your blog, it’s such a nice thing you’re doing- I’m sure your blog has helped tons of expats living in Qingdao! <3
Thanks! Definitely check out Huangxian lu and 100 Nanjing lu (I have posts up for those places). There was also a place in Marina City. If you go to Bank of China on Aomen lu in Marina City, go through the ally on the right. You’ll see the escalators up and there use to be a pottery / clay place on the 2nd floor. Not sure if it is still open though, but it’s worth a look!