Zhanqiao Pier, one of the landmarks in Qingdao, is packed with tourists no matter in chilly winter or blistering summer. Huilan Pavilion in Zhanqiao Pier, a landmark building exclusive to Qingdao, epitomizes unique nostalgia and shared memory of Qingdao natives.

The Administrative Service Center of Seaside Scenery Zone of Qingdao recently announced that a solicitation is made across the society for old colored photos of Huilan Pavilion as the renovation of Huilan Pavilion will begin shortly. Old photos can provide historic clues and help to restore Huilan Pavilion to charm in old days.

As recorded in Historical Annals of Qingdao, Zhanqiao Pier was hard hit by a severe typhoon in September, 1931 before it was overhauled and extended. The bridge was extended to 440 meters in length and got higher by 0.5 meter. A Chinese character Ge-shaped semicircular pier was added at the southern end of the bridge. A two-storied octagonal pavilion with overhanging eaves, named Huilan Pavilion, was newly built inside the pier. Huilan Pavilion has added remarkable ornamental and tourist value to Zhanqiao Pier. Since the 1930s, Huilan Pavilion in Zhanqiao Pier had ranked twice among top ten tourist attractions in Qingdao.

Affected by sea winds, waves, typhoons and other factors, Huilan Pavilion has experienced several repairs, major or minor. The latest one, which occurred in 2016, focused on applying sealing wax after thorough floor cleaning and repairing the fracture of roof beams. Eight years later, Qingdao will begin to renovate Huilan Pavilion once more according to the principle of “restoring the old as the old”, work to the best of its capacity to restore it, and sustain historical information and features of the times embodied by cultural relics.  (Cao Sen)

Huilan Pavilion and Zhanqiao Pier. By Xing Zhifeng