I spent three unforgettable days exploring Qingdao (青岛 Qīngdǎo) with my kids, and this coastal city surprised us in ways we never expected. Beyond the famous red-tiled buildings and blue sea that Kang Youwei once described as "red tiles and green trees, blue sea and sky," we discovered a hidden gem that stole our hearts: the Hisense Exploration Center (海信探索中心 Hǎixìn Tànsuǒ Zhōngxīn). This massive science museum, housed in a converted TV factory, offers four floors of interactive exhibits where my kids could touch, explore, and learn about everything from human anatomy to lever principles. Watching their eyes light up as they played scientist for a day was worth every minute. If you're traveling with children to Qingdao, this is the must-visit spot that will make your family trip truly memorable.
Trip Overview
When: July (Summer)
Duration: 3 days
Travelers: Family with kids
Budget: ~2,000 RMB (~$280 USD) per person
Transportation: High-speed train from Beijing (3 hours)
Day 1: Arrival and First Impressions of Qingdao
When I first arrived in Qingdao, I couldn't help but think of the famous quote from Kang Youwei describing this city as "red tiles and green trees, blue sea and sky" (红瓦绿树，碧海蓝天 hóng wǎ lǜ shù, bì hǎi lán tiān). Qingdao has always been on my bucket list for family trips – it's just a 3-hour high-speed train ride from Beijing, making it the perfect weekend escape to show my kids the sea.
We love taking things slow, and Qingdao's old town is full of surprising corners waiting to be discovered. Even without visiting specific attractions, simply wandering through the streets felt romantic and charming.
At the historic Luxun Park (鲁迅公园 Lǔxùn Gōngyuán), we walked along the coastal boardwalk, gazing at the city's most classic shoreline. At the First Bathing Beach (第一海水浴场 Dìyī Hǎishuǐ Yùchǎng), my kids watched with curiosity as locals collected endless amounts of sea cabbage along the shore.
We enjoyed a meal at a revolving restaurant by the sea, taking in Qingdao's beautiful cityscape while savoring delicious local cuisine. Although the recent continuous rainy weather blocked our expected blue sea and sky, exploring Qingdao in the rain had its own unique charm. The mist-shrouded red tiles and green trees added a touch of freshness and ethereal beauty to the city.
Day 2: Hisense Exploration Center – A Paradise for Kids
When thunderstorms hit suddenly, we ducked into seaside cafes or looked for indoor playgrounds suitable for the kids. The biggest surprise of our Qingdao trip was the Hisense Exploration Center.
The Hisense Exploration Center is a comprehensive science exploration and popular science base themed around "Science and Nature Exploration." It's also the first new-type science museum in China to achieve age-specific, knowledge-specific, and zone-specific segmentation.
The center was converted from the old factory of Qingdao Television Factory, said to be the predecessor of Hisense Group. The first Qingdao-brand color TV, China's first self-developed industrialized digital video processing chip, and Hisense's first intelligent transportation solution all originated here, making it a place of great significance.
After renovation, the four-story building's first impression was simply massive – the space covers 13,000 square meters, equivalent to 31 basketball courts. With over 500 exhibits and display items, including more than 200 interactive experiences, it's perfect for curious kids. The five major pavilions – Science Enlightenment Hall, Science Discovery Hall, Natural Exploration Hall, World Consumer Electronics Museum, and Hisense History and Culture Hall – cover science exploration, natural exploration, historical exploration, and other subjects, allowing kids to truly learn through play.
Here, my two kids had so much fun they didn't want to leave, and even my husband and I got completely hooked, rediscovering the joy of being science students. From the mysteries of the human body, water droplets flowing backward, a globe that the whole family could move together using levers, the magical Möbius strip (莫乌比斯环 Mòwūbǐsī Huán), a robot that could solve Rubik's cubes, to rare marine biological specimens from around the world – we played until closing time, and the kids still didn't want to leave.
Hisense thoughtfully prepared "admission surprises" for children: inflatable bear dolls, custom medals, and a ceremonial stamp collection passport. Each pavilion has many stamping stations where kids can get stamps after completing their visits, fully stimulating my kids' desire for challenge. They bounced and jumped into the exhibition halls.
Each of the four floors has different content, many of which are the first of their kind in China. It's said that the exhibits here are closely integrated with primary and secondary school textbook knowledge, from cells and human body structure to polar plains – everything is vividly displayed here. Although my kids had just turned 5, the vivid and interesting display projects and rich interactive experiences here fully stimulated their interest in exploring the mysteries of science and nature. Every time, we had to urge them to move to the next exhibition area.
Floor 1: World of Displays and Science Enlightenment
The first floor features the World of Displays, Science Enlightenment Hall, World Consumer Electronics Museum, and Hisense History and Culture Hall. From the world's first TV, refrigerator, and washing machine to the world's earliest mobile phones and computers, the World Consumer Electronics Museum displays over 100 rare household appliance collections, which is also the largest in China. Not only were my kids amazed, but many exhibits also refreshed my understanding of consumer electronics.
What little boys can't resist are all kinds of real vehicles! Fire trucks, helicopters, excavators, seeders – all kinds of vehicles they could enter and experience let them fully enjoy being "little drivers." At the end of the first floor, they could even experience being a car mechanic, figuring out how to use the right tools to remove corresponding screws – that's up to the kids to explore!
Both floors 1 and 2 are Science Enlightenment Halls, but with different zones and focuses, mainly including the Mysteries of the Human Body, Laws of Motion, Magic of Light and Shadow, Amazing Science, Intimate Magnetic Field, transportation area with Hisense intelligent transportation thermal imaging systems and some functional vehicles, and Water Science Station – seven permanent exhibition halls. There's also a magical "Space Capsule" on the first floor where you can experience 5D immersive interaction – we experienced an exciting and thrilling African journey here. (This is one of the few paid experiences.)
Floor 2: Deeper Science Enlightenment
Entering the second floor, the science enlightenment zones become even richer. In "Mysteries of the Human Body," you can see the components of the human body from the inside out, and it can answer one of the questions kids are most curious about: "Where did I come from?" The simulated fetal growth process fascinated my kids. Discovering corresponding bone movements by pedaling a bicycle was also one of their favorite experience items.
Besides biological evolution and human development, you can even experience facial recognition of ancestors here. Although the ancestor effect my daughter recognized was a bit scary after composition, it scared her brother away – haha!
"Laws of Motion" is also an area kids particularly enjoy exploring – such as watching which ball runs faster on different tracks, comparing circles and squares, and the effect of centrifugal force. Bright colors and easy-to-understand game settings make it easy for kids to learn new knowledge. The most popular is this lever principle of moving the Earth, which reminds me of Archimedes' famous quote: "Give me a fulcrum, and I shall move the world."
Kaleidoscopes, funny mirrors, illusion huts... "Magic of Light and Shadow" also has many interesting items. Our family's favorite here is the mirror maze – without the help of auxiliary sticks, even adults can easily get lost inside. I experienced something similar at Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore before, and the ticket was quite expensive! But here it's free, and you can play as many times as you want.
Floor 3: Science Discovery Hall
The Science Enlightenment Halls on floors 1 and 2 should be the most suitable exhibition areas for younger children. Entering the third floor Science Discovery Hall, the officially recommended visiting age is 8 and above. The five permanent theme areas are Acoustics, Mathematics, Mechanics, Electromagnetism, and Optics – the science interactive exhibits are deeper than the Enlightenment Hall. But overall, they still use simple operations and wonderful ways to display basic scientific principles.
If you have school-age children, this should be the best supplementary base for textbook knowledge. Each exhibit has a QR code explanation board beside it. After scanning, you can hear the scientific principles behind the exhibits through voice, and even trace back to which chapter of the textbook this principle appears in. I can't help but think – if I had such a science museum when I was young, wouldn't science have been easier to learn?
Airflow tunnels, wind power generation, springs you can't touch, Möbius strips, dancing paperclips, optical illusions... Although my kids haven't started elementary school yet, it didn't stop them from experiencing the magic of science on the third floor and sprouting the seeds of scientific exploration.
I particularly loved the "science internet-famous wall" on the third floor – Newton, Galileo, Pythagoras... The scientists corresponding to the display projects are vividly hand-painted on the wall beside them. It feels like a space-time intersection, as if having a dialogue across time with these great predecessors.
By the way, the third floor also has unified explanation times when staff members lead children to demonstrate science projects. Make sure to pay attention to the announcements!
Floor 4: Natural Exploration Hall
The Natural Exploration Hall on the fourth floor is themed around "Nature-Science Exploration" and is also very suitable for all ages. Entering from the cosmic stars gives a very grand and sacred feeling. Walk-in scene exhibition areas of six major landforms – desert, ocean, plains, grasslands, and tropical rainforest – each has corresponding natural phenomenon displays. For example, in the desert exhibition area, you can simulate how sandstorms are formed. There are also corresponding animals, such as cute prairie dogs, guinea pigs, little rabbits, and very rare lizards.
Natural state simulation, live animal and plant interaction, science exhibit operation, popular science movie screenings, and science experiment workshops are fully displayed in the six major landforms, making you feel like you've traveled around the entire Earth.
🎯 Practical Info
Summer Tickets: Children ¥138 (~$19), Adults ¥168 (~$23) Address: No. 11 Jiangxi Road, Shinan District, Qingdao, Shandong Province (山东省青岛市南区江西路11号) Summer Hours: Monday-Sunday 9:00-20:00 Pro Tip: Get the stamp passport at entrance – kids love collecting stamps!
When you're hungry at noon, you don't even need to leave the building. The 25Plus Café on the first floor offers many foods that kids love. As a coffee enthusiast, I also had my favorite coffee in Qingdao here!
Day 3: Departure and Lasting Memories
I really love the Hisense Exploration Center's slogan: "Success comes from curiosity." One visit is definitely not enough – if only it could open in Beijing! I would definitely get an annual pass and bring my kids regularly. They currently have summer ticket benefits, which makes me really envy the kids in Qingdao.
Our short three-day, two-night Qingdao journey ended. When I asked the kids what they liked most, I unsurprisingly got the answer "Hisense Exploration Center." Well, you're the little youngsters who want to become "scientists" when you grow up – go for it! We'll definitely come back next time.
Quick Reference Guide
Hisense Exploration Center (海信探索中心)
Summer Tickets: Children ¥138 (~$19), Adults ¥168 (~$23) Address: No. 11 Jiangxi Road, Shinan District, Qingdao, Shandong Province (山东省青岛市南区江西路11号) Summer Hours: Monday-Sunday 9:00-20:00 Highlights: 4 floors, 500+ exhibits, 200+ interactive experiences Must-Try: Mirror maze (free!), stamp collection passport, Space Capsule 5D experience (paid)
Getting to Qingdao
From Beijing: High-speed train (~3 hours) Best Time to Visit: Summer (July-August) for beach weather Family Budget: ~2,000 RMB (~$280) per person for 3 days
Family Travel Tips
Bring rain gear – Qingdao weather can be unpredictable Hisense Exploration Center is perfect for rainy days Get to the museum early to avoid crowds Don't miss the revolving restaurant for city views Allow a full day for Hisense Exploration Center