Qingdao Yingbinguan (Qingdao Welcome Guest House)

Description:

• Built between 1905 and 1908 in the style of an old fortress with Tudor motifs, this magnificent building, the former residence of the German governor general, looks like it leaped from a Grimm Brothers' fairy tale. In 1934, the house became a hotel and is now a museum. Visitors can see the office where Mao Zedong slept during his month-long summer vacation in July 1957. Much of the stained glass, dark woods, and plush furnishings have survived, including an exquisite green marble fireplace with ornamental tiles in the study and an original 1876 German grand piano. There's an audio guide for ¥20 ($2.60/£1.30) available at the information center to the left when you enter the house. The information given is pretty general, but includes facts like the height and length of the windows in the atrium.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2010