QINGDAO, CHINA

This ever-green Chinese city is turning over a new leaf.

Qingdao on China's Yellow Sea coast is a place of exhilarating contrasts, where historic German buildings (remnants of its occupation in the late 19th century) rub up against dazzlingly modern sculptural art.

Fresh sea air keeps coastal Qingdao cool while inland cities swelter during the hot summer months. Thankfully, the ubiquitous hometown beer Tsingtao is also on tap to keep parched throats at bay.