Beginning on August 15th, hundreds of thousands of Chinese, expats and international travelers will head to the beaches of Qingdao in Shandong Province for the 19th annual Qingdao Beer Festival.

The 16-day festival is easily China's largest suds celebration and runs through August 30th, featuring an array of beers from around the world. Attendees are expected to consume over 1,000 tons of brew, mainly local favorite Tsingtao.

The opening and closing ceremonies, as well as numerous beer drinking competitions and performances, are set to take place at Qingdao International Beer City (entrance ranges from RMB 10-20 depending on hour of entry), while other notable venues include Hui Quan Square and Pijiu Jie (Beer Street).

Roughly 573 km (356 miles) from Shanghai, 550 km (342 miles) from Beijing and 1,640 km (1,019 miles) from Hong Kong, Qingdao is easily accessible via train, plane and coach. There are a number of daily, non-stop flights to Qingdao from around China. Additionally, hotels in Qingdao are gearing up for the flood of festival-goers (we suggest booking ahead).

With less than two weeks remaining until the festival, beer fans are readying themselves for some serious fun.

Update: The main venue (pictured) is located at 195 Xiang Gang Lu, near Hai'Er Lu. Although the map is in Chinese, the orange circle on the right side of the photo denotes the main entrance. Other points of entry are on Li Shan Lu (orange circle near top of picture) and on Hai'Er Lu (orange circle near bottom of page). The map is click-able for a larger version.

More Updates to come as they unfold . . .