China
In early March 26, the flotilla arrived in Qingdao, in the People’s Republic of China. Alongside the many other exotic stops on this circumnavigation, this country is equally stunning: its architecture and the rapid pace of economic development, especially considering that the economy was almost completely in ruins thirty or forty years ago.
Every aspect of the buildings and infrastructure—such as public transportation, to name just two examples—easily outshines anything one is accustomed to in the European Union or the United States.
The skyline of Quingdao at night
Line slipping in Qingdao, March, 12th 2026