Qingdao is one of the co-host cities of 2008 Olympic Games with the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center serving as the venue for sailing competitions.

The Sailing Sub-Committee (Qingdao) of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad was established in Qingdao to take charge of all preparatory work for the 2008 Games' sailing competitions. Qingdao makes overall plans to improve the ecological environment and becomes a green Olympic city with the best sailing facilities in Asia. The Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center and Olympic-related projects are constructed to the requirement of the sailing events.

Qingdao is located on the southern coastline of east China's Shandong Province. Dubbed Eastern Switzerland, Qingdao is one of China's most important port cities. It has a total length of coastline (including that of its 69 offshore islands) of 862.64 kilometers. To the east, a short distance across the Yellow Sea, lie Korea and Japan, making Qingdao an important city for international trade.