Meanwhile, the International Beer Festival Alliance was founded on the opening day of the festival, and aims to build an international platform for beer festivals and cultural exchanges.

The alliance comprises representatives from the Munich Oktoberfest, the Great American Beer Festival, Toronto's Festival of Beer and the Qingdao International Beer Festival.

The Qingdao International Beer Products Fair is also held in the city and connects beer producers, dealers and raw-materials suppliers.

Dai Zhendong, manager of Hade Beer House, says his company has struck deals to sell more than 300 sets of brewing equipment with a total value of 324 million yuan ($46 million).

"This product fair helps us to find partners not only around China but also from the whole world," Dai says, adding that the duration of the festival also allowed his firm to show the brewing process.

Besides beer tents, more than 400 events, including musical shows, electronic sports and performances, are held during the 24-day event.

An e-game tent allows young visitors to play augmented-reality games.

The festival featured parades in the 1990s. This year's event featured a 19-float parade.

This year's festival has been included as part of the city's International Fashion Season, a citywide campaign initiated by the local government that aims to improve Qingdao's fame as a fashion metropolis.

Contact the writers at xiechuanjiao@chinadaily.com.cn