For my husband and I, 500 yuan ($74) is enough for a pretty nice dinner in Qingdao - a meal that would cost us nearly 2,000 yuan in Shanghai.

As for entertainment, where could there be a better place than a coastal city suitable for plenty of fun water sports and beach activities? There were multiple choices for us, such as swimming, playing in the sand, sunbathing, beach volleyball or new adventures like driving a motorboat, water gliding or snorkeling.

It's a much better experience than being squeezed into a crowded, warm, indoor swimming pool in Shanghai, worrying about the questionable sanitary conditions and "underwater combat" with other swimmers.

For sure, there are many Shanghainese traveling with families to Qingdao to take shelter from the heat, and the Shanghai dialect could be heard in restaurants, hotels and beaches.

Now back in my office, I have started to miss my happy weekend in the summer haven.

Nothing could be more comfortable and refreshing than a cool place during summer heat.

Cao Chen in Shanghai contributed to this story.