The Qingdao German Prison Site Museum (青岛德国监狱旧址博物馆), established in 1900, spans an area of 78,000 square meters with a construction area of 8,297.5 square meters, comprising 26 buildings. This unique museum integrates a prison architectural complex with an exhibition of judicial artifacts, offering a comprehensive glimpse into a pivotal historical period. Officially opened to the public on April 30, 2007, the museum’s prison buildings are characterized by the names “Ren,” “Yi,” “Li,” “Zhi,” and “Xin,” representing benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust, respectively, alongside a workshop. The primary exhibition space is the “Ren” prison block, the original site of the Qingdao German Prison, while the remaining structures date back to the 1920s and 1930s.
The museum boasts a rich history, reflecting its various transformations and roles over the years. Initially constructed by the Germans in 1900, the site was subsequently used by the Japanese Qingdao Garrison, the Qingdao Local Prosecutor’s Office, local courts, the Japanese Navy, the Qingdao Municipal Court, and the Qingdao Public Security Bureau as a detention center and prison. This varied usage highlights the prison’s significance in the local judicial and military history.
Table of Contents
- Basic Information
- Location and Transportation
- Highlights of the German Prison Site Museum
- Attractions near German Prison Site Museum
Basic Information
| Estimated Length of Tour | 1 hour |
| Ticket Price | 25 RMB |
| Opening Hours | 9.00 – 17.30; Last admission: 16.30 Closed on Mondays |
| Telephone Number | 0086-0532-82876273 0086-0532-82868820 |
Location and Transportation
The Qingdao German Prison Site Museum is located at 23 Changzhou Road, Shinan District, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China. To get there, you can choose one of the following ways:
Bus: Take bus 6, 26, 202, 214, 228, 304, or 316, get off at University Road Stop (大学路站), and walk about 200 meters to the west.
Metro: The closest metro station to the Qingdao German Prison Site Museum is People’s Hall (人民会堂) on line 3 and line 4. After getting out of the station from Exit A, you will be standing right in front of the building.
Highlights of the German Prison Site Museum
Inside the historic site, visitors encounter various facilities such as the guards’ duty room, prison cells, and a water dungeon. The presence of spiral staircases, reminiscent of castle architecture, adds a unique charm to the structure. Some rooms feature life-sized wax figures, including uniformed guards and former prisoners, notably martyrs, which vividly bring the prison’s somber history to life. The lifelike wax figures, set against the prison’s dark and grim environment, create an immersive and poignant experience.
A notable feature of the museum is the simulation windows in certain cells. Through small apertures, visitors can view short films depicting scenes from the past, effectively recreating the experience of incarceration. The audiovisual elements, including the sound of howling northern winds, enhance the immersive atmosphere, allowing visitors to feel as though they are stepping back in time.
The museum’s basement houses a water dungeon installed by the Japanese invaders, one of the most eerie and oppressive areas of the prison. Here, various torture instruments are on display, bearing silent witness to the atrocities committed by the Japanese against Chinese resistance fighters during their occupation. This part of the museum serves as a somber reminder of the brutal history and the suffering endured by countless individuals.
The Qingdao German Prison Site Museum is home to over 50,000 pages of documents and more than 2,000 photographs from the period of German occupation. These collections provide valuable insights into the era’s judicial practices and the historical context of the prison. The museum’s exhibitions, combined with the preserved architectural elements, offer a comprehensive understanding of the site’s historical significance and the broader socio-political landscape of early 20th-century Qingdao.
