If you were to ask me what country is the world’s number one beer-consumer, I might have said Germany.

I envision a dark pub, filled with obstreperous Germans slugging back grog. Or maybe Britain. Or, I’d guess America as I recall passing enormous breweries on my recent cross-country road-trip.

I would not first guess China.

But that’s what it is.

Qingdao (or Tsingtao) is the country’s largest domestic producer and holds a sort of Octoberfest-in-China called “Qingdao Beer Festival,” which is the largest of China’s numerous beer festivals. It is always completely awesome and I am always jealous of anyone who attends. This year was typical: drunk people on the beach, drunk people in banquet halls, drunk people at picnic tables, and more drunk people.

Sixteen beer tents provided 100 types of beers from eleven different countries. Japan’s NTV has a great video of the festivities:

It’s been an annual end-of-summer event since 1991, a year after the company was privatized. And actually, my guess of Germany as beer’s king was not that far off. Qingdao once served as the Pacific naval base for Germany, to whom China had ceded the land of what was formerly a teensy fishing village. Homesick for their grog, they set up shop. (Now, Chinese citizens abroad become homesick for a cold Tsingtao.)

Last night was the fest’s “Qingdao GanBei with the World!”

So GanBei!