Qingdao: The city that was built on beer

Bikinis, beach volleyball and other entertainment help a summer festival grow every year.

It's a breezy summer day in coastal Qingdao, and I am awash in beauty and beer. I've been hanging out all morning with 48 lovely young ladies, each one a beauty contest winner in her home country or region. They've come to China for about 20 days of publicity appearances, ending with a bikini contest on the final weekend of Qing-dao's annual beer festival.

Andrea Torres, the 20-year-old contender from Panama, is participating in just one of the entertainments surrounding the festival. But she's not drinking beer.