Tsingtao Brewery is one of China's oldest and most internationally recognised brewing companies, founded in 1903 in Qingdao (then romanised as Tsingtao) by German and British merchants under the name Germania-Brauerei Tsingtao Co. The city of Qingdao was at the time under German colonial influence, which left a lasting mark on the brewery's origins and early brewing traditions. The first beer rolled off the production line in 1904, making Tsingtao one of the pioneers of modern brewing in China. Over more than a century, Tsingtao has grown from a small brewery with an annual output of 1,200 tons into one of the largest brewing groups in the world, currently ranked as the sixth largest brewer globally. The company markets its products primarily under two brands: Tsingtao and Laoshan. The core Tsingtao lager is China's leading exported beer and is enjoyed in markets around the world. In 2024, the brand expanded its portfolio with the launch of Tsingtao 0.0, a non-alcoholic offering that reflects broader trends in the global beer market. Tsingtao holds a dominant position in China's beer landscape, ranking as the country's second largest brewer after CR Beer. The brewery's long history, rooted in German brewing heritage and shaped by decades of Chinese craftsmanship, has made Tsingtao a globally recognised symbol of Chinese beer culture.