The annual Qingdao International Beer Festival will be held on July 31 in the eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province, offering over 1,500 different brews from across the globe as well as a host of popular snacks.

A news conference was held by the organizing committee on July 22 to brief reporters on the arrangements and schedule for the festival.

Initiated in 1991 and hailed as Asia's Oktoberfest, the 30th Qingdao International Beer Festival is the largest of its kind in Asia and one of China's biggest tourism events.

The festival will open at the Golden Beach Beer City, the world's largest beer square covering more than 800,000 square meters.

A spectacular night view of the Golden Beach Beer City in Qingdao West Coast New Area [Photo by Yuan Fuxia/for China Daily]

Organizers revealed that an extravaganza of cultural and art performances, parades, sports games, concerts and firework shows will take place during the 17-day event.

In light of the epidemic, the organizing committee will launch a series of measures to ensure public health.

Before the opening of the festival, many live-action drills and emergency response drills will be conducted.

To ensure the health and safety of visitors, staff will disinfect facilities every day, take temperatures, and check the health QR codes of every person entering the Golden Beach Beer City.

Beer lovers gather at the 29th Qingdao International Beer Festival. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Staff will also monitor visitor flow during business hours. The daily visitor flow will be capped at 50 percent of maximum capacity.

According to the organizing committee, improved services will be launched for added convenience. Volunteer services, food safety and anti-epidemic inspection, free shuttle buses, night bus lines and expanded parking will be available during the festival.