The fourth Qingdao Coffee Carnival and 2014 China Barista Championship-Qingdao opened on Aug 30 in Marina City, a shopping mall in Qingdao. More than 30 baristas took part in the competition. The five-day carnival will also put on various coffee shows to let the public know more about the coffee industry in Qingdao, according to Qingdao Financial Daily.

The China Barista Championship (CBC) falls under the World Barista Championship (WBC), the most prestigious competition that produces the world's best baristas. This year, Qingdao was one of 16 divisions around the country to host the CBC.

Besides the China Barista Championship, the Qingdao Coffee Carnival for the first time is introducing the China Master Bartender Competition. It consists of both traditional and flair bartending, hoping to provide a platform for bartenders and popularize bartending as a profession.

With improved living standards and a quickened pace of life, more and more people like to visit coffeehouses in the city as a way to relieve pressure and refresh themselves.

The coffee industry in Qingdao picked up in 2007 and coffee bars doubled in 2012. With baristas in growing demand, barista schools have sprung up like mushrooms. Yet they still fail to meet the growing demand.

Edited by Michael Thai and Li Xiaoliang