Siege of Tsingtao
The building originally served as the Kiautschou naval and civil government office and was known as "Gouverneurspalast", or the Governor's Palace. After the Siege of Tsingtao in 1914, the building became the Japanese occupation headquarters until 1922, when China regained sovereignty over its province. Before and during World War II, Jioazhou Governor's Hall was again used by the Japanese as the seat of their occupation regime from 1938–1945. The building was subsequently used by the Kuomintang government and, after June 1949, by the People's Republic of China. It served as Qingdao's townhall until 1992.