As microcosms of German and Chinese societies, Munich Oktoberfest and Qingdao International Beer Festival are important manifestations of local culture. This study intends to answer the following question: to which extent are beer festivals in Germany and China related to local history and the local sense of place? A historical overview of the beer festivals in Munich and Qingdao is provided, as well as an analysis of how people seeking a sense of belonging creatively combine cognitive schemata of modernity with local cultural systems on a symbolic level. Through textual analysis and interviews, this study attempts to explore the historical development of beer festivals in Germany and China and provide an analysis case of place identity through beer symbols and tourist experience based on a historical and geographical framework regarding uniqueness, authenticity, liminality and local identity. Originating in local history, Oktoberfest has evolved from a folk festivity to a globally known tourist spectacle. Faced with modernisation, "Heimat" helps Germany in smoothing the tension between the traditional sense of place and the modern nation-state identity. As a former German colony, Qingdao celebrates its beer festival emphasising recreation and enjoyment above traditions. The local beer-related customs such as plastic bags and drinking with seafood reflect the cultural hybridity of Qingdao in which consumerism and nostalgia are combined in reaction to the vast tourism generated by globalisation and modernisation. It remains a challenge for beer festivals both in Germany and China facing homogenisation and commercialisation to maintain a genuine connection with people, especially the locals. Future work on beer festivals could explore a variety of beer events in other historical, national and contextual settings, different perspectives as well as genderisation, which will enrich the study on festival tourism and place identity.