Dongying is in many ways representative of a mid-tier Chinese city. While it has some department stores, you will have a hard time finding named brands unlike in the provincial capitals (Jinan for ShanDong). That said, it is relatively close to the seaside and is a good place to stop on your way to Qingdao as it still has good prices on everything. There are a couple of good restaurants in the city (look for chinese-style fondue) and some tea shops (which can get expensive) to check out. Aside from that, however, there are really not many tourist attractions. If you're into taking a closer look at "red" era construction, you can go to the Big Swan Reservoir, which according to locals is one of the largest man-made reservoirs in China. Apparently it was created in the 80s through the administration of a government company, but was abandoned shortly after completion due to the debts that were owed.