Top 12 Famous Foods in Guilin You Must Try

Written by Natalia | Updated January 22,2026

Guilin not only has Li River Cruise and Elephant Trunk Hill, but also boasts various mouth-watering delicacies! From the unique Rice Noodles to delicious Beer Fish, Guilin cuisine, like its scenery, is rich in layers and leaves a lasting aftertaste.

Guilin food is characterized by sourness, spiciness, freshness, and fragrance, which emphasizes preserving the original flavor of ingredients. At the same time, it adeptly uses local unique spices and seasonings, making each dish full of rich local flavors.

Located in the northeast part of Guangxi, Guilin is a cultural fusion of Guangxi and Hunan. The climate here is mild, with abundant rainfall and developed river systems, providing fresh and high-quality materials for cuisine preparation. Meanwhile, there are over ten ethnic minorities such as Zhuang, Yao, Miao, Dong living here, who create unexpected flavors with their ingenuity.

This guide will take you on a journey to explore the famous foods in Guilin region, where to find them, tips to eat them, and some FAQs. It will be very helpful for your China food tours to Guilin.

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The Ultimate List: Top 12 Must-Try Foods in Guilin
Where to Find the Best Food in Guilin
FAQs About Food and Eating in Guilin
Plan Your Guilin Food Tours with China Xian Tour

The Ultimate List: Top 12 Must-Try Foods in Guilin

Below are the most representative and best foods in Guilin:

1. Guilin Rice Noodles – The Spicy & Smooth Iconic Breakfast

“Rice Noodles”(米粉) is the most famous Guilin food, a classic breakfast. Hot rice noodles are poured with specially-made broth (卤水), then topped with crispy roast pork and braised beef. You can add pickled green beans, fried soybeans, chilli and other ingredients as desired. Broth is the soul of Guilin Rice Noodles. It is carefully boiled from more than 20 kinds of spices, salty and rich in flavor. On the streets and alleys, sit on a small stool to eat rice noodles, then drink the bone soup. This is the authentic way to enjoy it.

Guilin Rice Noodles have been passed down for over 2,300 years since the Qin Dynasty. It was the top army provisions when the Qin Shihuang built the Lingqu Canal. Belonging to the Gui (Guangxi) cuisine category, this traditional delicacy stands out from a multitude of rice noodles in China due to its advantages such as smooth and chewy rice noodles, rich and fragrant broth, abundant ingredients, etc. How can your Guilin tour be complete without having rice noodles for breakfast?

How to Order: the most important thing is to make clear the portion size. Usually, just say “two liang” or “three liang” when ordering the rice noodles. And do not order the set meals. For first-timers, try the dry-mixed rice noodles with braised vegetable, it is the most authentic rice noodles preferred by the locals. Crispy pork belly is the most recommended topping.
Spiciness Scale: 2 stars
Price: CNY 5 – 10
Where to Try:

Lao Dongjiang Rice Noodles: over 10 stores, the head store is at No. 3, Longyin Road, Qixing District

Chongshan Rice Noodles: a total of 5 stores, the head store is at No. 5, Yiren Road Pedestrian Street, Xiufeng District

Best Guilin Yangshuo Tours

2. Yangshuo Beer Fish – The Tender & Wild Li River Delicacy

Guilin was built along the Li River, and river fish naturally blends into local cuisine, with Beer Fish being the representative. Yangshuo Beer Fish (阳朔啤酒鱼), as one of the Top Ten Classic Dishes in Guangxi, is made from fresh big carp from the Li River. It is first fried in oil, then poured with high-quality local beer, supplemented with ginger, garlic, chili peppers, tomato and other ingredients to enhance the flavor, and slowly stewed.

Sour, spicy, and refreshing, this specialty Guilin dish is highly favored by Chinese and foreign diners. The fish meat is full, smooth, and tender, mixed with the malt aroma of beer. The soup is rich-flavored with a slight sweetness, and even more delicious when paired with rice.

Note: Make sure to inquire about fish species and prices before placing an order! Swordbone Fish with fewer bones has a better taste, but its price is slightly higher.

Spiciness Scale: 3stars
Price: CNY 90- 170
Where to Try:

Xie Sanjie Beer Fish: about 20 subbranches with the head store located at the intersection of West Street and Pantao Road.

Master Chef’s Gold Award Beer Fish: over 15 subbranches, the one in downtown Yangshuo is at No. 115, Xijie Pedestrian Street.

3. Braised Pork Belly with Lipu Taro – A Glutinous, Nutritious Banquet Dish

Braised Pork Belly with Lipu Taro (荔浦芋扣肉) is an indispensable dish at banquets in Guilin. It uses Lipu taro and pork belly as main ingredients. Place sliced pork and taros layer by layer in a deep bowl, add the secret sauce, and steam them. After being well-cooked, it is placed upside down onto a plate, golden red in color, and full of happiness with a bite.

There is a rule for eating this famous Guilin food: pair the taro and pork belly together in one bite. This combination creates a rich taste of soft fluffy Lipu taro and tender but not greasy pork belly. The addition of fermented bean curd and Sanhua liquor makes its sweetness more multi-dimensional.

Praised as “one steamed pork, all neighbors fragrant”, Lipu Taro Braised Pork is not only a beloved special Guilin dish, but also a “tribute food” to imperial court throughout history. Locals usually say, “Not having tasted Pork Belly with Lipu Taro is like not understanding Guilin’s landscape philosophy.”

Spiciness Scale: 1star
Price: CNY 55 – 60
Where to Try:

Chunji Restaurant (椿记烧鹅), chains, more exquisite, thin pork slices, has over 10 subbranches all over Guilin city, the one near the scenic area is at No. 2, Zhongshan Middle Road, Xiangshan District.

A Gan Restaurant (阿甘酒家), big portions, suitable for group dining, has a total of 7 subbranches, the popular one is at No. 3, Yiren Road, Xiufeng District

4. Gongcheng Oil Tea – The “Bitter” Elixir of Longevity

Gongcheng in Guilin has been recognized as a “Land of Longevity in China”, and its longevity secret is closely related to Oil Tea. Gongcheng Oil Tea (恭城油茶) was invented by the Yao ethnic people living in mountains, which has the effects of refreshing and dispelling dampness. Locals drink oil tea all year round, morning and evening. There is a saying, “First cup is bitter, second cup is astringent, and only when having the third cup does one truly taste its essence.”

Also known as Chinese Coffee, Gongcheng Oil Tea production method involves sautéing with lard, scallions, garlic, and small yellow ginger, then pouring the brewed old leaf black tea and stir-frying them. Mash with a wooden mallet, add salt and water, and boil until the flavor is well-developed. After filtering the residue, add stir-fried rice, crushed peanuts, sesame balls, and chopped green onions, resulting in a rich and mellow taste with a long-lasting tea aroma.

Spiciness Scale: 2stars
Price: CNY 5 – 10
Where to Try:

Xinguoji Oil Tea: No. 120 Binjiang Road, Xiufeng Street, Guilin

Xinshuiwan Oil Tea: at the intersection of Anxin South Road and Anjia Road, Xiangshan District

Taotaoji Guanyang Oil Tea: No. 29, Chuanshan Road, Qixing District

Guilin Gongcheng Oil Tea — Gongcheng Oil Tea

Guilin Eighteen Stuffed Dishes — Eighteen Stuffed Dishes

5. Pingle Eighteen Stuffed Dishes – A Unique Local Specialty

Eighteen Stuffed Dishes (十八酿) is one of distinctive Guilin traditional foods. Legend has it that the eighteen Arhats traveled to Pingle County in Guilin, and saw numerous fresh vegetables along the Guijiang River. On a whim, each of them showed their ingenuity to make 18 courses with different stuffings, and left these recipes to local people. These various stuffed dishes in Pingle have unique tastes and novel materials. “Eighteen Stuffed Dishes of Guilin” include Stuffed Snails, Stuffed Tofu, Stuffed Pumpkin Flowers, Stuffed Eggplants, Stuffed Peppers, etc.

Among them, the Stuffed Snail (田螺酿) is particularly classic. Snail meat is scooped out and minced, mixed with pork and water chestnut, and then stuffed back into shells. Then stir-fry with perilla and chili peppers. Taking a bite, the fresh and spicy flavor rushes up straight, revealing the culinary wisdom of Guilin people – “anything can be stuffed”. When you travel to Guilin, be sure to taste these plumply stuffed and finely crafted specialty dishes.

Spiciness Scale: 3f stars
Price: CNY 30 – 50
Where to Try:Many local restaurants in Yangshuo offer Stuffed Dishes. Chain stores such as Xiaonanguo and Chunji have relatively stable quality.

6. Vinegar-Blood Duck – A Quanzhou Guilin Classic Dish

Vinegar-Blood Duck (醋血鸭) has been one of the “Top Three Delicacies” in ancient Quanzhou County, northeast of Guilin city. Every household here enjoys it as a daily dish during summer. It is not just for appearance, but rather for unique sour, fragrant, and spicy flavor, which has become a favorite of countless foodies.

Mix ingredients such as duck blood, rice vinegar, ginger and scallions into a sour fragrant sauce, then simmer with duck meat until fully flavored. Although it may seem like a “dark cuisine”, Vinegar-Blood Duck – as a special food to eat in Guilin – has an unforgettable charm!

Spiciness Scale: 4 stars
Price: CNY 40- 50
Tips: Tasting sour, salty and slightly spicy, itgoes very well with rice!
Where to Try: Wangcheng Restaurant(No. 69 Binjiang Road, Guilin City), Xiangshan Restaurant (Quanzhou, Guilin)

7. Water Chestnut Cake – The Refreshing Street Dessert

Water Chestnut Cake (马蹄糕) is a traditional famous Guilin food, whose production techniques having a long history. It is made by steaming water chestnut powder mixed with sweet soup, which can help reduce greasiness. Often drizzled with osmanthus honey or sprinkled with brown sugar!

Water chestnut, also known as “horse hoof” in Cantonese, hence the name. It has a tea yellow semi-transparent color, and can be folded without cracking, soft, smooth, refreshing, and chewy, with a very sweet and fragrant taste. It also carries the meaning of achieving success immediately, promotion year after year, and living a sweet and fulfilling life.

Spiciness Scale: 1 star
Price: CNY 2 – 10
Where to Try: This dessert is common on the street push cartof Guilin, especially on the Binjiang Road or near park entrances, costing just a few yuan each piece.

Water Chestnut Cake Guilin — Water Chestnut Cake

Sticky Rice Balls Guilin — Sticky Rice Balls

8. Sticky Rice Balls – The Hearty Street Snack

In addition to Rice Noodles, the most popular daily food of Guilin people is Glutinous Rice Balls (糯米饭). As a classic Chinese breakfast, it often appears on the streets and alleys outside school gates in early morning. You can often see an uncle or aunt standing in front of a handcart, quick with their hands; and within less than half a minute, a fist-size rice ball will be squeezed. In one bite, there are all kinds of flavors – spicy, salty, sweet, crispy, soft and sticky. It’s so satisfying and cheap.

Core: Meat gravy; Optional: Chili sauce
Standard ingredients: Pickled beans/dried radish, fried dried beancurd, sweet bean paste, crispy stuff…
Where to Try: Little Red Riding Hood (Zhengyang Street), Longsheng Dong Ethnic Villages, Sticky Rice Fragrance Station, etc. There is no one with the same flavor.
Spiciness Scale: 1 star
Price: CNY 5 – 10

9. Bamboo Tube Rice – Aromatic and Fun

Bamboo Tube Rice (竹筒饭) is a traditional delicacy of ethnic minorities (such as Yao and Zhuang) in Guilin mountainous area, Guangxi. You can try it when visiting Longji Rice Terraces. Put the soaked glutinous rice and ingredients like cured meat, corn kernels, taro, and mushrooms into a fresh bamboo tube, then seal it with fresh leaves and roast it over open flame. After being well-cooked, the rice inside becomes fragrant, sticky, and delicious, with a bamboo aroma and unique flavor.

Spiciness Scale: 1 star
Price: CNY 10 – 50
Where to Try:

Homestays and farmhouses in ethnic villages of Longji Terraces

Lonely Bamboo Tube Rice (Yangshuo West Street)

Recommended Guilin Longji Tours

10. Osmanthus-Flavored Treats – The Sweet Fragrance of Guilin

The city flower of Guilin is osmanthus! In autumn, when the air is filled with osmanthus fragrance, various osmanthus-based products are must-try foods in Guilin. Osmanthus cake, osmanthus sweet soup (糖水), osmanthus sweet rice balls (汤圆), osmanthus sugar lotus root, osmanthus jelly, osmanthus tea, osmanthus wine, osmanthus crisp, etc. are all popular options.

Spiciness Scale: 1 star
Price: CNY 2- 10
Where to Try: Specialty stores, dessertshops (such as Aunt Xu’s Sweet Soup), and some time-honored pastry shops

11. Sour Snacks – Guilin’s Magical Street Food

Sour Snacks (酸嘢) is one of the best street foods in Guilin. “嘢” means “things” in local dialect. It uses seasonal fruits and vegetables (mangoes, pineapples, plums, radishes, cucumbers, etc.) to be pickled or mixed with vinegar, chili powder, salt, sugar, and ginger. Sour, spicy, crispy and refreshing, perfect for appetizing and relieving summer heat!

Spiciness Scale:2 stars
Price: CNY 8- 10
Where to Try:There are many Sour Snack stalls all over Guilin Jin Bu Huan Sour Shop and sour food stalls on the Taiping Road are recommended. Each portion is about 5-10 yuan.

12. Guilin Chili Sauce – The Flavorful Condiment

Chili Sauce (辣椒酱) is one of famous Guangxi Guilin local specialties. It has a history of about a hundred years, and is popular in Southeast Asian countries. Due to different ingredients used, there are many varieties of Guilin Chili Sauce, such as garlic chili sauce, fermented soybean chili sauce, etc. It has a fresh, spicy, and mellow taste, with a sweet aftertaste and a hint of fragrance. A great Chinese seasoning and can also be consumed alone!

Chili Sauce, Lipu taro and Sanhua liquor together make up the top 3 Guilin souvenirs.

Besides the above-mentioned famous foods in Guilin, there are also Braised Pork Belly with Monk Fruit, Stir-Fried Li River Shrimp (better in spring), Braised Old Duck with Ginkgo Nuts, Lotus Leaf Duck, Nun’s Vegetarian Noodles, Huixian Dried Salted Duck, Oil Tea Soup Dumplings, Beef Eight-Treasure Hot Pot, Pinecake, Iron Plate Sweet Potato Noddles, Chicken Dishes (most are halal food), etc.

Spiciness Scale: 4stars
Price: CNY 10 – 20

Where to Find the Best Food in Guilin

Popular Guilin Food Streets

Yangshuo West Street

This place is a magnificent feast combining Chinese food and Western cuisine. You can not only enjoy the best food in Guilin, there are also many handicraft shops and themed bars. All these appeal people to embark on Guilin food tours.

Zhengyang Pedestrian Street

Known as a food paradise in Guilin, Zhengyang Pedestrian Street’s each stall showcases a unique “culinary philosophy”. Clothing and accessories are also very complete here, and game booths are attractive.

Note: Taking a few more steps and turning into surrounding alleys, you will discover old restaurants that are often more affordable and authentic in taste.

Dongxi Lane

Located near the Wangcheng Scenic Area, Dongxi Lane (东西巷) features Ming and Qing ancient architecture and various delicious food. The cuisine here mainly consists of specialty stores (private dining, flavorful snacks, handicraft workshops) and well-known chain restaurants (hotpot, Japanese cuisine, Western cuisine, Guangxi cuisine).

Morning Markets

Shijiayuan Road (施家园) is a superb food market in Guilin to have breakfast. There are Zhu Zhu Snacks, Sticky Rice Fragrance Station, etc. Hai Tian steamed vermicelli rolls and Xishan Morning Market are also recommended.

west street yangshuo — Yangshuo West Street, aka the Foreigner’s Street

Night Markets

In addition to the famous Yangshuo West Street and Zhengyang Pedestrian Street, Guilin also has the following distinctive food night markets:

Bali Street

Guilin Bali Street is unremarkable during daytime, but its night market will not disappoint you. Rich food variety, authentic taste, and reasonable price!

Yuexing Tribe

It is a perfect collision of trend and traditional passion. Besides those tempting famous Guilin foods, it also gathers many creative handicraft stalls. There is also a stage set up here, and irregular street performances are full of vitality.

Essential Dining Tips in Guilin

To taste the authentic local food, you can search for the street stores where the locals queue up. Avoid the restaurants inside or near the hottest scenic areas.
The star of the breakfast is undoubtedly the Guilin rice noodles. During lunch time, enjoy a big meal in an honored restaurant, such as A Gan Restaurant and Chunji Restaurant, where offer most specialties. In the evening, it is the best time to taste the sour and spicy dishes like Beer Fish and try some snacks.
When ordering the rice noodles, these simple languages will help you a lot.

Èr liǎng mǐfěn: means two liang (approx. 100g) of rice noodles.
Zhè gè: means I want this one.
Bù yào là: means no spicy.
Wēi là: means a little spicy.

If you eat in a small restaurant, it is better to confirm the price before ordering to avoid disputes, especially for the main dishes like Beer Fish.

See many other helpful Guilin travel tips for a enjoyable trip

FAQs About Food and Eating in Guilin

What Is the Single Most Famous Dish I Must Try in Guilin?

Rice Noodles are the most representative and time-honored best food in Guilin. It’s the city’s taste symbol and the first dish you must try to learn about Guilin’s food culture.

Are Guilin Menus Generally Available in English?

With improving internationalization, more and more restaurants in Guilin start to offer menus in both Chinese and English, such as high-end hotels, large restaurants in tourist areas, Western restaurants, cafes, etc. But most ordinary restaurants, street shops, and night market stalls only have Chinese menus. You need to rely on pictures, physical objects, gestures, or translation tools.

Is Guilin Cuisine Generally Spicy?

Guilin cuisine is generally mild spicy. For friends who don’t eat spicy food at all, please state clearly when ordering that “no chili at all”! However, we recommend that those who are brave enough try the Chili Sauce on the table. It’s spicy but with a hint of sweetness, and can greatly enhance food flavors!

What Are the Common Vegan Dishes in Guilin?

Guilin has many vegetarian options, such as rice noodles (without meat), vegetarian dishes in Nengren Temple, stir-fried seasonal vegetables in some restaurants, traditional vegetarian dim sums, and tofu-based dishes.

Does Guilin Offer Options for Western or International Cuisine?

Yes! The most famous and best one is RuZhuo (如斫) Western Restaurant. You can also go to Dongxi Lane, Zhengyang Street, and upscale hotel restaurants near the Two Rivers and Four Lakes to enjoy Western food in Guilin. Attracting a large number of tourists from abroad, Yangshuo West Street gathers many high-quality Western and international cuisines, too.

What Are Some Unique Drinks or Teas from Guilin?

Guilin has a variety of specialty drinks, such as osmanthus tea, osmanthus wine, Oil Tea, pomelo tea, corn sweet soup, monk fruit tea, lemon duck blood soup, etc.

Plan Your Guilin Food Tours with China Xian Tour

Come join our China Xian Tour package for an unforgettable journey of enjoying the most authentic famous Guilin foods! Whether you want to visit local markets, join a cooking class or include more iconic Guilin attractions or in-depth culture experiences, we will get you satisfied. Our experienced travel consultants know Guilin inside-and-out. They will help you craft your perfect Guilin tours with all your requirements being taken care of.