Written by Candice Zhao |
Muslim Quarter is a witness to the thousand years of Silk Road history. Many Arabs and Persians visited and settled in Changāan via the Silk Road in the Tang Dynasty, forming a unique cultural neighborhood.
Though it bears the name ‘Huimin Street’ in Chinese, don’t expect a single street. The Muslim Quarter is actually a district stretching from the Beiyuanmen Street into a network of over 10 alleys. Here, you will taste the authentic local food, immerse in profound history and experience vibrant local life.
This guide will show you how to explore the alleys as a local during your Xian tour. Follow the recommended routes to taste the most delicious food and discover cultural highlights.
- Chinese Name: åę°č” (Hui Min Jie)
- Opening Hours: 24 hours
- Address: 5, Beiyuanmen, Lianhu District, Xiāan, near the Bell Tower and Drum Tower
- Recommended Visiting Length: about 2 hours
- Best Time to Visit: After 18:00, the quarter lights up and comes alive with a bustling night market atmosphere. Most stalls will also open after 18:00, offering you more snacks.
Content Preview
- Best Entrances and Most Classic Routes
- Where and What to Eat?
- Best Shopping Malls & Centers in Chengdu
- Iconic Cultural Landmarks
- How to Get to?
- Practical Travel Tips
- Travel with China Xian Tour
- FAQs About Muslim Quarter
Which Entrance to Choose and What are the Most Classic Routes?
Best Entrances
- Sajinqiao: A Favorite Entrance for LocalsĀ
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- Features: Most locals prefer to enter from Sajinqiao, as it is a paradise for locals to enjoy breakfast. Tourists can alsoĀ blend into the hustle and bustle of the quarter perfectly, meanwhile avoiding the dense tour crowds on the main street.
- How to get to: Take metro line 1 to Sajinqiao Station and leave from exit B.
- Zhonglou Metro Station: near Bell and Drum Tower, the most common and convenient Ā
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- Features: Next to Bell and Drum Tower, it is the most common and well-known entrance, thus always full of crowds.
- How to get to: Take metro line 2 to Zhonglou Station exit C, and then walk westward for about 5 minutes to this entrance. It is located just north of Drum Tower.
Tips: It is recommended to have a quick visit and not purchase too many foods and souvenirs or stay here for too long.
The Most Classic Two Visiting Routes
Route 1: In-depth Food Tour (About 2 hours)
SajinqiaoĀ (breakfast/snacks) ā Dapiyuan (main meals/time-honoredĀ stores) ā Beiguangji Street (desserts/pastries) ā Xiyangshi (snacks) ā Beiyuanmen (Experience theĀ classicĀ atmosphereĀ and take photos )
This route starts from Sajinqiao and takes you from west to east for an in-depth exploration. You can taste the most authentic flavors along this route. Whatās more, you will experience the gradual transition from the local living areaĀ to the core tourist area.
Route 2: A Cultural & Culinary Discovery Tour (about 3 – 4 hours)
Beiguangji Street (entrance) ā GreatĀ Mosque in Huajue Lane (cultural visit) ā Xiyangshi Street (snacks) ā Gao Family Courtyard (shadow puppetry/calligraphy) ā DapiyuanĀ (main meals/time-honored stores)Ā ā Drum Tower/Bell Tower (Night View)
This route perfectly combines culinary delights with historical and cultural sites. So it is suitable for tourists who want to experience the complete charm of Muslim Quarter.
Notes: If you are in a really tight schedule, here is the most efficient route (about 1 hour):
Xiyangshi āĀ Dapiyuan
Both streets are the gathering places of the most unmissable snacks with abundant options.
Where and What to Eat in Muslim Quarter?
The real charm of Muslim Quarter does not lie in the busy main streets, but in the quieter side alleys.
Do you want to eat like a local? Keep this tip in mind: Xiyangshi is the best place for paomo and fried paomo; Beiyuanmen offers the most famous soup dumplings; In Dapiyuan, the most authentic cold noodles can be savored.
Below, we have listedĀ the most worthwhile foods to try by street and category.
Yangrou Paomo
1.Ā Dapiyuan – Most Concentrated Time-honored Restaurants
- Lao Miās Paomo (čē±³å®¶ę³”é¦) and Yizhenlou Paomo (äøēę„¼) are unmissable paomo stores.
- Shengzhiwang Cold Noodles with Sesame Pastes (ēåæęéŗ»é ±é æē®) is recommended by most locals.
- Dingjia Crispy Fried Pork (å®å®¶å°é „č) is a legendary restaurant that sells only crispy fried pork
- Grandma Hua Plum Soup (č±å„¶å„¶é øę¢ ę±¤)is a very famous local beverage shop featuring plum soup.
2.Ā Sajinqiao – Most Down-to-earth Street for Local Breakfast
- Liweiyi Meatball Spicy Soup (ęåÆäøčäøøč”č¾£ę±¤) offers a quite courteous breakfast.
- The zenggao in Pangzi Zenggao (čåēē³) draws many locals to snap up very early.
- Maer Dumpling with hot and sour soup (马äŗé ø걤갓é„ŗ) is regarded as the most characteristic local dumpling with hot and sour soup.
3.Ā Beiguangji Street – Paradise for Staples and Old-fashioned Pastries
- Jiasan Halal Soup Dumplings (č“¾äøē걤å å) is the most famous soup dumplings in Muslim Quarter. Be careful not to burn your mouth!
- Quanshengzhai (å Øēę) and Laoāanjia (čå®å®¶) sell varieties of crispy and fragrant traditional pastries.
4.Ā Xiyangshi & Miaohou Street – Snacks and Hidden Gems
- Lao Sunās Dry-cured Beef Sandwich (čå家č ēč夹é¦) treats you to the most substantial dry-cured beef sandwich.
- Shanshisan (éę¾å) is a dessert shop offering many creative ice cream, which is made from characteristic local ingredients, like fermented glutinous rice and even chili oil sauce.
Tips:
- Other representative snacks in the Muslim Quarter include grilled beef and lamb skewers, noodles with minced meat, etc.
- As the heart of Xiāanās Muslim community, the quarter is home to countless Halal restaurants where dishes are predominantly based on beef and lamb.
- If lamb isnāt your thing, donāt worry – youāll also find plenty of delicious beef and vegetarian dishes to enjoy.
Related Reading: Xian Famous Food
Beyond Food: the Iconic Cultural Landmarks
Besides the delicious food, Muslim Quarter also boasts many cultural attractions that are worth visiting. If you have extra time, here are some worthwhile places to explore:
1.Ā Great Mosque – One of the Four Great Mosques in China
- Add: 30, Huajue Lane, about 5 minutesāĀ walking from Beiyuanmen
- Opening Hours: May – Aug.: 08:00 – 20:00; Sep. – Apr.: 08:00 – 18:40; It is advised to enter before 16:00.
- Ticket: CNY 15 – 25
The Great Mosque features a traditional Chinese garden style, a rare architectural design among mosques worldwide. Different from the typical Islamic dome architecture, it is constructed entirely according to the layout of a traditional courtyard in China. So the mosque integrates the Song and Tang architectural style, meanwhile retaining its religious function.
Tips:
- It is closed on Friday mornings for prayers, so it is advised to visit after 13:00.
- Please dress properly during the visit. Avoid overly revealing clothes such as short skirts, shorts and halter tops. Also, please keep quiet.
- Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the prayer hall and photography is prohibited.
2.Ā Gao Family Courtyard & Shadow Puppet Show – Inheritance ofĀ Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Add: 144, Beiyuanmen, about 200 meters north of the Bell Tower
- Opening Hours:09:00 – 22:30
- Ticket: CNY 15
Gao Family Courtyard is the best-preserved Han Chinese residential courtyard from the Ming and Qing Dynasties in downtown Xian. It used to be the residence of Gao Yuesong, a distinguished scholar of the Qing Dynastyin the Qing Dynasty. Here, you can also experience the most authentic intangible cultural heritage of Shaanxi Province.
Core Experiences:
- Watch a shadow puppet show: The artist manipulates the characters made from animal skin or cardboard behind an illuminated curtain to perform traditional operas. The movements of the characters are very smooth in the artistās hands. Every day, plenty of classic plays are performed and each lasts about 15 minutes. It is recommended to purchase a combo ticket of the entrance and shadow puppet (CNY 35), which is more cost-effective.
- Learn Chinese calligraphy: In this antique courtyard, you can also experience copying Chinese calligraphy. Learn about the Four Treasures of the Chinese Study, learn to hold a writing brush and try to write simple Chinese characters from the master. It will be interesting and memorable.
3.Ā Bell and Drum Tower – The Most Dazzling Night Views
If you visit Muslim Quarter in the evening, it is strongly recommended to visit the nearby Bell and Drum TowerĀ also. When the golden lights are on at 19:00, the two ancient buildings become more magnificent than during daytime. They are also the most iconic night views of Xian.
Tips:
- Boarding the towers, you can have a distant view of the bustling night scene in the city center. It is suggested to buy a combo ticket including both towers, which costs CNY 50. The separate ticket of each tower is CNY 30.
- The best time to ascend the tower is after 19:00 and entry is not allowed after 21:30.
How to Get to Muslim Quarter?
Besides the best entrances mentioned at the beginning, you can also take metro line 6 to Qiaozikou or Guangjijie Stations. The two stations are only 3 minutesāĀ walking to the Muslim Quarter. Besides, you can also avoid crowds and experience the local charm.
If taking a taxi, just get off at the entrance, because the roads are narrow and crowded inside the Muslim Quarter, making it hard to move for vehicles.
If your hotel is right beside it, just walk there directly.
Practical Travel Tips for Muslim Quarter
- Avoid crowds: You will see fewer tourists before 10:00 or between 14:00 – 17:00 on weekdays. Make sure to avoid weekends and public holidays.
- Respect the customs: Since it is a Muslim residential area, non-halal food, especially pork products, is not allowed to be brought in. And you can not drink wine here.
- Traps to avoid: Most stalls on the main street (Beiyuanmen) with a long queue are catering to the touristsāneeds, such as āRed Willow Grilled Meatā, āBrush pastriesāĀ and āsmoking Ice creamā. They are not authentic and do not value the money.
- Clothing and equipment: You will walk for a long time, so remember to wear a pair of comfortable shoes. The layout in the quarter is very complex, a navigation app will help a lot, such as Baidu Map and Amap.
- Health advice: When tasting the snacks, choose the time-honored restaurants with a clean environment. Do not eat too much cold and spicy food to prevent gastrointestinal discomfort. Take basic medicines such as indigestion tablets (you will easily feel full here), stomach medicine and band-aids with you to deal with emergencies.
- Souvenirs purchasing: Do not buy on main streets. Instead, explore side alleys like Sajinqiao and Dapiyuan to find the stores where locals queue up. Green bean cake, crystal cake and sour plum powder are all well-reputed choices.
Enjoy a Xian Tour with Muslim Quarter with China Xian Tour
Following this guide, you will not only taste the most authentic flavor, but also have a deep understanding of the culture and history of Muslim Quarter. If you want to explore it in a more worry-free way, China Xian TourĀ is glad to offer help. We can tailor a Xian trip with Muslim Quarter for you so that you can immerse in the cityās charm completely.
As a travel agency based in Xian, we are familiar with the city and will customize a perfect itinerary for you. So do not hesitate to contact us.
FAQs About Muslim Quarter
What are the opening hours of stores in Muslim Quarter?
Most stores on the major streets open from 10:00 to 22:00. The restaurants selling night snacks, like skewers, usually open from late afternoon to late night. In Sajinqiao and Miaohou Street, there are more breakfast bars, which open at about 06:00 in the early morning.
What are the differences between Xi’an Muslim Quarter andĀ Yongxingfang Food Street?
Muslim Quarter features halal food, historical sites and crisscrossing alleys, while Yongxingfang gathers the intangible cultural heritages and local specialties from all over Shaanxi Province.
