China has a Muslim population of more than twenty million, mostly Hui and Uyghur. Because of that, halal food is easy to find in almost every Chinese city once you know the one word to look for: 清真 (qīngzhēn), which means halal. This guide covers how to recognise it, the restaurant types you'll see everywhere, and the three places where halal food is a big part of the local food culture.
How to spot a halal restaurant
- Look for 清真 (qīngzhēn) on the shop sign, often in green, and often next to Arabic script or a crescent motif.
- In a map app, search "清真" (Amap / Gaode, Baidu Maps, or the map inside Alipay or Dianping). This works better than searching "halal" in English, and it shows you the nearest places with distances.
- Staff in caps and headscarves are a common sign of a Hui-run restaurant, but the sign is what counts.
- Places that serve pork never label themselves 清真. If you're unsure, ask (phrases below).
Lanzhou beef noodles: the halal meal on every street
The most reliable halal meal in China is a bowl of Lanzhou beef noodles (兰州牛肉面, Lánzhōu niúròu miàn). Shops with this name are in almost every city and town, and many of them are run by Hui Muslim families with a 清真 sign over the door. Clear beef broth, hand-pulled noodles made in front of you, sliced beef, radish, coriander and chili oil. You can choose how thick the noodles are: 细 (xì, thin), 二细 (èr xì, medium-thin) or 宽 (kuān, wide).
Look for the 清真 sign. A "Lanzhou noodles" name alone does not guarantee the shop is halal.
Xinjiang restaurants
Xinjiang restaurants (新疆餐厅, Xīnjiāng cāntīng) are run mostly by Uyghur or Hui cooks and are halal. You'll find them in every big city. Order lamb skewers (羊肉串, yángròu chuàn), "big plate chicken" (大盘鸡, dà pán jī) with flat noodles, hand-pulled laghman (拉条子, lā tiáozi), polo pilaf (手抓饭, shǒuzhuā fàn) and naan (馕, náng). The portions are big, so they work well for groups.
Xi'an: the Muslim Quarter (回民街)
Xi'an has one of the oldest Hui communities in China. Their neighbourhood, around Beiyuanmen (北院门) and the streets behind the Drum Tower, is now known as the Muslim Quarter (回民街, Huímín jiē). It is busy and touristy, but the side lanes are still where many local families eat.
- Yangrou paomo (羊肉泡馍): you break flatbread into small pieces, then it's cooked in a rich lamb soup. Lao Sun Jia (老孙家) is a long-established paomo name in the city.
- Beef roujiamo (腊牛肉夹馍, là niúròu jiā mó): spiced cured beef in a crisp bun. In the Muslim Quarter it's beef or lamb, not the pork version you see elsewhere.
- Also worth trying: cold noodles (凉皮, liángpí), persimmon cakes (柿子饼) and lamb skewers in the evening.
Planning Xi'an around the Terracotta Warriors? Read our Terracotta Warriors ticket guide. Tickets need to be booked days ahead.
Beijing: Niujie (牛街)
Niujie (牛街, "Ox Street") in Xicheng district is Beijing's historic Muslim neighbourhood. It's built around the Niujie Mosque, the city's oldest mosque. The street has halal butchers, bakeries and snack shops selling Beijing-Muslim pastries, and it's where many Beijingers come to buy halal beef and lamb.
For dinner, try Beijing's copper-pot instant-boiled mutton hot pot (涮羊肉, shuàn yángròu). It's a halal tradition in the city. Jubaoyuan (聚宝源) on Niujie is a well-known hot-pot name, and the queues are long at peak times. Go early or late.
Lanzhou: where the noodles come from
If you're travelling the Silk Road (Lanzhou → Zhangye → Dunhuang), eat your first bowl in the city where the dish comes from. In Lanzhou, beef noodles are a breakfast food, and the best shops are busiest in the morning. Mazilu (马子禄) is one of the most famous names. Expect a queue, a ticket counter and shared tables.
Useful phrases
- 清真吗？ (qīngzhēn ma?) — Is this halal?
- 我是穆斯林。 (wǒ shì mùsīlín) — I am Muslim.
- 我不吃猪肉。 (wǒ bù chī zhūròu) — I don't eat pork.
- 不要放猪油。 (bú yào fàng zhūyóu) — Please don't use lard.
- 附近有清真餐厅吗？ (fùjìn yǒu qīngzhēn cāntīng ma?) — Is there a halal restaurant nearby?
Show the characters on your phone screen. Pronunciation matters less than you'd think.
Food experiences: please check before you book
None of our hosted food experiences are certified halal, so we don't list them as halal. Some cooking classes cook beef, lamb or vegetables only. If you want a hands-on class like traditional Xi'an cooking, ask our assistant first whether it can be adapted for you. We'll tell you honestly if it can't.
Restaurant names here are long-established places that locals know, not paid placements. Shops move, renovate and close — check the listing in your map app on the day before you go. We don't list opening hours on purpose.