Updated: February 2024
If you’re planning a visit to the Muslim Quarter in Xi’an, then look no further than this guide.
Xi’an is the capital of Shaanxi province, situated in northern China, and was the ancient capital of China during the Tang Dynasty. The Muslim Quarter is home to Xi’an’s Hui Muslim population – the modern-day descendants of Arab and Persian Silk Road traders who settled in the area over 1000 years ago. The unique blend of Chinese and Islamic influences make traditional Hui Muslim food an absolute culinary delight. Your stomach will not leave disappointed.
Check out my recommendations on what to eat in the Muslim Quarter.
Getting There
The Muslim Quarter (回民街 huí mín jiē) is located near the Drum Tower (鼓楼 gŭ lóu), inside the Xi’an City Walls. Head north from the Drum Tower to Beiyuanmen Street (北院门 beǐ yuán mén) and let your nose do the rest.
What to Expect in the Muslim Quarter
This place is popular with domestic tourists, so it’s always bustling and full of activity. At peak times, particularly late afternoon and evening, it can get very crowded. The streets are well-paved with stone, making them pedestrian friendly, although you’ll need to make way for passing motorbikes and quaint three-wheeled cars every so often.
Update: I visited Xi’an again in December 2023 and the Muslim Quarter has changed quite a bit. It’s become much more commercialised and touristy – a victim of its own success, I suppose. The main road leading into the Muslim Quarter is full of bright neon lights and fancy storefronts. I did find a few side streets that still retained some of the Muslim Quarter’s old authentic charm, so don’t despair. You may just need to walk around a bit longer.
Hui Muslims are recognisable by their distinctive dress: men wear white caps and women wear brightly-coloured headscarves. The buildings here are in the style of traditional Ming and Qing dynasty-era architecture, but, interestingly, you may notice that some shop signs are in both Chinese and Arabic. It’s an interesting mix.
The streets are positively heaving with food vendors and it can feel overwhelming at first. But after walking around a little, you’ll realise that many of them are selling the same things. All the food here is halal, and the meat is mainly lamb or beef. In keeping with Islamic practices, there is no pork or alcohol served here.
You can easily expect to be here for 2 hours, or even longer if you get lost in souvenir-hunting or decide to explore other sights such as the mosques.
Eating Strategy
Go on an empty stomach – there is so much delicious choice that you’ll wish you had two stomachs. Start off with street vendors for nibbles, particularly the grilled skewers (read more about that here). And if you’re still hankering after something more substantial after that, then go for a sit-down meal inside one of the many eateries.
Shaanxi cuisine is famous for its spiciness, and even those who usually handle their spice well might find it a challenge. As most of the stalls make their food to order, you can avoid tastebud injury by simply asking for less or no chilli powder (see language tips below). If you dared to try it and your mouth is on fire, head over to one of the yoghurt or naan bread stalls for a quick fix. Yoghurt and bread are the best things to quench the fires of spice – water won’t work as it simply spreads it around your mouth.
Money Matters
The food here is cheap: expect to pay ¥10-¥20 per item. Prices at street food stalls are usually fixed, and often written on the side. Souvenir shopping, however, is a completely different story – you should haggle away!
Payment is by cash or via mobile phone! WeChat Pay and Alipay are digital wallet methods of payment similar to Apple Pay, but involve scanning the vendor’s QR code. It’s now the main method of payment in China.
Read my guide on how to pay in China.
Language Tips
Mandarin Chinese is the lingua franca here and vendors will not speak English. However, they will be accustomed to foreign visitors, so will hold up fingers or a calculator to tell you the price. Here are some useful phrases to help you along.
Ordering food (also applicable to any item):
| I want… | wŏ yào | wuoh yeow (wuoh = like the ‘wa’ in wall/war) |
| …one | yí gè | yee guh (guh = like ‘gir’ in girl) |
| …two | liăng gè | lee-yang guh |
| …three | sān gè | san guh (san = ‘san’ in santa |
| …four | sì gè | ss guh (ss = like ‘s’ in mist) |
| …five | wŭ gè | wou guh (wou = like ‘wou’ ni would, not woohoo) |
| …this one | zhè ge | juh guh (juh = ‘je’ in jerk) |
| …that one | neigh guh (neigh = like a horse neighing)” |
Example sentence: I want one. wŏ yào yí gè
You can even skip the ‘wŏ yào’ and just say the number or this one/that one for simplicity.
Other useful phrases:
| Not spicy | bú yaò là | bou yeow lah (bou = ‘bou’ in boulevard, lah = ‘la’ in Las Vegas) |
| Mildly spicy | weī là | whey lah |
| I don’t eat meat | wŏ bù chī roù | wuoh bou chuh row (‘ch’ = like ‘ch’ in choo choo) |
| How much does it cost? | duó shaŏ qián? | dwoh shaoh tsian? |
| Thank you | xiè xiè | sieh sieh |
And with that, you’re ready to get out there and try some of the delicious food in the Muslim Quarter. Check out my post with the top foods to try in the Muslim Quarter.
Any questions? Let me know in the comments below!
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