Xi'an Travel: Muslim Quarter—A Must-Visit Food Paradise Where Tourists Rave About the Eats and Sights

Xi'an is a city that fascinates me. It was the ancient capital of four dynasties, with a long and storied history, a dream-like bustling Chang'an city, and the legendary life of Yang Guifei.

Xi'an witnessed the construction of the Terracotta Warriors—built by the Qin state with all its might for Emperor Qin Shi Huang; it witnessed over 200 years of prosperity during the glorious Tang Dynasty; it once boasted the most magnificent palace complexes in the world; it stood as the most powerful nation on earth, with thriving art and culture. Its enchanting charm is limited only by your imagination.

Beyond its splendid history and culture, Xi'an also offers a wide variety of delicious street snacks. The place most tourists go is the Muslim Quarter. It's right next to the Bell and Drum Towers—close to the Drum Tower, and just 200-300 meters from the Bell Tower metro station.

The Muslim Quarter is Xi'an's famous food and cultural district, the oldest and most distinctive snack street in the city. It's located in Beiyuanmen, which was a government office area during the Qing Dynasty—named 'North Court' because the Shaanxi governor's office was north of the Drum Tower. In the late 1990s, some Hui people rented spaces here to run food businesses, so Lianhu District redeveloped it into a dining street, and Beiyuanmen became the Muslim Quarter.

The Muslim Quarter is packed with all kinds of delicacies: glossy red-braised lamb trotters, lamb skewers grilled on red willow branches, aromatic yangrou paomo (crumbled flatbread in lamb soup), long queues for cured meat roujiamo, refreshing Qinzhen rice noodles, unique Biangbiang noodles, steaming meatball hulatang (spicy soup), flavorful saozi noodles, and also hulutou paomo (intestine and bread soup), stir-fried paomo, persimmon cakes, sour plum drinks, and more—plus snacks from other regions. It's a dizzying array, simply too many to count.

Personally, I'm a huge fan of Xi'an's mipi, which is what we usually call liangpi—a snack made from rice paste. Topped with fresh bean sprouts and cucumber, then drizzled with bright red chili oil and vinegar—oh, the taste is simply indescribable! So delicious and refreshing. Different liangpi use different condiments; some add fragrant sesame paste. I recommend trying them all—every version is great. On a summer day, a bowl of liangpi is cooling and satisfying.

And you've got to try the red willow branch barbecue. It uses lamb, beef, or chicken skewered on branches from a red willow tree unique to Xinjiang. They say the red willow branch releases a distinctive aroma, similar to traditional spices like sand ginger and star anise, but with an added natural, plant-like freshness. As it's roasted over charcoal, the fragrance seeps into the meat, blending the wood's scent with the meat's juices to create a perfect, unique grilled flavor. It's delicious—you'll want several skewers!

We also discovered a braised food stall in the Muslim Quarter that tastes amazing—especially their braising oil, which is incredibly fragrant. According to the owner, it's made with dozens of spices blended together, a secret family recipe passed down for decades. Well, I don't care about secret recipes; I only care if it tastes good, and if it does, I'll share it with you. Their potatoes and chicken feet are perfectly seasoned—not too soft—and with a few drops of that braising oil, the flavor is superb! Prices are quite reasonable: vegetables at 15 yuan per jin, and chicken feet, gizzards, and other meats at 40 yuan per jin.

Interestingly, food prices in the Muslim Quarter can vary depending on which street you're on. For example, the same bowl of liangpi might cost a few yuan more on the widest, busiest street right by the Drum Tower, while it's much cheaper on a narrower side street. In fact, the Muslim Quarter isn't just one street. The whole Muslim food district is made up of Beiguangji Street, Beiyuanmen, Xiyangshi, Dapiyuan, Huajue Lane, Sajinqiao, Miaohou Street, and many more alleys large and small. To truly experience the local Hui people's life and cuisine, you need to wander into these backstreets—that's where you'll find the authentic, bustling, down-to-earth old Xi'an.

Besides tourists checking off their must-visit list, local Xi'an residents also come to the Muslim food street to buy time-honored foods. Most come after work, leisurely cycling over to pick up their favorite treats to take home and share with family. We spotted a shop selling cured beef and roujiamo with a very unique name: 'Xihulan Cooked and Raw Meat Shop.' Starting around 5 p.m. every day, the place fills up with customers, and a long line forms at the door as people queue for their beef. Most are locals. We joined the queue and the beef was indeed quite good—though the price was also 'quite good,' because it's not cheap, haha.

Of course, the Muslim Quarter's food scene goes far beyond what I've described—there's so much more. If you have the time, come and explore. You're bound to discover flavors that will blow your taste buds away.

After all that talk about food, let me say a word about the guesthouse we stayed at in the Muslim Quarter. Before our trip, we booked a room on the Tujia B&B app, and we deliberately chose a place in the Muslim Quarter for convenience. First, it's close to the metro station, so you don't have to drag your luggage far—saving time and effort. Second, with so much food right there, we didn't need to go searching for Xi'an's best eats. Third, we've always booked through Tujia B&B, where photos are real and reviews are genuine—we've never been let down once, so we trust it completely.

The guesthouse we found this time? I fell in love with it the moment I saw it on the Tujia app. That fresh green color—my absolute favorite—and the soft sofa that just oozes style. Plus, it's right at the entrance to the Muslim Quarter. True, it's an old building without an elevator, but it's only on the 3rd floor, so climbing stairs wasn't tiring. I decided on the spot: this is the one.

When we walked into the room—wow, it was fantastic! Everything looked exactly like the photos, without a single difference. It was so photogenic!

A super cozy guesthouse that we absolutely loved. It had all the amenities, including a washing machine and a place to hang clothes. The kitchen and bathroom were spotless. Aside from the hot water being a bit weak, there were basically no downsides. Overall, we were very happy!

Hi, I'm Lantian. Follow me and join me on a journey to discover amazing food and beautiful sights!