Yongxingfang Food Street: A Great Place to Taste Food and Culture in Xian
Though the Muslim Quarter is still the most popular food street in Xian, an increasing number of local Xian people and tourists go to Yongxingfang Food Street for a typical Xian food tour. If you want to see the bustling scenery, Muslim Quarter will be the first choice. If you want to try some Shaanxi Food, we will recommend Yongxingfang Food Street nearby the East Gate of the Xian City Wall to you.
Overview of Yongxingfang Food Street
Located inside the Zhongshan Gate (nearby the East Gate) of ancient Xian City Wall, Yongxingfang Food Street was opened in December 2014, which is committed to supplying intangible cultural heritage food of Shaanxi Province. Besides the local Xian famous food, the night view of the street is a highlight as well.
Compared with the Muslim Quarter, which is most famous for Muslim Food, Yongxingfang Food Street is of richer kinds of local food and snacks and better sanitary condition. So an increasing number of tourists choose to visit Yongxingfang instead of Muslim Quarter during their Xian travel. So it can be regarded as the second Muslim Quarter in Xian.
Yongxingfang Food Street covers an area of 1 hectare with 130 meters long from west to east and 88 meters wide from south to north. It is the former site of the residence of Wei Zheng, a Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty. It consists of ancient styled buildings, decorated archway, public square, inner Pedestrian Street, etc.
The most distinctive architectural feature of Yongxingfang Food Street is the decorated archway and the local folk architecture complex built in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It reproduces the neighborhood form and historical life atmosphere, as well as the traditional folk life space of the ancient Chang’an City.
The layout of Yongxingfang Food Street is designed based on study of market trading facts in the Ming and Qing dynasties. So taking a walk in this street, one will learn about the ancient market pattern and try rich kinds of local food at the same time.
Other Food Streets in Xian
Yongxingfang is divided into eight blocks: Guanzhong Lane, Southern Shaanxi Street, Northern Shaanxi Li, Handicraft Workshop, Intangible Cultural Heritage Folk-Custom Street, 107 Street, Cultural and Creative Street, and Fu Street. It gathers the cultural “essence” of 11 prefecture-level cities and 107 districts and counties in Shaanxi.
Popular Food & Snacks in Yongxingfang Food Street
Tourists could find authentic food and snacks from each part of Shaanxi Province, feel traditional Chinese culture and shopping in the street when walking along Yongxingfang Food Street.
Foods and snacks worthy of recommending include:
- Sanyuan Jinxian Youta (a kind of steamed sliced pastry)
- Caituan (vegetable roller)
- Qishan Ganmianpi (akind of cold noodles)
- Qishan Saozimian (sliced noodles in clear or pork soup)
- Roujiamo(Chinese Hamburger)
- Dali Daibazhouzi (steamed pig elbow)
- Lantian Qiaomian Heluo (noodles made of buckwheat powder)
- Qinzhen Mipi (steamed cold noodles made of rice powder)
- Xianyang Biangbiangmian(a kind of wide hand-pulled noodles)
- Sanyuan Liaohuatang (a kind of sweet course)
- Wugong Mahua (a kind of fried twisted wheat powder stick)
- Jingyang Pebble Baked Cake (a kind of cake baked among layers of cooking pebble)
You can also experience the most famous Shuaiwanjiu (to smash the bowl after drinking the wine) that has a special sense of ceremony.
Cultural Attractions and Experiences in Yongxingfang
Yongxingfang Food Street has also various cultural attractions including the 108 fang Miniature Landscape of the Tang Chang’an City, Baijiayuan Stone Stools – the Longest Stone Table, Wei Zheng Bronze Statue – Mirror Square, Shaanxi Dialect Square, allowing tourists to learn about ancient historical culture and Shaanxi folk customs.
Besides, Yongxingfang Food Street creates cultural exhibition areas such as Shaanxi Opera Museum, Huaxian Shadow Play Theater, Intangible Cultural Heritage Theater, 108 Theatre Building, and brings visitors an in-depth experience tour of Shaanxi Intangible Cultural Heritage culture with multiple auditory and visual impacts by displaying Qinqiang Opera, Huaxian Shadow Puppet Play, Huayin Laoqiang, Northern Shaanxi storytelling, Heyang marionette, Shaanxi Allegro, and Tao Xun playing.
One more highlight of Yongxingfang Food Street is that there are many participative tourist programs. Try to make a local souvenir or local snack on your own to add more memory to your Xian tours.
Yongxingfang not only gathers various specialty foods and snacks of Shaanxi, but also has unique cultural charm. In one word, pay a visit to Yongxingfang Food Street you will find a better Muslim Quarter in Xian.
Tips: Due to its proximity to the East Gate, you can also visit Xian City Wall after a hearty meal in Yongxingfang Food Street, take a stroll to enjoy the scenery and help to digest. You can also rent a bicycle to ride around the city wall and appreciate the ancient city of Xian from different angles.
How to Get to Yongxingfang Food Street
- Subway Lines
- Take SubwayLine 1 to Chaoyang Gate Station (B Southwest Exit), then walk southwest for about 900 meters to reach Yongxingfang.
- Take SubwayLine 6 to Changle GateStation (A1 Northeast Exit), then walk northeast for about 900 meters to reach Yongxingfang.
- Bus Routes
Zhongshan Gate Station (southwest corner of Yongxingfang) by bus routes No. 32, 702.
Dongxin Street Station (west of Yongxingfang) by bus routes No. 102, 182, 602, 702.
