After visiting the Donghuamen night snack market in Wangfujing, Beijing; I have become addicted to trying out new, crazy and of course delicious foods when in China. Whether it’s at day or night, these bustling street food markets are a must see and naturally, a must try. You will find a range of local foods on offer, not just from the north of China but other regions as well. Here is my list of snack streets that you should visit when traveling to Beijing.
- Donghuamen Night Snack Market
Located at the northern entrance of Wangfujing, the Donghuamen Night Market is the most famous food street in the bustling city of Beijing. Here you will find ancient flavors of Old Beijing as well as many local flavors from the south of China too. Be sure to try at least one of the specialty fruits such as deep fried mango, sugar glazed strawberries or even freshly sliced durian. Also, look out for more infamous delicacies like fried scorpions, roasted tarantula and of course, centipede.
Location: north of Donganmen Street, Dongcheng District
- Guijie Street
Also known as Ghost Street, this 1.5 km long snack street has an array of food varieties from noodles to spicy shrimp and lobster. Restaurants here are open around the clock, every day with the 6 pm to 4 am slots being the busiest.
Location: Dongzhimennei Dajie (Avenue), Dongcheng District
- Jiumen Snack Street
Jiumen Snack Street is named after the nine gates of the inner city in old Beijing and can be found deep within the hutongs. This street consists of a range of street food vendors and dessert shops.
Location: 1 Xiaoyou Hutong, shichahai Houhai, Xicheng District
- Niu Jie Muslim Snack Street
Also known as Ox Street, this is another famous street in Beijing, with the largest and oldest mosque being located here. It is also well known for the wide variety of ethnic groups living along the street. Here you can taste local Muslim food including a variety of beef or mutton dishes and pastries.
Location: Guanganmen, Xuanwu District
- Fucheng Street
One of the more upscale streets in Beijing, here you will find a range of fancy restaurants serving a variety ranging of Chinese food from various geographical locations like Hunan, Sichuan and Jiangsu.
Location: Between Hangtian Bridge and Dinghui Bridge in the Haidian District
- Qianmen Snack Street
Qianmen street is famous for its traditional snacks like quick-boiled tripe (baodu) and pork soup with bits of broken bread (luzhu huishao). Here you will also find a range of century old restaurants including the famous Quanjude Roast Duck, Duyichu Shaomai and Yitiaolong Restaurant.
Location: Qianmen Street of Xuanwu Street; about 10 minutes from Tiananmen Square by walking
- Wangfujing Snack Street
Located in downtown Beijing, the Wangfujing Snack street has a range of cuisine from all over China. Here you will find coconut from Hainan, chili from Sichuan, vermicelli from Guilin as well as various meat skewers and strange eats like scorpions, squid, grasshoppers and even sparrows.
Location: Wanfujing Business Street, Doncheng District
- Guanganmen Snack Street
This is the only snack street in the southern part of the city and is known for its hot and spicy Sichuan cuisine. Famous restaurants on this street include Li Lao Die Xiang La Xie (Father Li Hot Crab) and Tan Yu Tou (Fish Head Tan).
Location: Guanganmen Street, Xuanwu District
- Hao Yun Jie Snack Street
Hao Yun Jie, also known as Good Luck Entertainment Street, is a special entertainment street found in the Chaoyang District. Here you will find a mix of snack shacks, restaurants, bars and art. In addition, there are over 20 international chain restaurants from Korea, Paris, England, Japan, Hong Kong and Germany which means that foreigners will definitely be able to find something that appeals to their western taste.
Location: Yansha Business Circle, Chaoyang District
- Longfusi Snack Street
Another famous snack street in Beijing, where you will find traditional soybean milk, Muslim cuisine and a host of other local specialties.
Location: North of Dongsi Longfu Mansion, Dongcheng District