What We Experienced in Xi’an: An Evening Stroll Through 回民街 — Street Food, Sour Plum Drink and a Different Side of the Ancient City
Xi’an felt different after dark.
During the day, Dad and Elaine had been surrounded by the enormous stories of this ancient city.
City walls.
Emperors.
Terracotta soldiers.
Museums.
Dynasties stretching back thousands of years.
But that evening, we weren’t looking for another monument.
We went for a walk.
Into Xi’an’s famous Muslim Quarter (回民街, Huímín Jiē).
The streets were glowing.
Chinese signs lit up the shopfronts.
People squeezed past us in both directions.
Steam rose from cooking stalls.
Beef and lamb cooked beside the street.
Hot oil bubbled in pans.
And almost immediately…
our noses took over the itinerary.
😂
We walked.
Something smelled good.
We stopped.
Then we walked again.
And before long, Elaine spotted something she wanted to try.
Elaine Normally Didn’t Like Sour Drinks… But She Wanted This
酸梅汤 (suānméitāng)
Sour Plum Drink
This surprised Dad.
Elaine normally wasn’t much of a fan of sour drinks.
But travel was making her more adventurous with her taste buds.
And standing there among the lights and food stalls of 回民街…
she wanted to try it.
Dad didn’t have to persuade her.
Curiosity had already won.
🎥 Watch Elaine Try 酸梅汤
It’s only a few seconds.
But watch Elaine’s expression.
😂❤️
The vendor hands her the dark amber drink.
Elaine accepts it.
Takes a sip.
Then turns toward Dad’s camera.
For someone who normally wasn’t enthusiastic about sour drinks…
she looked remarkably pleased with herself.
And this wasn’t simply:
“Okay. I tried it once.”
Elaine became excited to try 酸梅汤 several more times during our travels.
Apparently China had found the sour drink that worked for her.
Then Another Smell Stopped Us
We kept walking.
Past another stall.
Through another pocket of people.
Then came one of those smells that makes you slow down even when you weren’t planning to eat anything else.
Beef. Hot oil. Freshly cooked pastry.
Dad looked over.
Golden pies were sizzling in a large pan.
Beside them, a vendor was stretching long strips of dough across the counter.
Now Dad wasn’t going anywhere.
😂
The sign told us what they were making:
西安宫廷香酥牛肉饼
Xī’ān Gōngtíng Xiāngsū Niúròu Bǐng
Xi’an Imperial Crispy Beef Pie
Dad started filming.
🎥 Watch How Xi’an’s Crispy Beef Pie Is Made
Don’t skip straight to the finished pie.
Watch the process.
The vendor stretches the dough into an extraordinarily long, thin ribbon.
Oil and seasoning go on.
Then minced:
牛肉 (niúròu) — beef
followed by chopped scallions.
Then the long strip is rolled around the filling.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Eventually that enormous ribbon becomes a compact round.
Into the hot pan it goes.
And slowly…
those pale rounds become the crispy golden beef pies whose smell made us stop in the first place.
😂
🥞 Now Look at the Finished Pie
Now the photograph makes much more sense.
Those crispy layers aren’t accidental.
They’re created by stretching the dough thin and repeatedly rolling it around the beef filling.
Once cooked:
crispy outside
+
layer upon layer of pastry
+
savory beef and scallions inside.
We could have bought one and kept walking.
But then we’d have missed half the experience.
In a place like 回民街…
watching the food being made is part of eating it.
🌙 And Then We Kept Walking…
That’s really how Dad remembers the evening.
Not:
Stop 1: 酸梅汤
Stop 2: 牛肉饼
Stop 3: Next attraction
No.
We wandered.
A smell pulled us toward one stall.
Something caught Elaine’s eye at another.
Dad started filming.
People squeezed past.
More illuminated signs appeared ahead.
Another smell came drifting through the crowd.
And every time we thought we’d seen enough…
there was something else farther down the street.
😂
That’s when Dad started asking another question.
Why was there such a historic Muslim neighborhood…
in the middle of one of China’s greatest ancient capitals?
🐇
So What Exactly Is 酸梅汤?
After Elaine had tried it, Dad naturally wanted to know a little more about what she was drinking.
酸梅汤 (suānméitāng)
Sour Plum Drink
The Chinese name is wonderfully descriptive:
酸 (suān) — sour
梅 (méi) — plum
汤 (tāng) — soup / broth
So literally:
“sour plum soup.”
Don’t worry.
😂
Elaine wasn’t drinking cold plum soup through a straw.
酸梅汤 is a traditional Chinese beverage, usually served chilled, with a distinctive combination of sweet, tart, fruity and slightly herbal flavors.
Traditional recipes vary, but commonly include ingredients such as:
- 乌梅 (wūméi) — smoked or dried sour plums
- 山楂 (shānzhā) — hawthorn
- 陈皮 (chénpí) — dried tangerine peel
- 桂花 (guìhuā) — osmanthus
- 冰糖 (bīngtáng) — rock sugar
Some recipes contain other herbs or flavorings.
Sour-plum beverages have a long history in China, while forms associated with today’s 酸梅汤 became particularly popular during the Qing Dynasty (清朝, Qīng Cháo).
In Xi’an, you may also see:
桂花酸梅汤 (guìhuā suānméitāng)
— sour plum drink with fragrant osmanthus (桂花).
And standing among all those rich beef, lamb and fried foods in 回民街, the appeal became obvious.
A bite of something hot and savory.
Then…
a cold sip of sweet-and-tart 酸梅汤.
Even Elaine was converted.
😂
But Why Is There a Muslim Quarter in Xi’an?
This is where our evening food stroll opens a much bigger door.
Today’s Xi’an (西安, Xī’ān) was historically known as:
Chang’an (长安, Cháng’ān)
For long periods, Chang’an was one of China’s great imperial capitals.
It also became an important eastern center of the networks we now call the:
Silk Roads (丝绸之路, Sīchóu Zhīlù)
But those routes didn’t move only silk.
People moved.
Merchants.
Travelers.
Envoys.
Religious communities.
And with them came languages, beliefs, foods, ideas and traditions.
Muslim communities became established in China over many centuries.
Xi’an’s Muslim community became part of that much longer story.
So 回民街 isn’t interesting only because you can buy beef pies there.
Behind the food is a story about the people who helped shape Xi’an.
Who Are the Hui — 回族?
The Hui (回族, Huízú) are one of China’s 56 officially recognized ethnic groups (民族, mínzú).
Islam has historically been an important part of Hui identity, although individual religious practice naturally varies.
Hui communities live across China, with significant populations in parts of northwestern China including Ningxia (宁夏, Níngxià), Gansu (甘肃, Gānsù) and Qinghai (青海, Qīnghǎi).
And this can open an interesting question for international travelers.
A person can be:
Hui.
Muslim.
Chinese.
All at the same time.
Those identities aren’t mutually exclusive.
China’s majority ethnic group is the Han (汉族, Hànzú), but “Chinese” is much broader than simply imagining one ethnicity, appearance, religion or food tradition.
And now Dad’s innocent evening food walk had produced another rabbit hole.
😂🐇
What does it actually mean to be Chinese?
That’s a much bigger question than we’re going to answer while Elaine is holding a cup of 酸梅汤.
👀 Look for These Two Characters: 清真
One useful piece of Chinese for international travelers walking through the Muslim Quarter is:
清真
qīngzhēn — halal
You’ll see these characters on Muslim restaurants and food businesses.
So if you see:
清真餐厅
qīngzhēn cāntīng
it means a halal restaurant.
That also helps explain why you’ll encounter so much:
牛肉 (niúròu) — beef
and
羊肉 (yángròu) — lamb/mutton
around the neighborhood.
If halal food or other dietary requirements matter to you, we’ve put the practical details here:
Eating in China With Dietary Restrictions — Vegetarian, Halal, Allergies & Special Diets →
📍 Where Exactly Is Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter?
Xi’an Muslim Quarter
西安回民街
Xī’ān Huímín Jiē
The Muslim Quarter is in the historic center of:
Xi’an (西安, Xī’ān)
Shaanxi Province (陕西省, Shǎnxī)
For a first-time international traveler, the easiest way to understand the location is:
Bell Tower → Drum Tower → Muslim Quarter
The neighborhood lies around and behind the:
Xi’an Drum Tower (西安鼓楼, Xī’ān Gǔlóu)
which is very close to the:
Xi’an Bell Tower (西安钟楼, Xī’ān Zhōnglóu)
The best-known visitor streets include:
Beiyuanmen (北院门, Běiyuànmén)
along with surrounding streets and lanes in the Hui neighborhood.
Don’t think of 回民街 as one tiny street that you walk from beginning to end.
It’s better experienced as an area.
Start around the Drum Tower.
Walk into Beiyuanmen.
Then explore.
🚇 How to Get There by Xi’an Metro
For many international travelers, the metro is the easiest option.
A convenient central stop is:
Zhonglou Station (钟楼站, Zhōnglóu Zhàn)
Bell Tower Station
Remember:
钟楼 (zhōnglóu) — Bell Tower
站 (zhàn) — station
Once you reach the Bell Tower area, walk toward:
西安鼓楼 — Xi’an Drum Tower
The Muslim Quarter begins immediately around and behind the Drum Tower area.
Dad’s advice?
Don’t navigate directly to one particular food stall.
Get yourself to the Bell Tower / Drum Tower area first.
Then walk.
That’s where the experience begins.
Going by DiDi?
This is easy too.
Instead of typing only “Muslim Quarter” in English, Dad would keep the Chinese destination handy.
Search:
西安回民街
or use the Drum Tower as your destination:
西安鼓楼
You can show your driver:
去西安鼓楼，谢谢。
Qù Xī’ān Gǔlóu, xièxie.
“Xi’an Drum Tower, please.”
Or:
去回民街，谢谢。
Qù Huímín Jiē, xièxie.
“Muslim Quarter, please.”
Using the Chinese place name on your phone is often easier than worrying about perfect pronunciation.
A Few Chinese Phrases Dad Would Keep Handy
You don’t need much Mandarin to enjoy the evening.
But a few phrases can make street-food exploring much more fun.
👀 “What is this?”
这是什么？
Zhè shì shénme?
This may be the most ChinaTravelBUG phrase of all.
😂🐇
💰 “How much is this?”
这个多少钱？
Zhège duōshao qián?
☝️ “I want one of these.”
我要一个这个。
Wǒ yào yí ge zhège.
Or simply point and say:
这个。
Zhège.
“This one.”
Pointing works remarkably well.
😂
🥤 “One cup of sour plum drink, please.”
我要一杯酸梅汤。
Wǒ yào yì bēi suānméitāng.
Useful if Elaine wants another one.
Which apparently she did.
😂
🥩 “Is this beef?”
这是牛肉吗？
Zhè shì niúròu ma?
🐑 “Is this lamb?”
这是羊肉吗？
Zhè shì yángròu ma?
🌶️ “Is it spicy?”
辣吗？
Là ma?
Two extremely useful syllables in China.
😂
If you don’t want it spicy:
不要辣。
Bú yào là.
“Not spicy, please.”
❤️ “It’s delicious!”
好吃！
Hǎochī!
This one is worth learning.
Say it to the vendor.
Smile.
Everybody understands.
🌙 When Should You Visit?
For the experience Dad and Elaine had:
Go in the evening.
That’s when the neighborhood gave us the atmosphere we remember.
The illuminated signs.
Crowds moving between stalls.
Steam rising into the lights.
Food cooking everywhere.
And those smells that keep changing your plans.
😂
Weekends and Chinese public holidays can be extremely busy.
If you want the nighttime atmosphere with somewhat fewer people, try:
a weekday evening
or arrive before the biggest dinner crowds.
Dad’s Biggest Tip: Don’t Eat Dinner First
Seriously.
😂
Don’t arrive at 回民街 after eating an enormous meal somewhere else.
Dad would do this instead:
walk → share → walk → try → walk → share again
Buy one thing.
Dad and Elaine share it.
Keep walking.
See something else.
Try that.
This leaves room for curiosity.
You don’t need to eat every famous Xi’an dish in one evening.
The point isn’t to complete a list.
The point is to experience the street.
Elaine’s 酸梅汤 Was Part of Something Bigger
That little cup represented something Dad had gradually noticed about Elaine during our China travels.
She was becoming more adventurous.
Not:
“I’ll eat absolutely anything.”
Definitely not.
😂
But unfamiliar food increasingly became:
“I’ll try.”
Sometimes she liked it.
Sometimes she didn’t.
That’s fine.
The important thing was that food was becoming part of her own journey, rather than simply something Dad ordered for her.
We’ve collected more of those experiences here:
🐇 And Xi’an Kept Opening More Doors
Our evening in 回民街 started with food.
But it quickly opened other questions.
Hui.
Islam in China.
The Silk Roads.
Chang’an.
What it means to be Chinese.
That’s what Xi’an keeps doing to Dad.
One famous place leads to another question.
One question leads somewhere outside the city.
And eventually Xi’an became our base for exploring Baoji, Zhouyuan, Yuncheng, Hancheng and the much bigger historical world beyond the ancient capital.
🐇 There It Is! We’re Back in Xi’an — And This Time, Xi’an Took Us Much Further →
ChinaTravelBUG’s Take
Dad doesn’t remember our evening in Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter as a list of dishes.
He remembers the feeling.
The lights.
The crowds.
Steam rising into the night.
The smell of beef and hot pastry.
Golden pies sizzling in oil.
People brushing past.
And that constant feeling that something else interesting was waiting a little farther down the street.
Then there was Elaine.
Standing in front of a stall.
A cup of 酸梅汤 in her hand.
A girl who normally wasn’t a fan of sour drinks.
She looked at it.
Tried it.
That expression.
😂❤️
And then she wanted to drink it again.
That’s the kind of travel memory Dad treasures.
Not:
“We successfully ate Food Number 7 on the Xi’an must-eat list.”
But:
“Remember that night we walked through 回民街 and you decided to try that sour plum drink?”
Because sometimes understanding China begins with an emperor.
Sometimes with an ancient wall.
Sometimes with a museum.
And sometimes…
it begins by following the smells through a crowded street after dark.
And taking one adventurous sip.
