Halal Food Guide Ningxia: Yinchuan Marriott, Zhangjiakou Mosques and Hui Muslim Road Trip
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Ningxia halal food guide starts a road trip from Beijing through Zhangjiakou, Hohhot, Wuhai, and Yinchuan, featuring old mosques, halal breakfast carts, Mongolian halal food, Yinchuan Marriott, and local lamb barbecue.
A Halal journey through Ningxia: The food in this 'Pearl of the Frontier' is more than just salt-lake lamb (tanyang) is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: You can drive from Beijing to Ningxia in one day if you hurry. If you prefer a slower pace, stop in Zhangjiakou for breakfast, have lunch in Hohhot, and spend the night in Wuhai, the city closest to Ningxia. The account keeps its focus on Halal Travel, Yiwu Food, Mosque Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
You can drive from Beijing to Ningxia in one day if you hurry. If you prefer a slower pace, stop in Zhangjiakou for breakfast, have lunch in Hohhot, and spend the night in Wuhai, the city closest to Ningxia. The next morning, enter Ningxia, pass through Shizuishan, and arrive in Yinchuan by noon. You can try all kinds of Northwest food along the way.
Zhangjiakou Xiguan Mosque
Zhangjiakou Xiguan Mosque
I previously visited five mosques along the Zhangjiakou Grassland Sky Road. This time, I am stopping by to see the two old mosques at Xiguan and Xinhua Street.
Xiguan Mosque was built during the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty. It is a traditional-style building with stone inscriptions inside as proof, making it the oldest mosque in downtown Zhangjiakou.
The mosque is located in Xiguan Street West Alley, tucked away among residential houses, so it is not easy to find.
After leaving Xiguan Mosque and walking to Xinhua Street, you can find halal breakfast carts.
I had a baked flatbread (beizi) here. Since Zhangjiakou is right next to Inner Mongolia, you can find beizi to eat.
Walking to the entrance of Xinhua Street Mosque, there are a few more halal breakfast shops.
The shop sign says Guanshi Li, which means it was opened by the Li family from Xiguanshi in Changping, Beijing. Xiguanshi is not far from Zhangjiakou. I had their ingot-shaped dumpling soup (yuanbao tang), and it tasted good.
Zhangjiakou Xinhua Street Mosque
This mosque was built in the second year of the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty and was funded by Hui Muslims from Ningxia.
After a short break, we headed northwest and arrived at the halal food street in Hohhot at noon.
The Niujie Street in Hohhot shares the same name as the one in Beijing, and both are hubs for halal food.
Among the many halal options, we chose the most unique halal Mongolian meal, since it is hard to find halal Mongolian food once you leave Inner Mongolia.
This Mongolian restaurant is inside the Bailaoliu Bone House (Bailaoliu Gutouguan), which has been open for many years.
This is Mongolian-style meat sausage, and the dipping sauce is delicious.
Scrambled eggs with wild onions (shacong).
Mongolian meat dishes are not much different from those of Hui Muslims, so the real highlight of Mongolian cuisine is the Mongolian milk tea. It is boiled in a pot with various dairy products and beef jerky, and the hot, salty taste is quite good.
ZZANG·Great
After finishing our meal, we found a Korean-style afternoon tea spot on Niujie Street. For cities I have visited many times, traditional local dishes no longer interest me. I am only interested in these niche halal spots, so I decided to have a coffee before leaving.
This Korean restaurant is likely the only one in Hohhot. It serves both afternoon tea and Korean dishes.
We left Hohhot for Wuhai. Wuhai has no sea, but the Yellow River flows through it, and a giant statue of Genghis Khan stands on a distant mountaintop.
Haibowan Mosque.
Haibowan Mosque.
Haibowan Mosque was built in 1978 and is currently the only religious site in Wuhai city that can host foreign Muslims.
Because Wuhai is near Shizuishan in Ningxia, most of the Hui Muslims here come from Ningxia, so the local food is basically Ningxia style.
I had minced meat noodles (saozimian) and cumin lamb mixed noodles, and the prices were not expensive.
After eating, I checked into Yuehai Hotel and set off for Shizuishan early the next morning.
Shizuishan Mosque
The founding date of Shizuishan Mosque is unknown. The current building was rebuilt during the Republic of China era and has been expanded many times since.
In no time at all, we finished visiting the five mosques in Shizuishan.
Zhongjie Mosque
Zhongjie Mosque was first built during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty.
Xinjie Mosque
Xinjie Mosque was not open. It was not for any other reason, but because the main hall had cracks and was declared a dangerous building that needs renovation. Someone at the mosque greeted us and told us about the place.
This crack is quite serious and hard to fix. The soil in the Northwest is loose, so building damage from ground sinking happens a lot.
Dawukou Mosque
If its roof hadn't been cut off, Dawukou Mosque would be quite beautiful.
I used to think there weren't many Hui Muslims in Shizuishan. After coming here, I realized there are actually quite a few in Huinong and Pingluo, and there is a lot of good food too. Many people in Ningxia might not even know about it, like this place called Zhongmin Lamb (Zhongmin Yanggaorou) which is truly delicious.
My friend from Shizuishan recommended this shop. It is a chain restaurant from Pingluo and is very famous locally.
I tried the stir-fried lamb (baochao yanggaorou) myself and it is indeed very tasty. You can really taste how tender and fresh the lamb is.
Stirred flour paste (jiaotuan)
Locals all know stirred flour paste (jiaotuan). For people from the Northwest who have been away from home for a long time, one bite brings back the taste of their childhood.
Stir-fried lamb (baochao yanggaorou)
When you come to Pingluo, you must try this stir-fried lamb. You won't find this taste anywhere outside of Ningxia.
Pingluo Mosque
Pingluo Mosque was first built in the 21st year of the Republic of China under the leadership of the Kuomintang. It serves as a joint community mosque for the Ikhwan, Gedimu, and Jahriyya groups.
After leaving Pingluo, Yinchuan is right next door.
Jingui Market
Recommended by a friend in Ningxia, the Jingui Market is a popular spot for locals in Yinchuan. It is a halal market about a half-hour drive from Yinchuan city and not far from Shizuishan. Since it is on the way to Yinchuan, I stopped by to take a look.
Besides all kinds of farm produce, the market has a street dedicated to snacks, and everything there is halal.
The market is quite large and takes about half a day to explore.
Specialty snacks in Ningxia include spicy hot pot (malatang), knife-cut noodles (daoxiaomian), and lamb offal soup (yangza).
After leaving Jingui Market, we finally arrived in Yinchuan and checked into the Yinchuan Marriott Hotel. A friend told me that most hotels in Yinchuan are halal; at least the Kempinski and Marriott where I have stayed are both halal hotels.
Yinchuan Halal Marriott
The gym and swimming pool at the Yinchuan Marriott are not as spacious or grand as those at the Hyatt in Lanzhou.
Marriott Ningxin Pavilion
To my surprise, the Ningxin Pavilion restaurant inside the Marriott serves halal Cantonese cuisine.
Durian pastry (liuliansu)
I actually think the Cantonese food at Ningxin Pavilion tastes better than what I had in Guangzhou.
Chaoshan seafood porridge (chaoshan haixian zhou)
King shrimp dumplings (xiajiao huang)
Crispy roast goose (cuipi shao'e)
The roast goose at Ningxin Pavilion is also delicious. It is a bit pricey at about 300 yuan per person, but it is rare to find such authentic Cantonese food in the Northwest, even in Beijing.
It feels great that the breakfast at Marriott is entirely halal. I really enjoyed my stays at the Yinchuan Marriott and Lanzhou Hyatt during this Northwest loop trip.
The hot pot-style boiled dishes (tangcai) at Marriott allow you to add your own ingredients, which is a local Ningxia specialty.
Yang Gaze barbecue
Yang Gaze
People in Yinchuan love barbecue. This place, Yang Gaze, is a local hit and a spot my friend specifically brought me to.
This barbecue shop was surprisingly good. You even have to wait in line during peak meal times.
Yinchuan has plenty of great lamb. It tastes good just grilled, and it is even better with some secret seasonings.
This restaurant does not just have good grilled meat; their various snacks and side dishes are also prepared with care and attention to detail.
There is such a wide variety that I just wish I had a bigger appetite. Check the list below to see what I ate; everything was truly delicious.
The average cost per person is about 200 yuan. Prices in Yinchuan are not low.
Yuehai Mosque
After finishing the lamb skewers (yang gazi) barbecue, it is just a short walk to Yuehai Mosque. This mosque is considered the most unique building in the area.
The interior has a Southeast Asian style, and Yuehai Mosque has now become a landmark building in Yinchuan.
Najia Building
Summary: This Ningxia halal food guide starts a road trip from Beijing through Zhangjiakou, Hohhot, Wuhai, and Yinchuan, featuring old mosques, halal breakfast carts, Mongolian halal food, Yinchuan Marriott, and local lamb barbecue.
A Halal journey through Ningxia: The food in this 'Pearl of the Frontier' is more than just salt-lake lamb (tanyang) is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: You can drive from Beijing to Ningxia in one day if you hurry. If you prefer a slower pace, stop in Zhangjiakou for breakfast, have lunch in Hohhot, and spend the night in Wuhai, the city closest to Ningxia. The account keeps its focus on Halal Travel, Yiwu Food, Mosque Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
You can drive from Beijing to Ningxia in one day if you hurry. If you prefer a slower pace, stop in Zhangjiakou for breakfast, have lunch in Hohhot, and spend the night in Wuhai, the city closest to Ningxia. The next morning, enter Ningxia, pass through Shizuishan, and arrive in Yinchuan by noon. You can try all kinds of Northwest food along the way.
Zhangjiakou Xiguan Mosque
Zhangjiakou Xiguan Mosque
I previously visited five mosques along the Zhangjiakou Grassland Sky Road. This time, I am stopping by to see the two old mosques at Xiguan and Xinhua Street.
Xiguan Mosque was built during the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty. It is a traditional-style building with stone inscriptions inside as proof, making it the oldest mosque in downtown Zhangjiakou.
The mosque is located in Xiguan Street West Alley, tucked away among residential houses, so it is not easy to find.
After leaving Xiguan Mosque and walking to Xinhua Street, you can find halal breakfast carts.
I had a baked flatbread (beizi) here. Since Zhangjiakou is right next to Inner Mongolia, you can find beizi to eat.
Walking to the entrance of Xinhua Street Mosque, there are a few more halal breakfast shops.
The shop sign says Guanshi Li, which means it was opened by the Li family from Xiguanshi in Changping, Beijing. Xiguanshi is not far from Zhangjiakou. I had their ingot-shaped dumpling soup (yuanbao tang), and it tasted good.
Zhangjiakou Xinhua Street Mosque
This mosque was built in the second year of the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty and was funded by Hui Muslims from Ningxia.
After a short break, we headed northwest and arrived at the halal food street in Hohhot at noon.
The Niujie Street in Hohhot shares the same name as the one in Beijing, and both are hubs for halal food.
Among the many halal options, we chose the most unique halal Mongolian meal, since it is hard to find halal Mongolian food once you leave Inner Mongolia.
This Mongolian restaurant is inside the Bailaoliu Bone House (Bailaoliu Gutouguan), which has been open for many years.
This is Mongolian-style meat sausage, and the dipping sauce is delicious.
Scrambled eggs with wild onions (shacong).
Mongolian meat dishes are not much different from those of Hui Muslims, so the real highlight of Mongolian cuisine is the Mongolian milk tea. It is boiled in a pot with various dairy products and beef jerky, and the hot, salty taste is quite good.
ZZANG·Great
After finishing our meal, we found a Korean-style afternoon tea spot on Niujie Street. For cities I have visited many times, traditional local dishes no longer interest me. I am only interested in these niche halal spots, so I decided to have a coffee before leaving.
This Korean restaurant is likely the only one in Hohhot. It serves both afternoon tea and Korean dishes.
We left Hohhot for Wuhai. Wuhai has no sea, but the Yellow River flows through it, and a giant statue of Genghis Khan stands on a distant mountaintop.
Haibowan Mosque.
Haibowan Mosque.
Haibowan Mosque was built in 1978 and is currently the only religious site in Wuhai city that can host foreign Muslims.
Because Wuhai is near Shizuishan in Ningxia, most of the Hui Muslims here come from Ningxia, so the local food is basically Ningxia style.
I had minced meat noodles (saozimian) and cumin lamb mixed noodles, and the prices were not expensive.
After eating, I checked into Yuehai Hotel and set off for Shizuishan early the next morning.
Shizuishan Mosque
The founding date of Shizuishan Mosque is unknown. The current building was rebuilt during the Republic of China era and has been expanded many times since.
In no time at all, we finished visiting the five mosques in Shizuishan.
Zhongjie Mosque
Zhongjie Mosque was first built during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty.
Xinjie Mosque
Xinjie Mosque was not open. It was not for any other reason, but because the main hall had cracks and was declared a dangerous building that needs renovation. Someone at the mosque greeted us and told us about the place.
This crack is quite serious and hard to fix. The soil in the Northwest is loose, so building damage from ground sinking happens a lot.
Dawukou Mosque
If its roof hadn't been cut off, Dawukou Mosque would be quite beautiful.
I used to think there weren't many Hui Muslims in Shizuishan. After coming here, I realized there are actually quite a few in Huinong and Pingluo, and there is a lot of good food too. Many people in Ningxia might not even know about it, like this place called Zhongmin Lamb (Zhongmin Yanggaorou) which is truly delicious.
My friend from Shizuishan recommended this shop. It is a chain restaurant from Pingluo and is very famous locally.
I tried the stir-fried lamb (baochao yanggaorou) myself and it is indeed very tasty. You can really taste how tender and fresh the lamb is.
Stirred flour paste (jiaotuan)
Locals all know stirred flour paste (jiaotuan). For people from the Northwest who have been away from home for a long time, one bite brings back the taste of their childhood.
Stir-fried lamb (baochao yanggaorou)
When you come to Pingluo, you must try this stir-fried lamb. You won't find this taste anywhere outside of Ningxia.
Pingluo Mosque
Pingluo Mosque was first built in the 21st year of the Republic of China under the leadership of the Kuomintang. It serves as a joint community mosque for the Ikhwan, Gedimu, and Jahriyya groups.
After leaving Pingluo, Yinchuan is right next door.
Jingui Market
Recommended by a friend in Ningxia, the Jingui Market is a popular spot for locals in Yinchuan. It is a halal market about a half-hour drive from Yinchuan city and not far from Shizuishan. Since it is on the way to Yinchuan, I stopped by to take a look.
Besides all kinds of farm produce, the market has a street dedicated to snacks, and everything there is halal.
The market is quite large and takes about half a day to explore.
Specialty snacks in Ningxia include spicy hot pot (malatang), knife-cut noodles (daoxiaomian), and lamb offal soup (yangza).
After leaving Jingui Market, we finally arrived in Yinchuan and checked into the Yinchuan Marriott Hotel. A friend told me that most hotels in Yinchuan are halal; at least the Kempinski and Marriott where I have stayed are both halal hotels.
Yinchuan Halal Marriott
The gym and swimming pool at the Yinchuan Marriott are not as spacious or grand as those at the Hyatt in Lanzhou.
Marriott Ningxin Pavilion
To my surprise, the Ningxin Pavilion restaurant inside the Marriott serves halal Cantonese cuisine.
Durian pastry (liuliansu)
I actually think the Cantonese food at Ningxin Pavilion tastes better than what I had in Guangzhou.
Chaoshan seafood porridge (chaoshan haixian zhou)
King shrimp dumplings (xiajiao huang)
Crispy roast goose (cuipi shao'e)
The roast goose at Ningxin Pavilion is also delicious. It is a bit pricey at about 300 yuan per person, but it is rare to find such authentic Cantonese food in the Northwest, even in Beijing.
It feels great that the breakfast at Marriott is entirely halal. I really enjoyed my stays at the Yinchuan Marriott and Lanzhou Hyatt during this Northwest loop trip.
The hot pot-style boiled dishes (tangcai) at Marriott allow you to add your own ingredients, which is a local Ningxia specialty.
Yang Gaze barbecue
Yang Gaze
People in Yinchuan love barbecue. This place, Yang Gaze, is a local hit and a spot my friend specifically brought me to.
This barbecue shop was surprisingly good. You even have to wait in line during peak meal times.
Yinchuan has plenty of great lamb. It tastes good just grilled, and it is even better with some secret seasonings.
This restaurant does not just have good grilled meat; their various snacks and side dishes are also prepared with care and attention to detail.
There is such a wide variety that I just wish I had a bigger appetite. Check the list below to see what I ate; everything was truly delicious.
The average cost per person is about 200 yuan. Prices in Yinchuan are not low.
Yuehai Mosque
After finishing the lamb skewers (yang gazi) barbecue, it is just a short walk to Yuehai Mosque. This mosque is considered the most unique building in the area.
The interior has a Southeast Asian style, and Yuehai Mosque has now become a landmark building in Yinchuan.
Najia Building
