Halal Food Guide Jiangsu Xuzhou: Mosque Visit, Hui Muslim Food and Old City Memories
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Halal Food Guide keeps the original 2017 Xuzhou travel notes intact while making the English easier to read. It is useful for halal food in China, Chinese Muslim food, China Muslim travel tips, and mosque visits in Jiangsu.
On March 12, 2017, I went to Xuzhou to eat and explore.
The Xuzhou section of the Grand Canal.
In 1283 and 1289, Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty ordered the construction of the Jizhou River and the Huitong River. These connected the existing Sui and Tang Dynasty Grand Canal to the Si River, then linked it to the southern canal via the Yellow River. Xuzhou, located where the Yellow River flows into the Si River, became the central hub of the canal. After the Yuan Dynasty Grand Canal was finished, Xuzhou became a place for civilian boats to deliver grain and a transit point for government troops, making it increasingly busy and prosperous.
In 1855, the Yellow River burst its banks at Tongwaxian in Henan. The canal dikes in the Xuzhou section were washed away and the waterway dried up. By 1877, the Xuzhou section of the canal was completely silted over.
Jianguo Road Mosque.
In 1913, the Tianjin-Pukou Railway opened fully. In 1916, the Kaifeng-Xuzhou section of the Longhai Railway opened. As the intersection of the Tianjin-Pukou and Longhai railways, Xuzhou rose again as a transportation hub. According to the Jiangsu Provincial Gazetteer of Religion, in 1916, Hui Muslim merchant Lan Dengyun, railway worker Zhang Xuelou, and postal worker Yang Xianyun bought 1,500 square meters of wasteland on the west side of the old Yellow River bed south of Xuzhou city. They built a wall and three flat-roofed rooms, calling it the 'Traveler's Mosque in Xuzhou' (Lvxu Qingzhensi) for passing Muslims to perform namaz. In 1924, the Traveler's Mosque in Xuzhou was destroyed by a heavy rainstorm and was rebuilt in 1931.
In 1937, the famous Hui Muslim Peking Opera performer Ma Lianliang held a charity performance to raise funds for the mosque. The following year, leather merchants Ha Guanglu, Ma Yuqing, and others donated money to expand the mosque to 32 rooms. After 1949, Jianguo East Road was built in front of the mosque, and it was renamed Jianguo Road Mosque. After 1966, the mosque was occupied and 14 rooms in the back courtyard were demolished. It was restored and reopened in 1980. In 1997, the mosque was demolished again for road widening, then relocated and rebuilt into its current form.
Dakang Pastries.
Next to Jianguo Road Mosque, there is a deli and a pastry shop. At the pastry shop, I bought chestnut cakes (lizisu), peach cakes (taosu), sesame crisps (mapian'er), and honey-glazed horn-shaped pastries (jiaojiaomi).
Taikang Hui Muslim Food Store.
Taikang Hui Muslim Food Store is a century-old halal shop in Xuzhou, founded in 1908. The owner was Bai Shaoxuan, a Hui Muslim from Jining, Shandong. It is most famous for making sesame crisps (mapian) and white sesame osmanthus sugar cakes (baima guihua su-tang). In May 1938, Taikang was destroyed by Japanese bombers. Owner Bai had to painfully switch to the beef and mutton business until he started selling pastries again after 1945.
At Taikang, I bought rose mung bean cakes (meigui lvdougao), honey-preserved sponge cakes (mizhi fenggao), egg rolls (danjuan), salted osmanthus sauce (xian guihua jiang), and rose sauce (meigui jiang).
Rose sauce (meigui jiang).
Osmanthus sauce (guihua jiang).
Honey-preserved sponge cake (mizhi fenggao).
Rose mung bean cake (meigui lvdougao).
Egg rolls (danjuan)
Feng Tianxing
Feng Tianxing is another long-standing halal shop in Xuzhou. Feng Shibo founded Feng Tianxing in Nanjing in 1757, the 22nd year of the Qianlong reign. It started by selling roasted chicken, then moved to Xuzhou and became a classic halal brand there. I bought duck tongue, duck liver, and dried tofu. Everything was delicious, especially the duck tongue, which was so fragrant.
I really like the design of this water pitcher (tangping) brand.
Summary: This Halal Food Guide keeps the original 2017 Xuzhou travel notes intact while making the English easier to read. It is useful for halal food in China, Chinese Muslim food, China Muslim travel tips, and mosque visits in Jiangsu.
On March 12, 2017, I went to Xuzhou to eat and explore.
The Xuzhou section of the Grand Canal.
In 1283 and 1289, Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty ordered the construction of the Jizhou River and the Huitong River. These connected the existing Sui and Tang Dynasty Grand Canal to the Si River, then linked it to the southern canal via the Yellow River. Xuzhou, located where the Yellow River flows into the Si River, became the central hub of the canal. After the Yuan Dynasty Grand Canal was finished, Xuzhou became a place for civilian boats to deliver grain and a transit point for government troops, making it increasingly busy and prosperous.
In 1855, the Yellow River burst its banks at Tongwaxian in Henan. The canal dikes in the Xuzhou section were washed away and the waterway dried up. By 1877, the Xuzhou section of the canal was completely silted over.
Jianguo Road Mosque.
In 1913, the Tianjin-Pukou Railway opened fully. In 1916, the Kaifeng-Xuzhou section of the Longhai Railway opened. As the intersection of the Tianjin-Pukou and Longhai railways, Xuzhou rose again as a transportation hub. According to the Jiangsu Provincial Gazetteer of Religion, in 1916, Hui Muslim merchant Lan Dengyun, railway worker Zhang Xuelou, and postal worker Yang Xianyun bought 1,500 square meters of wasteland on the west side of the old Yellow River bed south of Xuzhou city. They built a wall and three flat-roofed rooms, calling it the 'Traveler's Mosque in Xuzhou' (Lvxu Qingzhensi) for passing Muslims to perform namaz. In 1924, the Traveler's Mosque in Xuzhou was destroyed by a heavy rainstorm and was rebuilt in 1931.
In 1937, the famous Hui Muslim Peking Opera performer Ma Lianliang held a charity performance to raise funds for the mosque. The following year, leather merchants Ha Guanglu, Ma Yuqing, and others donated money to expand the mosque to 32 rooms. After 1949, Jianguo East Road was built in front of the mosque, and it was renamed Jianguo Road Mosque. After 1966, the mosque was occupied and 14 rooms in the back courtyard were demolished. It was restored and reopened in 1980. In 1997, the mosque was demolished again for road widening, then relocated and rebuilt into its current form.
Dakang Pastries.
Next to Jianguo Road Mosque, there is a deli and a pastry shop. At the pastry shop, I bought chestnut cakes (lizisu), peach cakes (taosu), sesame crisps (mapian'er), and honey-glazed horn-shaped pastries (jiaojiaomi).
Taikang Hui Muslim Food Store.
Taikang Hui Muslim Food Store is a century-old halal shop in Xuzhou, founded in 1908. The owner was Bai Shaoxuan, a Hui Muslim from Jining, Shandong. It is most famous for making sesame crisps (mapian) and white sesame osmanthus sugar cakes (baima guihua su-tang). In May 1938, Taikang was destroyed by Japanese bombers. Owner Bai had to painfully switch to the beef and mutton business until he started selling pastries again after 1945.
At Taikang, I bought rose mung bean cakes (meigui lvdougao), honey-preserved sponge cakes (mizhi fenggao), egg rolls (danjuan), salted osmanthus sauce (xian guihua jiang), and rose sauce (meigui jiang).
Rose sauce (meigui jiang).
Osmanthus sauce (guihua jiang).
Honey-preserved sponge cake (mizhi fenggao).
Rose mung bean cake (meigui lvdougao).
Egg rolls (danjuan)
Feng Tianxing
Feng Tianxing is another long-standing halal shop in Xuzhou. Feng Shibo founded Feng Tianxing in Nanjing in 1757, the 22nd year of the Qianlong reign. It started by selling roasted chicken, then moved to Xuzhou and became a classic halal brand there. I bought duck tongue, duck liver, and dried tofu. Everything was delicious, especially the duck tongue, which was so fragrant.
I really like the design of this water pitcher (tangping) brand.
