Tianjin Travel
Halal Travel Guide: Hexiwu, Tianjin - Family Travel, Mosques and Old Streets
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 9 views • 4 hours ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin, sits between Beijing and Tianjin and grew from a Baihe River dock into an important Grand Canal town. This travel note follows a family return to Hexiwu, covering local dialects, Hui Muslim migration, temples, canalside history, and hometown food.
Last Ramadan, I went back to my hometown of Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin. I bought fried cakes (zhagao) and crispy fried rolls (gezhihe) at the farmers' market. See my article, "My Hometown: Hexiwu Town, Wuqing, Tianjin." This summer, I took my son back to my hometown so he could experience the rural atmosphere.
Hexiwu connects to Tongzhou in Beijing and Xianghe in Hebei. It sits 60 kilometers from both downtown Beijing and Tianjin, making it the geographic midpoint between the two cities. My family members have historically moved to Beijing and Tianjin for work, so during family gatherings, you can hear Beijing dialect, Tianjin dialect, and the local Wuqing dialect.
During the Liao Dynasty, Hexiwu was a wharf on the west bank of the Baihe River. It was named "Hexiwu" (West River Dock) because of the boatyards along the shore. After the Grand Canal was dug during the Yuan Dynasty, a water transport customs office was set up at the dock, which is how it got the name "Hexiwu" (West River Customs). During the Yuan Dynasty, Hexiwu served as the headquarters for water transport. It had fourteen grain warehouses and was the largest grain storage base outside the Yuan capital. Hexiwu's commerce thrived during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. The Ming Dynasty book "Chang'an Kehua" records: "Hexiwu is the throat of the canal... inns are clustered on both banks, storing all kinds of goods. It is the number one town east of the capital."
In 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), Zhu Di defeated the Jianwen Emperor and took the throne. At that time, war had caused population decline and abandoned farmland in North China. Zhu Di issued a decree to relocate people, moving many Hui and Han people from the Jiangnan region to North China to farm. Many villages in the Hexiwu area were formed this way.
The Hexiwu Mosque is located on Third Street, southeast of the old town site. It was first built in 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), rebuilt in 1670 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), collapsed during the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, was rebuilt again in 1988, and officially completed in 1990.
The Hexiwu Mosque was originally located southwest of the Hexiwu city walls. In 1570 (the fourth year of the Longqing reign), the Ming government ordered the construction of a brick-walled city in Hexiwu with a perimeter of 500 meters to ensure the safety of water transport. The Hexiwu Mosque was also rebuilt at this time. Li Ben, the Wuqing prefect at the time, wrote a poem about Hexiwu: "The new iron-walled city holds a hundred thousand homes, where old customs compete in prosperity." Embankments connect mansions and official shops, while the shore is crowded with flags and official messengers. Tax revenue from the five materials supports the national budget, and trade reaches the four seas to sustain life. At this throat of the realm where all gather, fame and profit shimmer in the evening mist. In 1669 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), the Hexiwu brick city was destroyed by a flood from the North Canal, and the Hexiwu Mosque was destroyed at the same time. The following year, the city was rebuilt two miles to the west, and the Hexiwu Mosque was rebuilt as well, moving from the southwest of the city to the east.
Hui Muslims in Hexiwu mainly live in the Third Street and Daliuzhuang areas. You can still see a strong Hui cultural atmosphere when walking through these places today.
My grandmother came from the Liu family in Daliuzhuang. They moved here from Jiangnan during the Ming Dynasty's Yongle reign due to the "Prince of Yan Sweeps the North" campaign. This is a common migration story for many families in North China.
Hexiwu has a rich variety of halal food. The most famous include the golden-rimmed braised meat (jinbian koumen) at Xinpengzhai, the yellow rice fried cakes (huangmi zhagao) at Lirenzhai Wangji, and the stuffed crispy fried rolls (dai xian gezhihe) at Yangji. For lunch, we ate at Juyuanzhai at the intersection. We had eight-treasure tofu (bazhen doufu), cashew nuts with mixed vegetables, and lamb and zucchini dumplings. The portion sizes in town are much larger than in the city. One dish feels like enough for two people. The eight-treasure tofu is made with a base of crispy tofu topped with shrimp, abalone, squid, diced chicken, beef slices, and more. It is very rich. The vegan cashew dish includes snow peas, wood ear mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, cauliflower, cashews, bell peppers, and carrots, making for a very well-balanced meal. The dumplings are homemade, and the zucchini filling adds a great flavor.
I took Suleiman to see my great-grandfather's courtyard, which is where my uncles live now. We looked at the geese and chickens raised at home, and picked some luffa, bitter melon, and winter melon. The home-grown bitter melon is very crunchy when stir-fried, and the winter melon meatball soup is delicious. view all
Summary: Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin, sits between Beijing and Tianjin and grew from a Baihe River dock into an important Grand Canal town. This travel note follows a family return to Hexiwu, covering local dialects, Hui Muslim migration, temples, canalside history, and hometown food.
Last Ramadan, I went back to my hometown of Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin. I bought fried cakes (zhagao) and crispy fried rolls (gezhihe) at the farmers' market. See my article, "My Hometown: Hexiwu Town, Wuqing, Tianjin." This summer, I took my son back to my hometown so he could experience the rural atmosphere.
Hexiwu connects to Tongzhou in Beijing and Xianghe in Hebei. It sits 60 kilometers from both downtown Beijing and Tianjin, making it the geographic midpoint between the two cities. My family members have historically moved to Beijing and Tianjin for work, so during family gatherings, you can hear Beijing dialect, Tianjin dialect, and the local Wuqing dialect.
During the Liao Dynasty, Hexiwu was a wharf on the west bank of the Baihe River. It was named "Hexiwu" (West River Dock) because of the boatyards along the shore. After the Grand Canal was dug during the Yuan Dynasty, a water transport customs office was set up at the dock, which is how it got the name "Hexiwu" (West River Customs). During the Yuan Dynasty, Hexiwu served as the headquarters for water transport. It had fourteen grain warehouses and was the largest grain storage base outside the Yuan capital. Hexiwu's commerce thrived during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. The Ming Dynasty book "Chang'an Kehua" records: "Hexiwu is the throat of the canal... inns are clustered on both banks, storing all kinds of goods. It is the number one town east of the capital."
In 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), Zhu Di defeated the Jianwen Emperor and took the throne. At that time, war had caused population decline and abandoned farmland in North China. Zhu Di issued a decree to relocate people, moving many Hui and Han people from the Jiangnan region to North China to farm. Many villages in the Hexiwu area were formed this way.
The Hexiwu Mosque is located on Third Street, southeast of the old town site. It was first built in 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), rebuilt in 1670 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), collapsed during the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, was rebuilt again in 1988, and officially completed in 1990.
The Hexiwu Mosque was originally located southwest of the Hexiwu city walls. In 1570 (the fourth year of the Longqing reign), the Ming government ordered the construction of a brick-walled city in Hexiwu with a perimeter of 500 meters to ensure the safety of water transport. The Hexiwu Mosque was also rebuilt at this time. Li Ben, the Wuqing prefect at the time, wrote a poem about Hexiwu: "The new iron-walled city holds a hundred thousand homes, where old customs compete in prosperity." Embankments connect mansions and official shops, while the shore is crowded with flags and official messengers. Tax revenue from the five materials supports the national budget, and trade reaches the four seas to sustain life. At this throat of the realm where all gather, fame and profit shimmer in the evening mist. In 1669 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), the Hexiwu brick city was destroyed by a flood from the North Canal, and the Hexiwu Mosque was destroyed at the same time. The following year, the city was rebuilt two miles to the west, and the Hexiwu Mosque was rebuilt as well, moving from the southwest of the city to the east.
Hui Muslims in Hexiwu mainly live in the Third Street and Daliuzhuang areas. You can still see a strong Hui cultural atmosphere when walking through these places today.
My grandmother came from the Liu family in Daliuzhuang. They moved here from Jiangnan during the Ming Dynasty's Yongle reign due to the "Prince of Yan Sweeps the North" campaign. This is a common migration story for many families in North China.
Hexiwu has a rich variety of halal food. The most famous include the golden-rimmed braised meat (jinbian koumen) at Xinpengzhai, the yellow rice fried cakes (huangmi zhagao) at Lirenzhai Wangji, and the stuffed crispy fried rolls (dai xian gezhihe) at Yangji. For lunch, we ate at Juyuanzhai at the intersection. We had eight-treasure tofu (bazhen doufu), cashew nuts with mixed vegetables, and lamb and zucchini dumplings. The portion sizes in town are much larger than in the city. One dish feels like enough for two people. The eight-treasure tofu is made with a base of crispy tofu topped with shrimp, abalone, squid, diced chicken, beef slices, and more. It is very rich. The vegan cashew dish includes snow peas, wood ear mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, cauliflower, cashews, bell peppers, and carrots, making for a very well-balanced meal. The dumplings are homemade, and the zucchini filling adds a great flavor.
I took Suleiman to see my great-grandfather's courtyard, which is where my uncles live now. We looked at the geese and chickens raised at home, and picked some luffa, bitter melon, and winter melon. The home-grown bitter melon is very crunchy when stir-fried, and the winter melon meatball soup is delicious. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin, sits between Beijing and Tianjin and grew from a Baihe River dock into an important Grand Canal town. This travel note follows a family return to Hexiwu, covering local dialects, Hui Muslim migration, temples, canalside history, and hometown food.
Last Ramadan, I went back to my hometown of Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin. I bought fried cakes (zhagao) and crispy fried rolls (gezhihe) at the farmers' market. See my article, "My Hometown: Hexiwu Town, Wuqing, Tianjin." This summer, I took my son back to my hometown so he could experience the rural atmosphere.
Hexiwu connects to Tongzhou in Beijing and Xianghe in Hebei. It sits 60 kilometers from both downtown Beijing and Tianjin, making it the geographic midpoint between the two cities. My family members have historically moved to Beijing and Tianjin for work, so during family gatherings, you can hear Beijing dialect, Tianjin dialect, and the local Wuqing dialect.
During the Liao Dynasty, Hexiwu was a wharf on the west bank of the Baihe River. It was named "Hexiwu" (West River Dock) because of the boatyards along the shore. After the Grand Canal was dug during the Yuan Dynasty, a water transport customs office was set up at the dock, which is how it got the name "Hexiwu" (West River Customs). During the Yuan Dynasty, Hexiwu served as the headquarters for water transport. It had fourteen grain warehouses and was the largest grain storage base outside the Yuan capital. Hexiwu's commerce thrived during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. The Ming Dynasty book "Chang'an Kehua" records: "Hexiwu is the throat of the canal... inns are clustered on both banks, storing all kinds of goods. It is the number one town east of the capital."
In 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), Zhu Di defeated the Jianwen Emperor and took the throne. At that time, war had caused population decline and abandoned farmland in North China. Zhu Di issued a decree to relocate people, moving many Hui and Han people from the Jiangnan region to North China to farm. Many villages in the Hexiwu area were formed this way.
The Hexiwu Mosque is located on Third Street, southeast of the old town site. It was first built in 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), rebuilt in 1670 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), collapsed during the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, was rebuilt again in 1988, and officially completed in 1990.
The Hexiwu Mosque was originally located southwest of the Hexiwu city walls. In 1570 (the fourth year of the Longqing reign), the Ming government ordered the construction of a brick-walled city in Hexiwu with a perimeter of 500 meters to ensure the safety of water transport. The Hexiwu Mosque was also rebuilt at this time. Li Ben, the Wuqing prefect at the time, wrote a poem about Hexiwu: "The new iron-walled city holds a hundred thousand homes, where old customs compete in prosperity." Embankments connect mansions and official shops, while the shore is crowded with flags and official messengers. Tax revenue from the five materials supports the national budget, and trade reaches the four seas to sustain life. At this throat of the realm where all gather, fame and profit shimmer in the evening mist. In 1669 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), the Hexiwu brick city was destroyed by a flood from the North Canal, and the Hexiwu Mosque was destroyed at the same time. The following year, the city was rebuilt two miles to the west, and the Hexiwu Mosque was rebuilt as well, moving from the southwest of the city to the east.
Hui Muslims in Hexiwu mainly live in the Third Street and Daliuzhuang areas. You can still see a strong Hui cultural atmosphere when walking through these places today.
My grandmother came from the Liu family in Daliuzhuang. They moved here from Jiangnan during the Ming Dynasty's Yongle reign due to the "Prince of Yan Sweeps the North" campaign. This is a common migration story for many families in North China.
Hexiwu has a rich variety of halal food. The most famous include the golden-rimmed braised meat (jinbian koumen) at Xinpengzhai, the yellow rice fried cakes (huangmi zhagao) at Lirenzhai Wangji, and the stuffed crispy fried rolls (dai xian gezhihe) at Yangji. For lunch, we ate at Juyuanzhai at the intersection. We had eight-treasure tofu (bazhen doufu), cashew nuts with mixed vegetables, and lamb and zucchini dumplings. The portion sizes in town are much larger than in the city. One dish feels like enough for two people. The eight-treasure tofu is made with a base of crispy tofu topped with shrimp, abalone, squid, diced chicken, beef slices, and more. It is very rich. The vegan cashew dish includes snow peas, wood ear mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, cauliflower, cashews, bell peppers, and carrots, making for a very well-balanced meal. The dumplings are homemade, and the zucchini filling adds a great flavor.
I took Suleiman to see my great-grandfather's courtyard, which is where my uncles live now. We looked at the geese and chickens raised at home, and picked some luffa, bitter melon, and winter melon. The home-grown bitter melon is very crunchy when stir-fried, and the winter melon meatball soup is delicious.
Summary: Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin, sits between Beijing and Tianjin and grew from a Baihe River dock into an important Grand Canal town. This travel note follows a family return to Hexiwu, covering local dialects, Hui Muslim migration, temples, canalside history, and hometown food.
Last Ramadan, I went back to my hometown of Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin. I bought fried cakes (zhagao) and crispy fried rolls (gezhihe) at the farmers' market. See my article, "My Hometown: Hexiwu Town, Wuqing, Tianjin." This summer, I took my son back to my hometown so he could experience the rural atmosphere.
Hexiwu connects to Tongzhou in Beijing and Xianghe in Hebei. It sits 60 kilometers from both downtown Beijing and Tianjin, making it the geographic midpoint between the two cities. My family members have historically moved to Beijing and Tianjin for work, so during family gatherings, you can hear Beijing dialect, Tianjin dialect, and the local Wuqing dialect.
During the Liao Dynasty, Hexiwu was a wharf on the west bank of the Baihe River. It was named "Hexiwu" (West River Dock) because of the boatyards along the shore. After the Grand Canal was dug during the Yuan Dynasty, a water transport customs office was set up at the dock, which is how it got the name "Hexiwu" (West River Customs). During the Yuan Dynasty, Hexiwu served as the headquarters for water transport. It had fourteen grain warehouses and was the largest grain storage base outside the Yuan capital. Hexiwu's commerce thrived during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. The Ming Dynasty book "Chang'an Kehua" records: "Hexiwu is the throat of the canal... inns are clustered on both banks, storing all kinds of goods. It is the number one town east of the capital."
In 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), Zhu Di defeated the Jianwen Emperor and took the throne. At that time, war had caused population decline and abandoned farmland in North China. Zhu Di issued a decree to relocate people, moving many Hui and Han people from the Jiangnan region to North China to farm. Many villages in the Hexiwu area were formed this way.
The Hexiwu Mosque is located on Third Street, southeast of the old town site. It was first built in 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), rebuilt in 1670 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), collapsed during the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, was rebuilt again in 1988, and officially completed in 1990.
The Hexiwu Mosque was originally located southwest of the Hexiwu city walls. In 1570 (the fourth year of the Longqing reign), the Ming government ordered the construction of a brick-walled city in Hexiwu with a perimeter of 500 meters to ensure the safety of water transport. The Hexiwu Mosque was also rebuilt at this time. Li Ben, the Wuqing prefect at the time, wrote a poem about Hexiwu: "The new iron-walled city holds a hundred thousand homes, where old customs compete in prosperity." Embankments connect mansions and official shops, while the shore is crowded with flags and official messengers. Tax revenue from the five materials supports the national budget, and trade reaches the four seas to sustain life. At this throat of the realm where all gather, fame and profit shimmer in the evening mist. In 1669 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), the Hexiwu brick city was destroyed by a flood from the North Canal, and the Hexiwu Mosque was destroyed at the same time. The following year, the city was rebuilt two miles to the west, and the Hexiwu Mosque was rebuilt as well, moving from the southwest of the city to the east.
Hui Muslims in Hexiwu mainly live in the Third Street and Daliuzhuang areas. You can still see a strong Hui cultural atmosphere when walking through these places today.
My grandmother came from the Liu family in Daliuzhuang. They moved here from Jiangnan during the Ming Dynasty's Yongle reign due to the "Prince of Yan Sweeps the North" campaign. This is a common migration story for many families in North China.
Hexiwu has a rich variety of halal food. The most famous include the golden-rimmed braised meat (jinbian koumen) at Xinpengzhai, the yellow rice fried cakes (huangmi zhagao) at Lirenzhai Wangji, and the stuffed crispy fried rolls (dai xian gezhihe) at Yangji. For lunch, we ate at Juyuanzhai at the intersection. We had eight-treasure tofu (bazhen doufu), cashew nuts with mixed vegetables, and lamb and zucchini dumplings. The portion sizes in town are much larger than in the city. One dish feels like enough for two people. The eight-treasure tofu is made with a base of crispy tofu topped with shrimp, abalone, squid, diced chicken, beef slices, and more. It is very rich. The vegan cashew dish includes snow peas, wood ear mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, cauliflower, cashews, bell peppers, and carrots, making for a very well-balanced meal. The dumplings are homemade, and the zucchini filling adds a great flavor.
I took Suleiman to see my great-grandfather's courtyard, which is where my uncles live now. We looked at the geese and chickens raised at home, and picked some luffa, bitter melon, and winter melon. The home-grown bitter melon is very crunchy when stir-fried, and the winter melon meatball soup is delicious.
Halal Travel Guide: Tianjin and Tanggu — Mosques, Muslim Food and Autumn Streets
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 15 views • 2 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Tianjin and Tanggu — Mosques, Muslim Food and Autumn Streets is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Author: Zainab. The account keeps its focus on Tianjin Travel, Halal Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Author: Zainab.
One weekend in October 2021, I went to Tianjin to visit family. I ate Xinjiang-style Hui Muslim food cooked by my mom, had traditional Tianjin Hui Muslim breakfast at Jinjiayao, and went to Tanggu to see the sea and eat good food.
On Friday night, Mom made big plate chicken (dapanji) and braised beef steak. Our whole family helped pull the belt noodles (pidaimian). I really treasure these happy times together.
The big plate chicken (dapanji) at home is just delicious! I haven't had any as good as this at a restaurant in Beijing. The day before, I tried big plate chicken (dapanji) at a noodle shop on Nanlishi Road. The texture of the broiler chicken made me lose my appetite after one bite. Big plate chicken must be made with free-range chicken (chaiji). Plus, the seasoning was all wrong and it didn't taste like big plate chicken at all. I never want to eat it at a noodle shop again.
On Saturday morning, I went to eat breakfast at Wang's Sizzling Rice Dish (guobacai) in front of the Jinjiayao Mosque in Tianjin, which was recommended by a local friend (dosti). You don't have to wait in long lines like you do at Northwest Corner (Xibeijiao) here. They have a huge variety, and old-school Tianjin locals really love it. It is a living fossil in the world of sizzling rice dish (guobacai). The owner says this place has been around for over a hundred years. It is so rare to see this traditional water kettle sign (tangping) in the shop these days!
We ordered savory crepe strips (guobacai), water caltrop soup with egg (lingjiaotang chong jidan), double-topping millet porridge (shuangliao miancha), iron-pot soy milk with egg (tieguo nong doujiang chong jidan), cornmeal buns (wotou), egg fritters (jidan guozi), and fried bean sprout rolls (juanquan). You can tell from these dishes that this place has a very traditional taste. Eating savory crepe strips with cornmeal buns is a classic way to do it, and the water caltrop soup is packed with filling. The egg fritters, also called pouches (budai), are my favorite kind of fried dough, and they taste better than the stick-shaped ones (bangchui guozi)! It is just hard to find places that still make them.
Here is a funny story: we did not use the flatbread (jiaobing) to wrap our fried bean sprout rolls, but instead shared them piece by piece. The owner saw us and joked, 'You have to wrap the rolls to eat them, you guys just gave them a C-section!' He said it in a very funny Tianjin dialect.
Then we headed to Dongjiang Beach Park in Tanggu to see the sea.
At noon, we had lunch at Muyi, the most famous halal restaurant in the Tanggu area.
Muyi started as the Islamic Restaurant (Yisilan Fanzhuang) in 1994. Their halal license number is Binhai 001. In 2015, they opened the current Taifeng 80 Food Court, which includes Muyi Chinese Restaurant, Nuobona Western Restaurant, and WEAL. BAKERY. These were the first halal Western-style restaurants and bakeries in the Binhai area of Tianjin.
Muyi has a huge menu. They serve traditional Tianjin dishes, all kinds of seafood, Sichuan food, Cantonese food, and creative new dishes, so they can satisfy almost any preference. For my parents, who have lived in Urumqi for 50 or 60 years and aren't used to Tianjin or Shandong-style food, Muyi is a great choice.
We ordered green beans stuffed with lily bulbs, beef braised in a stone pot, Muyi house-style tofu, steamed flounder, stir-fried clams with scallion and ginger, and bamboo shoot slices in rich soup. My parents couldn't stop praising the meal. The flounder had a wonderful texture, and the bamboo shoot soup was very fresh and filled with various types of seafood. The stuffed lily bulbs contained shrimp paste. It was my first time trying this combination, and I thought it was quite good.
In the evening, we had lamb spine hot pot (yangxiezi) at Heqingzhai. The main Heqingzhai restaurant is in Yangfang, Changping, Beijing. Most of their other Beijing branches are also in Changping and Haidian, so I had never heard of them before. I found that a new branch opened downstairs from my home in Tianjin, so I went to try it out.
We ate lamb spine (yangxiezi) with lamb tail tips. The meat was decent, but the broth was not quite as good as the one at Muyixuan.
On Sunday morning, Mom made braised lamb chops, braised cod, stir-fried wood ear mushrooms, and asparagus lettuce. It was authentic home-style cooking from Hui Muslims in Urumqi!
Afterward, we went to a vintage market at Miansan in Tianjin and bought some pretty vintage earrings.
In the evening, we went to Danji Beef Pie on Nanbei Street for mixed lamb head meat, beef pies, and lamb offal soup. It tasted pretty good. Even though the family-run shop is quite small, many people come to eat there. The owner kneads the dough and grills the pies quickly on the spot. Also, it is quite rare to see Hui Muslims with the surname Dan! view all
Summary: Tianjin and Tanggu — Mosques, Muslim Food and Autumn Streets is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Author: Zainab. The account keeps its focus on Tianjin Travel, Halal Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Author: Zainab.
One weekend in October 2021, I went to Tianjin to visit family. I ate Xinjiang-style Hui Muslim food cooked by my mom, had traditional Tianjin Hui Muslim breakfast at Jinjiayao, and went to Tanggu to see the sea and eat good food.
On Friday night, Mom made big plate chicken (dapanji) and braised beef steak. Our whole family helped pull the belt noodles (pidaimian). I really treasure these happy times together.
The big plate chicken (dapanji) at home is just delicious! I haven't had any as good as this at a restaurant in Beijing. The day before, I tried big plate chicken (dapanji) at a noodle shop on Nanlishi Road. The texture of the broiler chicken made me lose my appetite after one bite. Big plate chicken must be made with free-range chicken (chaiji). Plus, the seasoning was all wrong and it didn't taste like big plate chicken at all. I never want to eat it at a noodle shop again.
On Saturday morning, I went to eat breakfast at Wang's Sizzling Rice Dish (guobacai) in front of the Jinjiayao Mosque in Tianjin, which was recommended by a local friend (dosti). You don't have to wait in long lines like you do at Northwest Corner (Xibeijiao) here. They have a huge variety, and old-school Tianjin locals really love it. It is a living fossil in the world of sizzling rice dish (guobacai). The owner says this place has been around for over a hundred years. It is so rare to see this traditional water kettle sign (tangping) in the shop these days!
We ordered savory crepe strips (guobacai), water caltrop soup with egg (lingjiaotang chong jidan), double-topping millet porridge (shuangliao miancha), iron-pot soy milk with egg (tieguo nong doujiang chong jidan), cornmeal buns (wotou), egg fritters (jidan guozi), and fried bean sprout rolls (juanquan). You can tell from these dishes that this place has a very traditional taste. Eating savory crepe strips with cornmeal buns is a classic way to do it, and the water caltrop soup is packed with filling. The egg fritters, also called pouches (budai), are my favorite kind of fried dough, and they taste better than the stick-shaped ones (bangchui guozi)! It is just hard to find places that still make them.
Here is a funny story: we did not use the flatbread (jiaobing) to wrap our fried bean sprout rolls, but instead shared them piece by piece. The owner saw us and joked, 'You have to wrap the rolls to eat them, you guys just gave them a C-section!' He said it in a very funny Tianjin dialect.
Then we headed to Dongjiang Beach Park in Tanggu to see the sea.
At noon, we had lunch at Muyi, the most famous halal restaurant in the Tanggu area.
Muyi started as the Islamic Restaurant (Yisilan Fanzhuang) in 1994. Their halal license number is Binhai 001. In 2015, they opened the current Taifeng 80 Food Court, which includes Muyi Chinese Restaurant, Nuobona Western Restaurant, and WEAL. BAKERY. These were the first halal Western-style restaurants and bakeries in the Binhai area of Tianjin.
Muyi has a huge menu. They serve traditional Tianjin dishes, all kinds of seafood, Sichuan food, Cantonese food, and creative new dishes, so they can satisfy almost any preference. For my parents, who have lived in Urumqi for 50 or 60 years and aren't used to Tianjin or Shandong-style food, Muyi is a great choice.
We ordered green beans stuffed with lily bulbs, beef braised in a stone pot, Muyi house-style tofu, steamed flounder, stir-fried clams with scallion and ginger, and bamboo shoot slices in rich soup. My parents couldn't stop praising the meal. The flounder had a wonderful texture, and the bamboo shoot soup was very fresh and filled with various types of seafood. The stuffed lily bulbs contained shrimp paste. It was my first time trying this combination, and I thought it was quite good.
In the evening, we had lamb spine hot pot (yangxiezi) at Heqingzhai. The main Heqingzhai restaurant is in Yangfang, Changping, Beijing. Most of their other Beijing branches are also in Changping and Haidian, so I had never heard of them before. I found that a new branch opened downstairs from my home in Tianjin, so I went to try it out.
We ate lamb spine (yangxiezi) with lamb tail tips. The meat was decent, but the broth was not quite as good as the one at Muyixuan.
On Sunday morning, Mom made braised lamb chops, braised cod, stir-fried wood ear mushrooms, and asparagus lettuce. It was authentic home-style cooking from Hui Muslims in Urumqi!
Afterward, we went to a vintage market at Miansan in Tianjin and bought some pretty vintage earrings.
In the evening, we went to Danji Beef Pie on Nanbei Street for mixed lamb head meat, beef pies, and lamb offal soup. It tasted pretty good. Even though the family-run shop is quite small, many people come to eat there. The owner kneads the dough and grills the pies quickly on the spot. Also, it is quite rare to see Hui Muslims with the surname Dan! view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Tianjin and Tanggu — Mosques, Muslim Food and Autumn Streets is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Author: Zainab. The account keeps its focus on Tianjin Travel, Halal Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Author: Zainab.
One weekend in October 2021, I went to Tianjin to visit family. I ate Xinjiang-style Hui Muslim food cooked by my mom, had traditional Tianjin Hui Muslim breakfast at Jinjiayao, and went to Tanggu to see the sea and eat good food.
On Friday night, Mom made big plate chicken (dapanji) and braised beef steak. Our whole family helped pull the belt noodles (pidaimian). I really treasure these happy times together.
The big plate chicken (dapanji) at home is just delicious! I haven't had any as good as this at a restaurant in Beijing. The day before, I tried big plate chicken (dapanji) at a noodle shop on Nanlishi Road. The texture of the broiler chicken made me lose my appetite after one bite. Big plate chicken must be made with free-range chicken (chaiji). Plus, the seasoning was all wrong and it didn't taste like big plate chicken at all. I never want to eat it at a noodle shop again.
On Saturday morning, I went to eat breakfast at Wang's Sizzling Rice Dish (guobacai) in front of the Jinjiayao Mosque in Tianjin, which was recommended by a local friend (dosti). You don't have to wait in long lines like you do at Northwest Corner (Xibeijiao) here. They have a huge variety, and old-school Tianjin locals really love it. It is a living fossil in the world of sizzling rice dish (guobacai). The owner says this place has been around for over a hundred years. It is so rare to see this traditional water kettle sign (tangping) in the shop these days!
We ordered savory crepe strips (guobacai), water caltrop soup with egg (lingjiaotang chong jidan), double-topping millet porridge (shuangliao miancha), iron-pot soy milk with egg (tieguo nong doujiang chong jidan), cornmeal buns (wotou), egg fritters (jidan guozi), and fried bean sprout rolls (juanquan). You can tell from these dishes that this place has a very traditional taste. Eating savory crepe strips with cornmeal buns is a classic way to do it, and the water caltrop soup is packed with filling. The egg fritters, also called pouches (budai), are my favorite kind of fried dough, and they taste better than the stick-shaped ones (bangchui guozi)! It is just hard to find places that still make them.
Here is a funny story: we did not use the flatbread (jiaobing) to wrap our fried bean sprout rolls, but instead shared them piece by piece. The owner saw us and joked, 'You have to wrap the rolls to eat them, you guys just gave them a C-section!' He said it in a very funny Tianjin dialect.
Then we headed to Dongjiang Beach Park in Tanggu to see the sea.
At noon, we had lunch at Muyi, the most famous halal restaurant in the Tanggu area.
Muyi started as the Islamic Restaurant (Yisilan Fanzhuang) in 1994. Their halal license number is Binhai 001. In 2015, they opened the current Taifeng 80 Food Court, which includes Muyi Chinese Restaurant, Nuobona Western Restaurant, and WEAL. BAKERY. These were the first halal Western-style restaurants and bakeries in the Binhai area of Tianjin.
Muyi has a huge menu. They serve traditional Tianjin dishes, all kinds of seafood, Sichuan food, Cantonese food, and creative new dishes, so they can satisfy almost any preference. For my parents, who have lived in Urumqi for 50 or 60 years and aren't used to Tianjin or Shandong-style food, Muyi is a great choice.
We ordered green beans stuffed with lily bulbs, beef braised in a stone pot, Muyi house-style tofu, steamed flounder, stir-fried clams with scallion and ginger, and bamboo shoot slices in rich soup. My parents couldn't stop praising the meal. The flounder had a wonderful texture, and the bamboo shoot soup was very fresh and filled with various types of seafood. The stuffed lily bulbs contained shrimp paste. It was my first time trying this combination, and I thought it was quite good.
In the evening, we had lamb spine hot pot (yangxiezi) at Heqingzhai. The main Heqingzhai restaurant is in Yangfang, Changping, Beijing. Most of their other Beijing branches are also in Changping and Haidian, so I had never heard of them before. I found that a new branch opened downstairs from my home in Tianjin, so I went to try it out.
We ate lamb spine (yangxiezi) with lamb tail tips. The meat was decent, but the broth was not quite as good as the one at Muyixuan.
On Sunday morning, Mom made braised lamb chops, braised cod, stir-fried wood ear mushrooms, and asparagus lettuce. It was authentic home-style cooking from Hui Muslims in Urumqi!
Afterward, we went to a vintage market at Miansan in Tianjin and bought some pretty vintage earrings.
In the evening, we went to Danji Beef Pie on Nanbei Street for mixed lamb head meat, beef pies, and lamb offal soup. It tasted pretty good. Even though the family-run shop is quite small, many people come to eat there. The owner kneads the dough and grills the pies quickly on the spot. Also, it is quite rare to see Hui Muslims with the surname Dan!
Summary: Tianjin and Tanggu — Mosques, Muslim Food and Autumn Streets is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Author: Zainab. The account keeps its focus on Tianjin Travel, Halal Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Author: Zainab.
One weekend in October 2021, I went to Tianjin to visit family. I ate Xinjiang-style Hui Muslim food cooked by my mom, had traditional Tianjin Hui Muslim breakfast at Jinjiayao, and went to Tanggu to see the sea and eat good food.
On Friday night, Mom made big plate chicken (dapanji) and braised beef steak. Our whole family helped pull the belt noodles (pidaimian). I really treasure these happy times together.
The big plate chicken (dapanji) at home is just delicious! I haven't had any as good as this at a restaurant in Beijing. The day before, I tried big plate chicken (dapanji) at a noodle shop on Nanlishi Road. The texture of the broiler chicken made me lose my appetite after one bite. Big plate chicken must be made with free-range chicken (chaiji). Plus, the seasoning was all wrong and it didn't taste like big plate chicken at all. I never want to eat it at a noodle shop again.
On Saturday morning, I went to eat breakfast at Wang's Sizzling Rice Dish (guobacai) in front of the Jinjiayao Mosque in Tianjin, which was recommended by a local friend (dosti). You don't have to wait in long lines like you do at Northwest Corner (Xibeijiao) here. They have a huge variety, and old-school Tianjin locals really love it. It is a living fossil in the world of sizzling rice dish (guobacai). The owner says this place has been around for over a hundred years. It is so rare to see this traditional water kettle sign (tangping) in the shop these days!
We ordered savory crepe strips (guobacai), water caltrop soup with egg (lingjiaotang chong jidan), double-topping millet porridge (shuangliao miancha), iron-pot soy milk with egg (tieguo nong doujiang chong jidan), cornmeal buns (wotou), egg fritters (jidan guozi), and fried bean sprout rolls (juanquan). You can tell from these dishes that this place has a very traditional taste. Eating savory crepe strips with cornmeal buns is a classic way to do it, and the water caltrop soup is packed with filling. The egg fritters, also called pouches (budai), are my favorite kind of fried dough, and they taste better than the stick-shaped ones (bangchui guozi)! It is just hard to find places that still make them.
Here is a funny story: we did not use the flatbread (jiaobing) to wrap our fried bean sprout rolls, but instead shared them piece by piece. The owner saw us and joked, 'You have to wrap the rolls to eat them, you guys just gave them a C-section!' He said it in a very funny Tianjin dialect.
Then we headed to Dongjiang Beach Park in Tanggu to see the sea.
At noon, we had lunch at Muyi, the most famous halal restaurant in the Tanggu area.
Muyi started as the Islamic Restaurant (Yisilan Fanzhuang) in 1994. Their halal license number is Binhai 001. In 2015, they opened the current Taifeng 80 Food Court, which includes Muyi Chinese Restaurant, Nuobona Western Restaurant, and WEAL. BAKERY. These were the first halal Western-style restaurants and bakeries in the Binhai area of Tianjin.
Muyi has a huge menu. They serve traditional Tianjin dishes, all kinds of seafood, Sichuan food, Cantonese food, and creative new dishes, so they can satisfy almost any preference. For my parents, who have lived in Urumqi for 50 or 60 years and aren't used to Tianjin or Shandong-style food, Muyi is a great choice.
We ordered green beans stuffed with lily bulbs, beef braised in a stone pot, Muyi house-style tofu, steamed flounder, stir-fried clams with scallion and ginger, and bamboo shoot slices in rich soup. My parents couldn't stop praising the meal. The flounder had a wonderful texture, and the bamboo shoot soup was very fresh and filled with various types of seafood. The stuffed lily bulbs contained shrimp paste. It was my first time trying this combination, and I thought it was quite good.
In the evening, we had lamb spine hot pot (yangxiezi) at Heqingzhai. The main Heqingzhai restaurant is in Yangfang, Changping, Beijing. Most of their other Beijing branches are also in Changping and Haidian, so I had never heard of them before. I found that a new branch opened downstairs from my home in Tianjin, so I went to try it out.
We ate lamb spine (yangxiezi) with lamb tail tips. The meat was decent, but the broth was not quite as good as the one at Muyixuan.
On Sunday morning, Mom made braised lamb chops, braised cod, stir-fried wood ear mushrooms, and asparagus lettuce. It was authentic home-style cooking from Hui Muslims in Urumqi!
Afterward, we went to a vintage market at Miansan in Tianjin and bought some pretty vintage earrings.
In the evening, we went to Danji Beef Pie on Nanbei Street for mixed lamb head meat, beef pies, and lamb offal soup. It tasted pretty good. Even though the family-run shop is quite small, many people come to eat there. The owner kneads the dough and grills the pies quickly on the spot. Also, it is quite rare to see Hui Muslims with the surname Dan!
Halal Travel Guide: Hexiwu, Tianjin - Family Travel, Mosques and Old Streets
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 9 views • 4 hours ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin, sits between Beijing and Tianjin and grew from a Baihe River dock into an important Grand Canal town. This travel note follows a family return to Hexiwu, covering local dialects, Hui Muslim migration, temples, canalside history, and hometown food.
Last Ramadan, I went back to my hometown of Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin. I bought fried cakes (zhagao) and crispy fried rolls (gezhihe) at the farmers' market. See my article, "My Hometown: Hexiwu Town, Wuqing, Tianjin." This summer, I took my son back to my hometown so he could experience the rural atmosphere.
Hexiwu connects to Tongzhou in Beijing and Xianghe in Hebei. It sits 60 kilometers from both downtown Beijing and Tianjin, making it the geographic midpoint between the two cities. My family members have historically moved to Beijing and Tianjin for work, so during family gatherings, you can hear Beijing dialect, Tianjin dialect, and the local Wuqing dialect.
During the Liao Dynasty, Hexiwu was a wharf on the west bank of the Baihe River. It was named "Hexiwu" (West River Dock) because of the boatyards along the shore. After the Grand Canal was dug during the Yuan Dynasty, a water transport customs office was set up at the dock, which is how it got the name "Hexiwu" (West River Customs). During the Yuan Dynasty, Hexiwu served as the headquarters for water transport. It had fourteen grain warehouses and was the largest grain storage base outside the Yuan capital. Hexiwu's commerce thrived during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. The Ming Dynasty book "Chang'an Kehua" records: "Hexiwu is the throat of the canal... inns are clustered on both banks, storing all kinds of goods. It is the number one town east of the capital."
In 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), Zhu Di defeated the Jianwen Emperor and took the throne. At that time, war had caused population decline and abandoned farmland in North China. Zhu Di issued a decree to relocate people, moving many Hui and Han people from the Jiangnan region to North China to farm. Many villages in the Hexiwu area were formed this way.
The Hexiwu Mosque is located on Third Street, southeast of the old town site. It was first built in 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), rebuilt in 1670 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), collapsed during the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, was rebuilt again in 1988, and officially completed in 1990.
The Hexiwu Mosque was originally located southwest of the Hexiwu city walls. In 1570 (the fourth year of the Longqing reign), the Ming government ordered the construction of a brick-walled city in Hexiwu with a perimeter of 500 meters to ensure the safety of water transport. The Hexiwu Mosque was also rebuilt at this time. Li Ben, the Wuqing prefect at the time, wrote a poem about Hexiwu: "The new iron-walled city holds a hundred thousand homes, where old customs compete in prosperity." Embankments connect mansions and official shops, while the shore is crowded with flags and official messengers. Tax revenue from the five materials supports the national budget, and trade reaches the four seas to sustain life. At this throat of the realm where all gather, fame and profit shimmer in the evening mist. In 1669 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), the Hexiwu brick city was destroyed by a flood from the North Canal, and the Hexiwu Mosque was destroyed at the same time. The following year, the city was rebuilt two miles to the west, and the Hexiwu Mosque was rebuilt as well, moving from the southwest of the city to the east.
Hui Muslims in Hexiwu mainly live in the Third Street and Daliuzhuang areas. You can still see a strong Hui cultural atmosphere when walking through these places today.
My grandmother came from the Liu family in Daliuzhuang. They moved here from Jiangnan during the Ming Dynasty's Yongle reign due to the "Prince of Yan Sweeps the North" campaign. This is a common migration story for many families in North China.
Hexiwu has a rich variety of halal food. The most famous include the golden-rimmed braised meat (jinbian koumen) at Xinpengzhai, the yellow rice fried cakes (huangmi zhagao) at Lirenzhai Wangji, and the stuffed crispy fried rolls (dai xian gezhihe) at Yangji. For lunch, we ate at Juyuanzhai at the intersection. We had eight-treasure tofu (bazhen doufu), cashew nuts with mixed vegetables, and lamb and zucchini dumplings. The portion sizes in town are much larger than in the city. One dish feels like enough for two people. The eight-treasure tofu is made with a base of crispy tofu topped with shrimp, abalone, squid, diced chicken, beef slices, and more. It is very rich. The vegan cashew dish includes snow peas, wood ear mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, cauliflower, cashews, bell peppers, and carrots, making for a very well-balanced meal. The dumplings are homemade, and the zucchini filling adds a great flavor.
I took Suleiman to see my great-grandfather's courtyard, which is where my uncles live now. We looked at the geese and chickens raised at home, and picked some luffa, bitter melon, and winter melon. The home-grown bitter melon is very crunchy when stir-fried, and the winter melon meatball soup is delicious. view all
Summary: Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin, sits between Beijing and Tianjin and grew from a Baihe River dock into an important Grand Canal town. This travel note follows a family return to Hexiwu, covering local dialects, Hui Muslim migration, temples, canalside history, and hometown food.
Last Ramadan, I went back to my hometown of Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin. I bought fried cakes (zhagao) and crispy fried rolls (gezhihe) at the farmers' market. See my article, "My Hometown: Hexiwu Town, Wuqing, Tianjin." This summer, I took my son back to my hometown so he could experience the rural atmosphere.
Hexiwu connects to Tongzhou in Beijing and Xianghe in Hebei. It sits 60 kilometers from both downtown Beijing and Tianjin, making it the geographic midpoint between the two cities. My family members have historically moved to Beijing and Tianjin for work, so during family gatherings, you can hear Beijing dialect, Tianjin dialect, and the local Wuqing dialect.
During the Liao Dynasty, Hexiwu was a wharf on the west bank of the Baihe River. It was named "Hexiwu" (West River Dock) because of the boatyards along the shore. After the Grand Canal was dug during the Yuan Dynasty, a water transport customs office was set up at the dock, which is how it got the name "Hexiwu" (West River Customs). During the Yuan Dynasty, Hexiwu served as the headquarters for water transport. It had fourteen grain warehouses and was the largest grain storage base outside the Yuan capital. Hexiwu's commerce thrived during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. The Ming Dynasty book "Chang'an Kehua" records: "Hexiwu is the throat of the canal... inns are clustered on both banks, storing all kinds of goods. It is the number one town east of the capital."
In 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), Zhu Di defeated the Jianwen Emperor and took the throne. At that time, war had caused population decline and abandoned farmland in North China. Zhu Di issued a decree to relocate people, moving many Hui and Han people from the Jiangnan region to North China to farm. Many villages in the Hexiwu area were formed this way.
The Hexiwu Mosque is located on Third Street, southeast of the old town site. It was first built in 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), rebuilt in 1670 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), collapsed during the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, was rebuilt again in 1988, and officially completed in 1990.
The Hexiwu Mosque was originally located southwest of the Hexiwu city walls. In 1570 (the fourth year of the Longqing reign), the Ming government ordered the construction of a brick-walled city in Hexiwu with a perimeter of 500 meters to ensure the safety of water transport. The Hexiwu Mosque was also rebuilt at this time. Li Ben, the Wuqing prefect at the time, wrote a poem about Hexiwu: "The new iron-walled city holds a hundred thousand homes, where old customs compete in prosperity." Embankments connect mansions and official shops, while the shore is crowded with flags and official messengers. Tax revenue from the five materials supports the national budget, and trade reaches the four seas to sustain life. At this throat of the realm where all gather, fame and profit shimmer in the evening mist. In 1669 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), the Hexiwu brick city was destroyed by a flood from the North Canal, and the Hexiwu Mosque was destroyed at the same time. The following year, the city was rebuilt two miles to the west, and the Hexiwu Mosque was rebuilt as well, moving from the southwest of the city to the east.
Hui Muslims in Hexiwu mainly live in the Third Street and Daliuzhuang areas. You can still see a strong Hui cultural atmosphere when walking through these places today.
My grandmother came from the Liu family in Daliuzhuang. They moved here from Jiangnan during the Ming Dynasty's Yongle reign due to the "Prince of Yan Sweeps the North" campaign. This is a common migration story for many families in North China.
Hexiwu has a rich variety of halal food. The most famous include the golden-rimmed braised meat (jinbian koumen) at Xinpengzhai, the yellow rice fried cakes (huangmi zhagao) at Lirenzhai Wangji, and the stuffed crispy fried rolls (dai xian gezhihe) at Yangji. For lunch, we ate at Juyuanzhai at the intersection. We had eight-treasure tofu (bazhen doufu), cashew nuts with mixed vegetables, and lamb and zucchini dumplings. The portion sizes in town are much larger than in the city. One dish feels like enough for two people. The eight-treasure tofu is made with a base of crispy tofu topped with shrimp, abalone, squid, diced chicken, beef slices, and more. It is very rich. The vegan cashew dish includes snow peas, wood ear mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, cauliflower, cashews, bell peppers, and carrots, making for a very well-balanced meal. The dumplings are homemade, and the zucchini filling adds a great flavor.
I took Suleiman to see my great-grandfather's courtyard, which is where my uncles live now. We looked at the geese and chickens raised at home, and picked some luffa, bitter melon, and winter melon. The home-grown bitter melon is very crunchy when stir-fried, and the winter melon meatball soup is delicious. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin, sits between Beijing and Tianjin and grew from a Baihe River dock into an important Grand Canal town. This travel note follows a family return to Hexiwu, covering local dialects, Hui Muslim migration, temples, canalside history, and hometown food.
Last Ramadan, I went back to my hometown of Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin. I bought fried cakes (zhagao) and crispy fried rolls (gezhihe) at the farmers' market. See my article, "My Hometown: Hexiwu Town, Wuqing, Tianjin." This summer, I took my son back to my hometown so he could experience the rural atmosphere.
Hexiwu connects to Tongzhou in Beijing and Xianghe in Hebei. It sits 60 kilometers from both downtown Beijing and Tianjin, making it the geographic midpoint between the two cities. My family members have historically moved to Beijing and Tianjin for work, so during family gatherings, you can hear Beijing dialect, Tianjin dialect, and the local Wuqing dialect.
During the Liao Dynasty, Hexiwu was a wharf on the west bank of the Baihe River. It was named "Hexiwu" (West River Dock) because of the boatyards along the shore. After the Grand Canal was dug during the Yuan Dynasty, a water transport customs office was set up at the dock, which is how it got the name "Hexiwu" (West River Customs). During the Yuan Dynasty, Hexiwu served as the headquarters for water transport. It had fourteen grain warehouses and was the largest grain storage base outside the Yuan capital. Hexiwu's commerce thrived during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. The Ming Dynasty book "Chang'an Kehua" records: "Hexiwu is the throat of the canal... inns are clustered on both banks, storing all kinds of goods. It is the number one town east of the capital."
In 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), Zhu Di defeated the Jianwen Emperor and took the throne. At that time, war had caused population decline and abandoned farmland in North China. Zhu Di issued a decree to relocate people, moving many Hui and Han people from the Jiangnan region to North China to farm. Many villages in the Hexiwu area were formed this way.
The Hexiwu Mosque is located on Third Street, southeast of the old town site. It was first built in 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), rebuilt in 1670 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), collapsed during the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, was rebuilt again in 1988, and officially completed in 1990.
The Hexiwu Mosque was originally located southwest of the Hexiwu city walls. In 1570 (the fourth year of the Longqing reign), the Ming government ordered the construction of a brick-walled city in Hexiwu with a perimeter of 500 meters to ensure the safety of water transport. The Hexiwu Mosque was also rebuilt at this time. Li Ben, the Wuqing prefect at the time, wrote a poem about Hexiwu: "The new iron-walled city holds a hundred thousand homes, where old customs compete in prosperity." Embankments connect mansions and official shops, while the shore is crowded with flags and official messengers. Tax revenue from the five materials supports the national budget, and trade reaches the four seas to sustain life. At this throat of the realm where all gather, fame and profit shimmer in the evening mist. In 1669 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), the Hexiwu brick city was destroyed by a flood from the North Canal, and the Hexiwu Mosque was destroyed at the same time. The following year, the city was rebuilt two miles to the west, and the Hexiwu Mosque was rebuilt as well, moving from the southwest of the city to the east.
Hui Muslims in Hexiwu mainly live in the Third Street and Daliuzhuang areas. You can still see a strong Hui cultural atmosphere when walking through these places today.
My grandmother came from the Liu family in Daliuzhuang. They moved here from Jiangnan during the Ming Dynasty's Yongle reign due to the "Prince of Yan Sweeps the North" campaign. This is a common migration story for many families in North China.
Hexiwu has a rich variety of halal food. The most famous include the golden-rimmed braised meat (jinbian koumen) at Xinpengzhai, the yellow rice fried cakes (huangmi zhagao) at Lirenzhai Wangji, and the stuffed crispy fried rolls (dai xian gezhihe) at Yangji. For lunch, we ate at Juyuanzhai at the intersection. We had eight-treasure tofu (bazhen doufu), cashew nuts with mixed vegetables, and lamb and zucchini dumplings. The portion sizes in town are much larger than in the city. One dish feels like enough for two people. The eight-treasure tofu is made with a base of crispy tofu topped with shrimp, abalone, squid, diced chicken, beef slices, and more. It is very rich. The vegan cashew dish includes snow peas, wood ear mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, cauliflower, cashews, bell peppers, and carrots, making for a very well-balanced meal. The dumplings are homemade, and the zucchini filling adds a great flavor.
I took Suleiman to see my great-grandfather's courtyard, which is where my uncles live now. We looked at the geese and chickens raised at home, and picked some luffa, bitter melon, and winter melon. The home-grown bitter melon is very crunchy when stir-fried, and the winter melon meatball soup is delicious.
Summary: Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin, sits between Beijing and Tianjin and grew from a Baihe River dock into an important Grand Canal town. This travel note follows a family return to Hexiwu, covering local dialects, Hui Muslim migration, temples, canalside history, and hometown food.
Last Ramadan, I went back to my hometown of Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin. I bought fried cakes (zhagao) and crispy fried rolls (gezhihe) at the farmers' market. See my article, "My Hometown: Hexiwu Town, Wuqing, Tianjin." This summer, I took my son back to my hometown so he could experience the rural atmosphere.
Hexiwu connects to Tongzhou in Beijing and Xianghe in Hebei. It sits 60 kilometers from both downtown Beijing and Tianjin, making it the geographic midpoint between the two cities. My family members have historically moved to Beijing and Tianjin for work, so during family gatherings, you can hear Beijing dialect, Tianjin dialect, and the local Wuqing dialect.
During the Liao Dynasty, Hexiwu was a wharf on the west bank of the Baihe River. It was named "Hexiwu" (West River Dock) because of the boatyards along the shore. After the Grand Canal was dug during the Yuan Dynasty, a water transport customs office was set up at the dock, which is how it got the name "Hexiwu" (West River Customs). During the Yuan Dynasty, Hexiwu served as the headquarters for water transport. It had fourteen grain warehouses and was the largest grain storage base outside the Yuan capital. Hexiwu's commerce thrived during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. The Ming Dynasty book "Chang'an Kehua" records: "Hexiwu is the throat of the canal... inns are clustered on both banks, storing all kinds of goods. It is the number one town east of the capital."
In 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), Zhu Di defeated the Jianwen Emperor and took the throne. At that time, war had caused population decline and abandoned farmland in North China. Zhu Di issued a decree to relocate people, moving many Hui and Han people from the Jiangnan region to North China to farm. Many villages in the Hexiwu area were formed this way.
The Hexiwu Mosque is located on Third Street, southeast of the old town site. It was first built in 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), rebuilt in 1670 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), collapsed during the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, was rebuilt again in 1988, and officially completed in 1990.
The Hexiwu Mosque was originally located southwest of the Hexiwu city walls. In 1570 (the fourth year of the Longqing reign), the Ming government ordered the construction of a brick-walled city in Hexiwu with a perimeter of 500 meters to ensure the safety of water transport. The Hexiwu Mosque was also rebuilt at this time. Li Ben, the Wuqing prefect at the time, wrote a poem about Hexiwu: "The new iron-walled city holds a hundred thousand homes, where old customs compete in prosperity." Embankments connect mansions and official shops, while the shore is crowded with flags and official messengers. Tax revenue from the five materials supports the national budget, and trade reaches the four seas to sustain life. At this throat of the realm where all gather, fame and profit shimmer in the evening mist. In 1669 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), the Hexiwu brick city was destroyed by a flood from the North Canal, and the Hexiwu Mosque was destroyed at the same time. The following year, the city was rebuilt two miles to the west, and the Hexiwu Mosque was rebuilt as well, moving from the southwest of the city to the east.
Hui Muslims in Hexiwu mainly live in the Third Street and Daliuzhuang areas. You can still see a strong Hui cultural atmosphere when walking through these places today.
My grandmother came from the Liu family in Daliuzhuang. They moved here from Jiangnan during the Ming Dynasty's Yongle reign due to the "Prince of Yan Sweeps the North" campaign. This is a common migration story for many families in North China.
Hexiwu has a rich variety of halal food. The most famous include the golden-rimmed braised meat (jinbian koumen) at Xinpengzhai, the yellow rice fried cakes (huangmi zhagao) at Lirenzhai Wangji, and the stuffed crispy fried rolls (dai xian gezhihe) at Yangji. For lunch, we ate at Juyuanzhai at the intersection. We had eight-treasure tofu (bazhen doufu), cashew nuts with mixed vegetables, and lamb and zucchini dumplings. The portion sizes in town are much larger than in the city. One dish feels like enough for two people. The eight-treasure tofu is made with a base of crispy tofu topped with shrimp, abalone, squid, diced chicken, beef slices, and more. It is very rich. The vegan cashew dish includes snow peas, wood ear mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, cauliflower, cashews, bell peppers, and carrots, making for a very well-balanced meal. The dumplings are homemade, and the zucchini filling adds a great flavor.
I took Suleiman to see my great-grandfather's courtyard, which is where my uncles live now. We looked at the geese and chickens raised at home, and picked some luffa, bitter melon, and winter melon. The home-grown bitter melon is very crunchy when stir-fried, and the winter melon meatball soup is delicious.
Halal Travel Guide: Tianjin and Tanggu — Mosques, Muslim Food and Autumn Streets
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 15 views • 2 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Tianjin and Tanggu — Mosques, Muslim Food and Autumn Streets is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Author: Zainab. The account keeps its focus on Tianjin Travel, Halal Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Author: Zainab.
One weekend in October 2021, I went to Tianjin to visit family. I ate Xinjiang-style Hui Muslim food cooked by my mom, had traditional Tianjin Hui Muslim breakfast at Jinjiayao, and went to Tanggu to see the sea and eat good food.
On Friday night, Mom made big plate chicken (dapanji) and braised beef steak. Our whole family helped pull the belt noodles (pidaimian). I really treasure these happy times together.
The big plate chicken (dapanji) at home is just delicious! I haven't had any as good as this at a restaurant in Beijing. The day before, I tried big plate chicken (dapanji) at a noodle shop on Nanlishi Road. The texture of the broiler chicken made me lose my appetite after one bite. Big plate chicken must be made with free-range chicken (chaiji). Plus, the seasoning was all wrong and it didn't taste like big plate chicken at all. I never want to eat it at a noodle shop again.
On Saturday morning, I went to eat breakfast at Wang's Sizzling Rice Dish (guobacai) in front of the Jinjiayao Mosque in Tianjin, which was recommended by a local friend (dosti). You don't have to wait in long lines like you do at Northwest Corner (Xibeijiao) here. They have a huge variety, and old-school Tianjin locals really love it. It is a living fossil in the world of sizzling rice dish (guobacai). The owner says this place has been around for over a hundred years. It is so rare to see this traditional water kettle sign (tangping) in the shop these days!
We ordered savory crepe strips (guobacai), water caltrop soup with egg (lingjiaotang chong jidan), double-topping millet porridge (shuangliao miancha), iron-pot soy milk with egg (tieguo nong doujiang chong jidan), cornmeal buns (wotou), egg fritters (jidan guozi), and fried bean sprout rolls (juanquan). You can tell from these dishes that this place has a very traditional taste. Eating savory crepe strips with cornmeal buns is a classic way to do it, and the water caltrop soup is packed with filling. The egg fritters, also called pouches (budai), are my favorite kind of fried dough, and they taste better than the stick-shaped ones (bangchui guozi)! It is just hard to find places that still make them.
Here is a funny story: we did not use the flatbread (jiaobing) to wrap our fried bean sprout rolls, but instead shared them piece by piece. The owner saw us and joked, 'You have to wrap the rolls to eat them, you guys just gave them a C-section!' He said it in a very funny Tianjin dialect.
Then we headed to Dongjiang Beach Park in Tanggu to see the sea.
At noon, we had lunch at Muyi, the most famous halal restaurant in the Tanggu area.
Muyi started as the Islamic Restaurant (Yisilan Fanzhuang) in 1994. Their halal license number is Binhai 001. In 2015, they opened the current Taifeng 80 Food Court, which includes Muyi Chinese Restaurant, Nuobona Western Restaurant, and WEAL. BAKERY. These were the first halal Western-style restaurants and bakeries in the Binhai area of Tianjin.
Muyi has a huge menu. They serve traditional Tianjin dishes, all kinds of seafood, Sichuan food, Cantonese food, and creative new dishes, so they can satisfy almost any preference. For my parents, who have lived in Urumqi for 50 or 60 years and aren't used to Tianjin or Shandong-style food, Muyi is a great choice.
We ordered green beans stuffed with lily bulbs, beef braised in a stone pot, Muyi house-style tofu, steamed flounder, stir-fried clams with scallion and ginger, and bamboo shoot slices in rich soup. My parents couldn't stop praising the meal. The flounder had a wonderful texture, and the bamboo shoot soup was very fresh and filled with various types of seafood. The stuffed lily bulbs contained shrimp paste. It was my first time trying this combination, and I thought it was quite good.
In the evening, we had lamb spine hot pot (yangxiezi) at Heqingzhai. The main Heqingzhai restaurant is in Yangfang, Changping, Beijing. Most of their other Beijing branches are also in Changping and Haidian, so I had never heard of them before. I found that a new branch opened downstairs from my home in Tianjin, so I went to try it out.
We ate lamb spine (yangxiezi) with lamb tail tips. The meat was decent, but the broth was not quite as good as the one at Muyixuan.
On Sunday morning, Mom made braised lamb chops, braised cod, stir-fried wood ear mushrooms, and asparagus lettuce. It was authentic home-style cooking from Hui Muslims in Urumqi!
Afterward, we went to a vintage market at Miansan in Tianjin and bought some pretty vintage earrings.
In the evening, we went to Danji Beef Pie on Nanbei Street for mixed lamb head meat, beef pies, and lamb offal soup. It tasted pretty good. Even though the family-run shop is quite small, many people come to eat there. The owner kneads the dough and grills the pies quickly on the spot. Also, it is quite rare to see Hui Muslims with the surname Dan! view all
Summary: Tianjin and Tanggu — Mosques, Muslim Food and Autumn Streets is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Author: Zainab. The account keeps its focus on Tianjin Travel, Halal Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Author: Zainab.
One weekend in October 2021, I went to Tianjin to visit family. I ate Xinjiang-style Hui Muslim food cooked by my mom, had traditional Tianjin Hui Muslim breakfast at Jinjiayao, and went to Tanggu to see the sea and eat good food.
On Friday night, Mom made big plate chicken (dapanji) and braised beef steak. Our whole family helped pull the belt noodles (pidaimian). I really treasure these happy times together.
The big plate chicken (dapanji) at home is just delicious! I haven't had any as good as this at a restaurant in Beijing. The day before, I tried big plate chicken (dapanji) at a noodle shop on Nanlishi Road. The texture of the broiler chicken made me lose my appetite after one bite. Big plate chicken must be made with free-range chicken (chaiji). Plus, the seasoning was all wrong and it didn't taste like big plate chicken at all. I never want to eat it at a noodle shop again.
On Saturday morning, I went to eat breakfast at Wang's Sizzling Rice Dish (guobacai) in front of the Jinjiayao Mosque in Tianjin, which was recommended by a local friend (dosti). You don't have to wait in long lines like you do at Northwest Corner (Xibeijiao) here. They have a huge variety, and old-school Tianjin locals really love it. It is a living fossil in the world of sizzling rice dish (guobacai). The owner says this place has been around for over a hundred years. It is so rare to see this traditional water kettle sign (tangping) in the shop these days!
We ordered savory crepe strips (guobacai), water caltrop soup with egg (lingjiaotang chong jidan), double-topping millet porridge (shuangliao miancha), iron-pot soy milk with egg (tieguo nong doujiang chong jidan), cornmeal buns (wotou), egg fritters (jidan guozi), and fried bean sprout rolls (juanquan). You can tell from these dishes that this place has a very traditional taste. Eating savory crepe strips with cornmeal buns is a classic way to do it, and the water caltrop soup is packed with filling. The egg fritters, also called pouches (budai), are my favorite kind of fried dough, and they taste better than the stick-shaped ones (bangchui guozi)! It is just hard to find places that still make them.
Here is a funny story: we did not use the flatbread (jiaobing) to wrap our fried bean sprout rolls, but instead shared them piece by piece. The owner saw us and joked, 'You have to wrap the rolls to eat them, you guys just gave them a C-section!' He said it in a very funny Tianjin dialect.
Then we headed to Dongjiang Beach Park in Tanggu to see the sea.
At noon, we had lunch at Muyi, the most famous halal restaurant in the Tanggu area.
Muyi started as the Islamic Restaurant (Yisilan Fanzhuang) in 1994. Their halal license number is Binhai 001. In 2015, they opened the current Taifeng 80 Food Court, which includes Muyi Chinese Restaurant, Nuobona Western Restaurant, and WEAL. BAKERY. These were the first halal Western-style restaurants and bakeries in the Binhai area of Tianjin.
Muyi has a huge menu. They serve traditional Tianjin dishes, all kinds of seafood, Sichuan food, Cantonese food, and creative new dishes, so they can satisfy almost any preference. For my parents, who have lived in Urumqi for 50 or 60 years and aren't used to Tianjin or Shandong-style food, Muyi is a great choice.
We ordered green beans stuffed with lily bulbs, beef braised in a stone pot, Muyi house-style tofu, steamed flounder, stir-fried clams with scallion and ginger, and bamboo shoot slices in rich soup. My parents couldn't stop praising the meal. The flounder had a wonderful texture, and the bamboo shoot soup was very fresh and filled with various types of seafood. The stuffed lily bulbs contained shrimp paste. It was my first time trying this combination, and I thought it was quite good.
In the evening, we had lamb spine hot pot (yangxiezi) at Heqingzhai. The main Heqingzhai restaurant is in Yangfang, Changping, Beijing. Most of their other Beijing branches are also in Changping and Haidian, so I had never heard of them before. I found that a new branch opened downstairs from my home in Tianjin, so I went to try it out.
We ate lamb spine (yangxiezi) with lamb tail tips. The meat was decent, but the broth was not quite as good as the one at Muyixuan.
On Sunday morning, Mom made braised lamb chops, braised cod, stir-fried wood ear mushrooms, and asparagus lettuce. It was authentic home-style cooking from Hui Muslims in Urumqi!
Afterward, we went to a vintage market at Miansan in Tianjin and bought some pretty vintage earrings.
In the evening, we went to Danji Beef Pie on Nanbei Street for mixed lamb head meat, beef pies, and lamb offal soup. It tasted pretty good. Even though the family-run shop is quite small, many people come to eat there. The owner kneads the dough and grills the pies quickly on the spot. Also, it is quite rare to see Hui Muslims with the surname Dan! view all
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Summary: Tianjin and Tanggu — Mosques, Muslim Food and Autumn Streets is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Author: Zainab. The account keeps its focus on Tianjin Travel, Halal Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Author: Zainab.
One weekend in October 2021, I went to Tianjin to visit family. I ate Xinjiang-style Hui Muslim food cooked by my mom, had traditional Tianjin Hui Muslim breakfast at Jinjiayao, and went to Tanggu to see the sea and eat good food.
On Friday night, Mom made big plate chicken (dapanji) and braised beef steak. Our whole family helped pull the belt noodles (pidaimian). I really treasure these happy times together.
The big plate chicken (dapanji) at home is just delicious! I haven't had any as good as this at a restaurant in Beijing. The day before, I tried big plate chicken (dapanji) at a noodle shop on Nanlishi Road. The texture of the broiler chicken made me lose my appetite after one bite. Big plate chicken must be made with free-range chicken (chaiji). Plus, the seasoning was all wrong and it didn't taste like big plate chicken at all. I never want to eat it at a noodle shop again.
On Saturday morning, I went to eat breakfast at Wang's Sizzling Rice Dish (guobacai) in front of the Jinjiayao Mosque in Tianjin, which was recommended by a local friend (dosti). You don't have to wait in long lines like you do at Northwest Corner (Xibeijiao) here. They have a huge variety, and old-school Tianjin locals really love it. It is a living fossil in the world of sizzling rice dish (guobacai). The owner says this place has been around for over a hundred years. It is so rare to see this traditional water kettle sign (tangping) in the shop these days!
We ordered savory crepe strips (guobacai), water caltrop soup with egg (lingjiaotang chong jidan), double-topping millet porridge (shuangliao miancha), iron-pot soy milk with egg (tieguo nong doujiang chong jidan), cornmeal buns (wotou), egg fritters (jidan guozi), and fried bean sprout rolls (juanquan). You can tell from these dishes that this place has a very traditional taste. Eating savory crepe strips with cornmeal buns is a classic way to do it, and the water caltrop soup is packed with filling. The egg fritters, also called pouches (budai), are my favorite kind of fried dough, and they taste better than the stick-shaped ones (bangchui guozi)! It is just hard to find places that still make them.
Here is a funny story: we did not use the flatbread (jiaobing) to wrap our fried bean sprout rolls, but instead shared them piece by piece. The owner saw us and joked, 'You have to wrap the rolls to eat them, you guys just gave them a C-section!' He said it in a very funny Tianjin dialect.
Then we headed to Dongjiang Beach Park in Tanggu to see the sea.
At noon, we had lunch at Muyi, the most famous halal restaurant in the Tanggu area.
Muyi started as the Islamic Restaurant (Yisilan Fanzhuang) in 1994. Their halal license number is Binhai 001. In 2015, they opened the current Taifeng 80 Food Court, which includes Muyi Chinese Restaurant, Nuobona Western Restaurant, and WEAL. BAKERY. These were the first halal Western-style restaurants and bakeries in the Binhai area of Tianjin.
Muyi has a huge menu. They serve traditional Tianjin dishes, all kinds of seafood, Sichuan food, Cantonese food, and creative new dishes, so they can satisfy almost any preference. For my parents, who have lived in Urumqi for 50 or 60 years and aren't used to Tianjin or Shandong-style food, Muyi is a great choice.
We ordered green beans stuffed with lily bulbs, beef braised in a stone pot, Muyi house-style tofu, steamed flounder, stir-fried clams with scallion and ginger, and bamboo shoot slices in rich soup. My parents couldn't stop praising the meal. The flounder had a wonderful texture, and the bamboo shoot soup was very fresh and filled with various types of seafood. The stuffed lily bulbs contained shrimp paste. It was my first time trying this combination, and I thought it was quite good.
In the evening, we had lamb spine hot pot (yangxiezi) at Heqingzhai. The main Heqingzhai restaurant is in Yangfang, Changping, Beijing. Most of their other Beijing branches are also in Changping and Haidian, so I had never heard of them before. I found that a new branch opened downstairs from my home in Tianjin, so I went to try it out.
We ate lamb spine (yangxiezi) with lamb tail tips. The meat was decent, but the broth was not quite as good as the one at Muyixuan.
On Sunday morning, Mom made braised lamb chops, braised cod, stir-fried wood ear mushrooms, and asparagus lettuce. It was authentic home-style cooking from Hui Muslims in Urumqi!
Afterward, we went to a vintage market at Miansan in Tianjin and bought some pretty vintage earrings.
In the evening, we went to Danji Beef Pie on Nanbei Street for mixed lamb head meat, beef pies, and lamb offal soup. It tasted pretty good. Even though the family-run shop is quite small, many people come to eat there. The owner kneads the dough and grills the pies quickly on the spot. Also, it is quite rare to see Hui Muslims with the surname Dan!
Summary: Tianjin and Tanggu — Mosques, Muslim Food and Autumn Streets is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Author: Zainab. The account keeps its focus on Tianjin Travel, Halal Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Author: Zainab.
One weekend in October 2021, I went to Tianjin to visit family. I ate Xinjiang-style Hui Muslim food cooked by my mom, had traditional Tianjin Hui Muslim breakfast at Jinjiayao, and went to Tanggu to see the sea and eat good food.
On Friday night, Mom made big plate chicken (dapanji) and braised beef steak. Our whole family helped pull the belt noodles (pidaimian). I really treasure these happy times together.
The big plate chicken (dapanji) at home is just delicious! I haven't had any as good as this at a restaurant in Beijing. The day before, I tried big plate chicken (dapanji) at a noodle shop on Nanlishi Road. The texture of the broiler chicken made me lose my appetite after one bite. Big plate chicken must be made with free-range chicken (chaiji). Plus, the seasoning was all wrong and it didn't taste like big plate chicken at all. I never want to eat it at a noodle shop again.
On Saturday morning, I went to eat breakfast at Wang's Sizzling Rice Dish (guobacai) in front of the Jinjiayao Mosque in Tianjin, which was recommended by a local friend (dosti). You don't have to wait in long lines like you do at Northwest Corner (Xibeijiao) here. They have a huge variety, and old-school Tianjin locals really love it. It is a living fossil in the world of sizzling rice dish (guobacai). The owner says this place has been around for over a hundred years. It is so rare to see this traditional water kettle sign (tangping) in the shop these days!
We ordered savory crepe strips (guobacai), water caltrop soup with egg (lingjiaotang chong jidan), double-topping millet porridge (shuangliao miancha), iron-pot soy milk with egg (tieguo nong doujiang chong jidan), cornmeal buns (wotou), egg fritters (jidan guozi), and fried bean sprout rolls (juanquan). You can tell from these dishes that this place has a very traditional taste. Eating savory crepe strips with cornmeal buns is a classic way to do it, and the water caltrop soup is packed with filling. The egg fritters, also called pouches (budai), are my favorite kind of fried dough, and they taste better than the stick-shaped ones (bangchui guozi)! It is just hard to find places that still make them.
Here is a funny story: we did not use the flatbread (jiaobing) to wrap our fried bean sprout rolls, but instead shared them piece by piece. The owner saw us and joked, 'You have to wrap the rolls to eat them, you guys just gave them a C-section!' He said it in a very funny Tianjin dialect.
Then we headed to Dongjiang Beach Park in Tanggu to see the sea.
At noon, we had lunch at Muyi, the most famous halal restaurant in the Tanggu area.
Muyi started as the Islamic Restaurant (Yisilan Fanzhuang) in 1994. Their halal license number is Binhai 001. In 2015, they opened the current Taifeng 80 Food Court, which includes Muyi Chinese Restaurant, Nuobona Western Restaurant, and WEAL. BAKERY. These were the first halal Western-style restaurants and bakeries in the Binhai area of Tianjin.
Muyi has a huge menu. They serve traditional Tianjin dishes, all kinds of seafood, Sichuan food, Cantonese food, and creative new dishes, so they can satisfy almost any preference. For my parents, who have lived in Urumqi for 50 or 60 years and aren't used to Tianjin or Shandong-style food, Muyi is a great choice.
We ordered green beans stuffed with lily bulbs, beef braised in a stone pot, Muyi house-style tofu, steamed flounder, stir-fried clams with scallion and ginger, and bamboo shoot slices in rich soup. My parents couldn't stop praising the meal. The flounder had a wonderful texture, and the bamboo shoot soup was very fresh and filled with various types of seafood. The stuffed lily bulbs contained shrimp paste. It was my first time trying this combination, and I thought it was quite good.
In the evening, we had lamb spine hot pot (yangxiezi) at Heqingzhai. The main Heqingzhai restaurant is in Yangfang, Changping, Beijing. Most of their other Beijing branches are also in Changping and Haidian, so I had never heard of them before. I found that a new branch opened downstairs from my home in Tianjin, so I went to try it out.
We ate lamb spine (yangxiezi) with lamb tail tips. The meat was decent, but the broth was not quite as good as the one at Muyixuan.
On Sunday morning, Mom made braised lamb chops, braised cod, stir-fried wood ear mushrooms, and asparagus lettuce. It was authentic home-style cooking from Hui Muslims in Urumqi!
Afterward, we went to a vintage market at Miansan in Tianjin and bought some pretty vintage earrings.
In the evening, we went to Danji Beef Pie on Nanbei Street for mixed lamb head meat, beef pies, and lamb offal soup. It tasted pretty good. Even though the family-run shop is quite small, many people come to eat there. The owner kneads the dough and grills the pies quickly on the spot. Also, it is quite rare to see Hui Muslims with the surname Dan!