Xian Muslim Quarter
Anyone who travels in Xi'an shall never miss this famous Muslim Street, where a variety of local flavor snacks will surely dazzle one’s eyes. As long as one can think of, he or she can find the mouthwatering food in the cuisine paradise. The title “A Street for Gourmet” is fully deserved.
The Muslim Quarter comprises several streets including Beiyuanmen, Beiguangji Street, Xiyangshi, Dapi Yuan, Huajue Lane, and Sajin Bridge. Locals in Xi'an collectively refer to this area as “Fangshang,” while visitors from other regions commonly call it “Huimin jie.” Located on Beiyuanmen Street, Hui Muslim Street became a settlement for Xi'an's Hui community as early as the late Northern Song Dynasty to the early Southern Song Dynasty. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it evolved into a traditional commercial hub for the Hui people. In September 1993, it was transformed into a cultural tourism street with an antique-style design. The name reflects its role as a gathering place for Hui residents.
Xian Muslim Quarter represents the interplay and fusion of diverse Chinese ethnic cultures while preserving traces of ancient East-West trade exchanges. The Xi'an Grand Mosque within the quarter is one of the top things to do in Xian, particularly for Muslim visitors.
Xian Muslim Quarter Facts
Brief History of Muslim Quarter
As long as 1000 years ago in Han Dynasty, the Muslim Quarter was the starting point of The Silk Road. From the late Northern Song Dynasty to the early Southern Song Dynasty, the northwest corner of Xi'an City had become the settlement area for the Xi'an Hui people. Starting from the early Yuan Dynasty, the Muslim settlement area centered around the Muslim Quarter in Xi'an City developed significantly. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the west street, Beiyuandong and the Drum Tower of Xi'an had already become the traditional commercial activity zone for the Hui people. Foreign diplomatic envoys and overseas students, merchants from Persia and Arab lived here, then they married and had children, gradually the population increased.
Now the Moslem Street is home to 60,000 Islamic followers, most of who are the descendants of these old immigrants.
What to See: Attractions
With a long history, this historical streets area has ten mosques of different architectural styles and varied in scale, a series of cultural relics including the famous Xian City's God Temple, Xicheng Gateway built in Ming Dynasty, Hanguang Gate in Tang Dynasty. And the most popular one - Gao Family Compound (高家大院) are also situated in this area, where you can enjoy the traditional Chinese shadow puppet plays.
Great Mosque of Xian
The Xi'an Grand Mosque is located in the Qiao Jie Lane. The exact date of its construction is unknown. According to the "Inscription of the Establishment of the Islamic Mosque" inside the mosque, it was built during the Tang Dynasty's Tianbao period. However, this inscription has been proven by scholars to be a fake from the Ming Dynasty.
Over the years, it has undergone several restorations and expansions, gradually forming a large ancient architectural complex with a grand scale, a compact layout of pavilions, towers and halls, and a style characteristic of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Its architectural style embodies the organic unity of Islamic culture and traditional Chinese architecture. The Great Mosque of Xian is one of the most distinctive, intact and typical Chinese-style mosques in China to date, and a must-visit site during China Muslim Tours.
Best Food in Muslim Quarter Xian
Paved with green stones and semi-embraced by trees, the Muslim Quarter is full of restaurants and stores erected on both sides in the styles of the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasties (1644-1911).
Most popular authentic Islamic specialties and Xian Famous Food in the street are Rou Jia Mo / Chinese Hamburger (肉夹馍), meat stuffed in wheat buns; Mutton / Beef and Pita Bread in Soup (羊/牛肉泡馍), by tearing the tough "bread" into pieces and then put them in the soup with mutton and vermicelli, the famous stall is Lao Sun Jia; the famous Xian snack brand Jia San Steamed bun stuffed with juicy beef or mutton (Jia San Guan Tang Bao 贾三灌汤包), which is praised by many Chinese celebrities; Porridge with Eight Treasures (八宝粥), the eight treasures refers to coarse food grains like maize, sorghum, millet, ormosia and so on; all kinds of northwestern style noodles and dumplings; Roast meats and the fried rice with pickled Chinese cabbage and little capsicum; Liangpi / cold noodles (凉皮), Sweet-sour Pulm Juice (酸梅汤), etc.
Other must-try street food on Xi'an's Muslim Quarter include Biangbiang noodles, Qishan noodles, Xian dumpling banquet, braised mutton offal, steamed lamb with rice flour, honey-glazed cold rice dumplings, spicy soup, beef noodle soup, mirror cake, steamed rice cake, mutton-topped noodles, osmanthus persimmon cakes, egg-drop sweet rice wine, mutton in water basin, sesame flatbread, scallion pancakes, and more.
>> Recommended 15 days China Cooking & Foodie Tour with Xian Muslim Quarter
Experience Real Xian Local Life in Muslim Quarter
Hui Muslim Street offers distinct charms by day and night. Home to approximately 30,000 Hui people, the street comes alive at dawn when elderly men in white caps head to the mosque for devout prayers. During daylight hours, shopkeepers bustle about with solemn focus, yet after dusk falls, they gather in the alleys to joyfully kick shuttlecocks and engage in lively conversation. The bustling crowds stroll and snack, haggling over bargains at street stalls. Visitors can rest on benches at Drum Tower Square, watching vendors launch kites—their strings stretching dozens of meters to the rooftops across the street. Everywhere, the vibrant energy of authentic, lively daily life fills the air.How to Get to Muslim Quarter
By Bus
Take bus 4, 7, 15, 32, 43, 45, 201, 205, 206, 215, 218, 221, 222, 251, 300, 604, 611, 612 or K630, and get off at the Bell Tower Station.
By Subway
Take subway line 2, get off at the Bell Tower Subway Station, and then you can walk for five minutes to get there.
Nearby Attractions
It only takes five minutes to walk from Muslim Quarter to the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, the iconic buildings of Xi'an. Ten minutes further south, you can admire the grandeur of the southern gate of the ancient city wall of Xi'an.
Travel Tips
1. The Muslim Quarter in Xian can be quiet busy during weekends and holidays, especially the evening, so you’d better prepare to twist your way through the crowd.
2. If you would like to bargain for some souvenirs, we suggest you choose the shops that located inside small alleys, the souvenirs there are usually cheaper than the shops in main streets.
3. If you want to have a close contact with local families and learn how to cook Chinese food, then visit an authentic local courtyard in Muslim Quarter is a great choice.
4. Please respect Islamic customs and do not order pork-containing food in a halal restaurant.
