Xian Culinary Tour for Century-old Dishes and Snacks

Joining a gourmet tour to Xian is considered one of the great pleasures whentravelling in China. Here the food bears a long history and unique flavor, with dozens of restaurants handed down through several dynasties. Each of dishes and snacks has a story, and offers a good way to discover ancient Xian’s folk culture and extraordinary history (used to be the capital of 16 kingdoms). Moslem Street (Huimin Jie) is the most famous food street in Xian, and an unmissable attraction of the city.

1. Cold rice noodles (liang pi, 凉皮) – dating back to Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC), as tribe to Qin Shihuang, the First Emperor of Qin

2. Chinese hamburger with cured meet (la rou jia mo, 腊肉夹馍) –Chinese cured meat was invented in Warring States Period (475-221BC), and a perfect partner to the rou jia mo

3. Ma shi (麻食) – a traditional Han snack in Xian dating back to Yunan Dynasty (127-1368)

4. Noodles with ingredients (Saozi mian, 臊子面) – from a legend that ancestors fought against an evil dragon, and finally killed it and cooked it with noodles

5. Cobblestone steamed bun (shi zi mo, 石子馍) – cooked on cobblestone, a trace of Stone Age cooking method

6. Paomo (泡馍) – a specialty of Shaanxi cuisine, with mutton or beef soup

7. Chrysanthemum hot pot (ju hua guo, 菊花锅) – chrysanthemum is not only a traditional herbal medicine, but also a kind of tasty vegetable. This dish also include toufu, bean vermicelli, fried sheets of bean curd, chicken soup, etc.

8. Dumpling banquet (jiao zi yan, 饺子宴) – dumplings with 108 different kinds of flavoers

9. Jin xian you ta (金线油塔) – dating back to over 1400 years during Tang Dynasty

10. Qian zhou guo kui (乾州锅盔) – easy for transportation and preservation, thus popular among the soldiers in the old times

11. He le (饸饹) – one of the three great noodles in North China, along with Lanzhou hand pull noodles and Shanxi shaved noodles

12. Steamed pork with rice flour (fen zheng rou, 粉蒸肉) – legend has that it was created by Arab traders on their way to the capital Chang’an (today’s Xian) in Tang Dynasty.

Jianchuan Grotto Arts: Rock Caves and Masterpieces on Shibao Mountain

Do you interests lie in Buddhist arts or do the remote ancient towns appeal? Allow yourself an off-the-beaten-track trip to Dali, Yunnan province, China, and find Shibaoshan Mountain in Jianchuan Country, then you will be rewarded with century-old grottoes with spectacular Danxia mountain views.

Recommended China Yunnan tour to Dali and JIanchuan

25km southwest of Jianchuan Country (110km northwest of Dali), with a tranquil surrounding endowed with beautiful natural scenery, Shibao Mountain is an extended peak of Laojun Mountain, with the highest peak of 3038 meters. It is of typical Danxia landform and consisted of septarium. One of the highlights of Shibao Mountain is the weirdly-shaped stones, which resemble human being, flowers, umbrellas, animals, bells, and so forth, thus the name Shibao Mountain (Stone Treasure Mountain).

 

Shibaoshan Scenic Area is a treasure house of Buddhist temples and Bai people’s rock caves. Some of the temples were built as early as Tang Dynasty (618-907). Baoxiang Temple built in Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and Haiyunju built in Kangxi period (1661-1772) during Qing Dynasty are the most famous ones and gems of ancient Chinese architecture.

The artistic rock caves are mainly distributed in Stone Bell (Shizhong), Lion Pass (Shizi Guan) and Shadeng Village. They include mainly 17 grottoes with 139 statues, some of which are among the best stone carvings in southern China and offer insights into the life and customs of Bai people in Dali and the history and culture of the Nanzhao Kingdom during the 9th century.

The 1300-year-old Shibaoshan Grottoes (carved in Tang and Song Dynasties) are also evidence of the spread of Esoteric Buddhism into Yunnan from Tibet. Most of the 139 statues are images of Buddhas, such as bodhisattva Guanyin, Aahnan, Kasyapa and samantabhadra. There are also stone carvings of Kings of Nanzhao, Indian monks, drunken man and other normal people. All of the statues are delicately caved and make up an art treasure of Chinese Buddhist grotto art.

The best time to visit Shaibao Mountain is between the late seventh lunar month and the early days of the eighth lunar month (usually late August and early September), when the ethnic people will have the annual traditional singing festival. Go further to Shaxi Ancient Town (40 minutes’ drive from Jianchuan Bus Station) – an important trade station on the Tea and Horse Caravan Road. Join the Sideng Friday Market to experience the ancient Chinese market fair and have a close contact with various minority people.

Guizhou Gourmet Tour: Must-have Local Dishes and Snacks

Guizhou cuisine, also named Qian cuisine, is a nice combination of Guiyang cuisine, Qianbei (North Guizhou) cuisine and the classic part of Chinese ethnic cuisine. Guizhou cuisine is of spicy and sour flavor and features comprehensive culinary arts and skills. If you are a foodie, and travelling around Guizhou, make sure you have tried the best-known local food.  

Recommended China Culinary Tour

Spicy diced chicken with peanuts (宫保鸡丁)

Spare ribs steamed with straw (稻香排骨)

Griddle Cooked Chicken with Pepper (干锅鸡)

Fish in sour soup (酸汤鱼)

Si wa wa (丝娃娃)

Millet dessert (小米喳)

Chitterlings & pig-blood noodles (肠旺面)

Beef rice noodles (牛肉粉)

Toufu Balls (豆腐圆子)

Bean paste pancake (豆沙窝)

Vegetarian noodles / rice noodles (素面/素粉)

Potato pancake (洋芋耙)

Guiyang glutinous rice (糯米饭)

Fried shredded toufu (手撕豆腐)

Burning noodles (燃面)

shredded chicken& tofu pudding noodles (鸡丝豆花面) 

Colorful Guizhou: the Beautiful Costumes of 49 Ethnic Minorities

Located in Southwest China, bordering Hunan Province to the east, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to the south, Yunnan Province to the west, and Sichuan Province and Chongqing city to the north, Guizhou has 49 ethnic minority groups, making up approximately 38% of the province population. Each of these minorities has its own ethnic style and folk customs, with particular head wear and accessories. Let’s have a look of these beautiful traditional ethnic costumes.

Miao (苗族)

Dong (侗族)

Buyi (布依族)

Nu (怒族)

 

Mulao (仫佬族)

Yi (彝族)

Qiang (羌族)

Changjiao Miao (长角苗)

Yao (瑶族)

 

Dahua Miao (大花苗)

Useful Travel Tips for Jiuzhaigou Valley, Sichuan

400km away from Chengdu, with a tranquil area surrounded by nine primitive Tibetan villages, Jiuzhaigou Valley is one of the most charming scenic national parks in China and features 108 crystal lakes, intoxicating waterfalls and streams, snow-capped mountains, as well as numerous wide fauna and flora. However, given its relatively high altitude and special customs, visitors are encouraged to comply with the rules to keep a safe and delightful stay in Jiuzhaigou.

To help with your journey to Jiuzhaigou, we’ve filtered through guidance and tips from thousands of travelers and offer you the most useful ones.

Recommended China Jiuzhaigou tours by Easy Tour China

1. You may expect the altitude problems. The average altitude of Jiuzhaigou Reserve is 2930 meters, while the Huanglong Reserve is almost 4000 meters. Generally, altitude less than 3300 meters can be accepted by most normal people. But Huanglong Reserve’s 4000 meters is a bit challenge – most people find it is still tolerable, though with a little discomfort.

2. To overcome the altitude problem, it is better to retain the best altitude and avoid strenuous exercise. Drink little or no alcohol, and have more vegetables and fruits. Prepare medicines on prevention of high altitude reaction, and small oxygen cylinder for the aged and frail (you can buy it in Chengdu).

3. People with high blood pressure or heart diseases are discouraged to travel to Jiuzhaigou.

4. Lighting fires are strictly forbidden here to prevent the forest fire.

5. In consideration of large temperature difference between day and night, it is better for you to take warm clothes and rain gear, as well as the common medicines in case of catching cold.

6. To resist the intense ultraviolet radiation, please bring the suncream and sun hat.

7. To reach Jiuzhaigou Valley, you can take a flight to Jiuzhaigou-Huanglong Airport first, and you will have another 1.5 hours’ drive to Jiuzhaigou Reserve and 1 hour’s drive to Huanglong Reserve.

8. Jiuzhaigou offers varied and beautiful sceneries all year round. Summer and autumn are widely known as the best seasons to visit Jiuzhaigou, while winter is also recommended with a snow fairy world and less tourists. Avoid the public holidays such as Spring Festival, National Day holiday (Oct 1-7) and Labor Day holiday (May Day from May 1st to 3rd).

9. Take good care of your trekking gear and photographic equipment.

10. Do in Rome as Rome does. Please respect local Tibetan people’s religion and lifestyle.