Hui Minority Street

Hui Minority Street, a bustling local market and shopping area with a strong focus on Hui goods, has a long and intricate history in China. Originally, it was a part of the imperial Chang’an City (now known as Xi’an) in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and it functioned as a part of the Jingzhao Prefecture in the Song (960-1279), the Yuan (1206-1368), the Ming (1368-1644), and the Qing (1616-1911) Dynasties. Visitors will find the Hui Minority Street by walking westward from the Bell Tower and passing though the gate of the Drum Tower in the Xi’an city center. The street is paved with blue stone slates and is 500 meters long from south to north. Generally speaking, it stretches from the Drum Tower to Beiyuanmen, and includes Grand Xuexi Lane, Xiyangshi Street, Dongyangshi Street, and North Guangji Street.

Along the street, the architectures show off the Ming and Qing styles in the forms of mosques, restaurants, and shops. Hui Minority Street takes on an enthralling multi-cultural look along with its 10 mosques, including the famous Grand Mosque and Xi’an City God Temple. In addition, more than 20,000 Hui ethnic people reside around the mosques; they have successfully maintained their own traditional lifestyles for hundreds of years, and they get along well with the other ethnic groups.

With the richness of its inhabitants and architectures, Hui Minority Street is of supremely unique historical and cultural value. This is reflected by its well-decorated restaurants on both sides, and its profound cultural connotation. Most foreign visitors consider the street as a scenic spot, while domestic travelers consider it as an essential social and lifestyle site, especially during the summer nights where one can experience the most authentic aspects of the Xi’an people. At night, the street takes on a completely different look than during the daylight hours with an array of stalls scattered along the street, decorated by colored lamps, selling fruits, cakes, glazed fruit, and so much more. Behind the stalls are numerous locally owned and operated restaurants where visitors may enjoy authentic and traditional snacks such as mutton shashlik and crude pancake in mutton soup. Bargaining with the shopkeepers before making purchases will also be an experience in and of itself!

Dining on Hui Minority Street

A countless number of Shaanxi snacks are available on the street, including meats with pancake, crude pancakes in mutton soup, Qishan noodles, and cold noodles and dumplings, all of which are presented in a truly authentic local style.

Distinctive restaurants on Hui Minority Street

Restaurant name Location
Laosunjia Restaurant west of Dongguang Street
Chunfasheng Restaurant No. 20, Nanyuemen
Tongshengxiang Bell & Drum Tower Square
Jiasan stuffed dumpling restaurant No. 121, west of Xiyangshi

Address: north of Bell-Drum Tower Square, Beilin District, Xi’an
Opening hours: 6:00 am to 11:30 pm
Bus routes: 4, 7, 15, 32, 43, 201, 205, 206, 215, 222, 221, 218, 300, and 604