Skip to main content

The world of food, in your hands.

Where would you like to eat?

Find halal food
near you
About SeSudu Contact & partnerships

Food Is More
Than Recipes.

China flag HALAL FOOD GUIDE

China,
from street
to table.

Find an area. Get to know the places.
Check the evidence before visiting.

Every doorway has a story.
Illustrated shops and architecture in China
An illustrated scene of China.

01 / CHOOSE AN AREA

Start close
to your stay.

Get to know the area first.
Then open the dining records.

All areas in this guide +
  • Beijing — Niujie 牛街 + Niujie Mosque 牛街礼拜寺 (Xicheng): the densest 清真 老字号 cluster in China (copper-pot lamb hotpot, halal deli, Hui dairy desserts)
  • Xi'an — Muslim Quarter 回民街 / 北院门 + Great Mosque 化觉巷清真大寺: Hui paomo (牛羊肉泡馍), guantang bao soup dumplings, beef roujiamo
  • Lanzhou 兰州 — Hui halal beef noodle 兰州牛肉面, a 清真 single-dish tradition found nationwide
  • Xinjiang / Uyghur 维吾尔 restaurants (Urumqi + every major city) — lamb kebabs, 手抓饭 pilaf, 大盘鸡, 馕 (⚠️ caution: some serve beer)
  • Guangzhou — Xiaobei 小北 + Huaisheng Mosque 怀圣寺: Arab/African Muslim-trader district (area guidance; no venue verified in this batch)
  • Shanghai — Songjiang Mosque area + national halal noodle chains (area guidance)

02 / CHECK THE EVIDENCE

Know the places.
Open the evidence.

Check the evidence and qīngzhēn (清真) plaque at the outlet. Read local oversight and context alongside the sources.

Certification in China +
  • Read the context of provincial/municipal Islamic associations and the outlet’s qīngzhēn (清真) plaque.
  • Hui and Uyghur communities appear in the guide, but identity or an app label alone does not replace outlet checks.
  • Check ingredients, certificates/plaques and alcohol policies; use AMap or Baidu for local navigation.

Each record uses the A–U evidence model below. Checked dates are those of the original sources.

16 place and guide recordsWhat do the grades mean?
A
Beijing

Jubaoyuan

Officially certified

· Open sources and details

Officially certified

聚宝源（牛街总店）

Area: niujie

Grade A — a Hui 清真 copper-pot lamb-hotpot 老字号 (est. 1946) beside Niujie Mosque in Beijing's Muslim quarter, founded by the Hui native Ma Baogui; beef/lamb only, no pork. Its halal status is confirmed well beyond a directory: the Beijing Municipal Tourism Board names it the anchor of the Niujie halal cluster, the China Cuisine Association lists it among Beijing's top-10 特色清真 restaurants, and it holds the municipal 北京市首批清真特色餐厅 designation — plus its mosque-adjacent location. Official 清真 老字号 pedigree; confirm the physical 清真 plaque on-site.

Record scope
Outlet
Certifier in the record
Municipal 北京市首批清真特色餐厅 (Beijing First-Batch Halal Special Restaurants) + China Cuisine Association 中国烹饪协会 top-10 特色清真
Certificate scope
清真 (halal) copper-pot instant-boiled mutton 铜锅涮肉 — beef/lamb only, no pork; confirm the physical 清真 plaque on-site

Original record date: 2026-07-16. Check for changes at the outlet before relying on this information.

A
Beijing

Yuesheng Zhai

Officially certified

· Open sources and details

Officially certified

月盛斋

Area: niujie

Grade A (the strongest) — a 清真 sauced-beef/mutton deli 老字号 (est. 1775, Hui founder Ma Qingrui). It is a China Time-Honored Brand (中华老字号, MOFCOM), its 清真 production technique is on the national Intangible Cultural Heritage register (2008, official ihchina.cn), and the modern operator is a state-owned enterprise dealing only in 清真 halal meat. The Niujie outlet sits inside the licensed Niujie Halal Supermarket beside Niujie Mosque — institutionally-overseen 清真.

Record scope
Brand
Certifier in the record
中华老字号 (China Time-Honored Brand, MOFCOM); technique on the national Intangible Cultural Heritage register (2008); modern operator is a Beijing state-owned 清真-only meat enterprise
Certificate scope
清真 (halal) sauced & braised beef/mutton 酱烧牛羊肉 — deli/takeaway

Original record date: 2026-07-16. Check for changes at the outlet before relying on this information.

A
Beijing

Nailao Wei (Cheese Wei)

Officially certified

· Open sources and details

Officially certified

奶酪魏

Area: niujie

Grade A (borderline) — a historic Hui 清真 dairy-dessert house at the north end of Niujie, founded in the Qing Guangxu era (~1888) by Wei Hongchen (a Hui born in the Niujie community). Its 清真 status is confirmed by BOTH the official Beijing Municipal Tourism Board (captioned "奶酪也得吃清真的" — cheese must be halal too) AND independent encyclopedic sources. The menu (合碗酪, 酪干, 杏仁豆腐) is entirely milk-based — pork-free, no alcohol. A borderline A (dessert house; no plaque number found).

Record scope
Outlet
Certifier in the record
Beijing Municipal Tourism Board 清真 classification + documented Hui (回族) family ownership (borderline A — dessert house, no Islamic-Association plaque number located)
Certificate scope
Imperial-court dairy desserts 宫廷奶酪 — milk-based, pork-free, no alcohol

Original record date: 2026-07-16. Check for changes at the outlet before relying on this information.

View 13 more records Original sources and dates retained+
A
Xian

Lao Sun Jia

Officially certified

· Open sources and details

Officially certified

西安老孙家饭庄

Area: muslim quarter

Grade A — founded 1898, one of China's largest ethnic dining enterprises built on 清真 (halal) production. The official Ministry of Commerce 中华老字号 registry describes it as a 民族餐饮企业 built on 清真牛羊肉, certified 中华老字号 on 2011-01-26, with its 牛羊肉泡馍 technique listed as national intangible cultural heritage and Hui (回族) leadership documented. It sits in Xi'an's Muslim Quarter near the Great Mosque and houses the Western-China Halal Food Culture Museum. ⚠️ Large banquet hall — confirm no alcohol at your table + the 清真 plaque on-site.

Record scope
Brand
Certifier in the record
中华人民共和国商务部 (PRC Ministry of Commerce) 中华老字号 registry (certified 2011-01-26); on-site 西部清真饮食文化博物馆 (Western-China Halal Food Culture Museum)
Certificate scope
清真 (halal) beef/mutton paomo 牛羊肉泡馍 — LARGE BANQUET venue: 清真-food pedigree is institutionally confirmed, but a big banquet hall may offer alcohol at banquets, so confirm no 酒水 at your table + the 清真 plaque on-site

Original record date: 2026-07-16. Check for changes at the outlet before relying on this information.

A
Xian

Jia San Guantang Bao

Officially certified

· Open sources and details

Officially certified

贾三灌汤包（北院门总店）

Area: muslim quarter

Grade A — a long-established Hui Muslim-run 清真 restaurant in Xi'an's Muslim Quarter; founder Jia San (贾志亮) is a documented Hui inheritor of a five-generation halal-cuisine lineage. The government MOFCOM Time-Honored Brand Digital Museum lists it as a 中华老字号 (recognised 2006-11-07) and records the 中国优质清真食品 (China Quality Halal Food) designation, alongside national intangible-cultural-heritage status; it also appears on Xi'an Bendibao's official halal-dining list. Signature items are beef/lamb soup dumplings — no pork (a "pork" label on some auto-translated listings is an error).

Record scope
Outlet
Certifier in the record
中国优质清真食品 (China Quality Halal Food) designation; 中华老字号 (China Time-Honored Brand, MOFCOM, recognised 2006-11-07)
Certificate scope
Beiyuanmen flagship (北院门总店), Xi'an Muslim Quarter — beef/lamb soup dumplings 灌汤包, no pork

Original record date: 2026-07-16. Check for changes at the outlet before relying on this information.

A
Lanzhou

Ma Zi Lu Beef Noodle

Officially certified

· Open sources and details

Officially certified

马子禄牛肉面

Area: lanzhou

Grade A — a Hui Muslim family-run 清真 Lanzhou beef-noodle house; the Ma family began Muslim Lanzhou snacks in 1906 and hung the 马子禄牛肉面 sign in 1954. Baidu documents it as a 清真餐馆. It holds two national official recognitions: 中华老字号 (China Time-Honored Brand, MOFCOM, 2011) and 优秀中华清真餐饮企业 (Outstanding Chinese Halal Catering Enterprise, Chinese Culinary Association, 2017). A single-dish beef-noodle shop — no pork, no alcohol. The only Lanzhou-beef-noodle brand awarded 中华老字号.

Record scope
Brand
Certifier in the record
商务部 (MOFCOM) 中华老字号 (China Time-Honored Brand, 2011); 中国烹饪协会 (Chinese Culinary Association) 优秀中华清真餐饮企业 (Outstanding Chinese Halal Catering Enterprise, 2017)
Certificate scope
清真 (halal) Lanzhou Hui beef noodle 兰州牛肉面, single-dish

Original record date: 2026-07-16. Check for changes at the outlet before relying on this information.

B
China Wide

Dongfanggong Lanzhou Beef Noodle

Official tourism classification

· Open sources and details

Official tourism classification

东方宫中国兰州牛肉拉面

Grade B — operated by 兰州东方宫清真餐饮集团有限公司 (registered 2000), whose legal name literally contains 清真 (halal) and which is classified as a 甘肃省清真餐饮企业 (Gansu Province halal catering enterprise). It holds the Lanzhou-government-authorised '中国兰州牛肉拉面' trademark and runs 200+ outlets. Lanzhou beef noodle is a Hui halal tradition, so the brand-level 清真 signal is genuine. Grade B — the claim is real and company-registered, but per-outlet Islamic-Association licensing is unconfirmable across 200+ locations. Verify the physical 清真 plaque at the specific outlet.

Record scope
Brand
Certifier in the record
兰州东方宫清真餐饮集团有限公司 (Lanzhou Dongfanggong Halal Catering Group, registered 2000; legal name contains 清真) + 甘肃省清真餐饮企业 (Gansu Province halal catering enterprise) recognition — no confirmable per-outlet Islamic-Association plaque
Certificate scope
Brand/company-level 清真 registration; individual franchise outlet licensing unverified — verify the physical 清真 plaque at the specific outlet you visit

Original record date: 2026-07-16. Check for changes at the outlet before relying on this information.

C
Xian

Lao Mi Jia Dayu Paomo

Muslim-owned / self-declared

· Open sources and details

Muslim-owned / self-declared

清真·老米家大雨泡馍（回民街总店）

Area: muslim quarter

Grade C — a century-old lamb/beef paomo shop in the heart of Xi'an's Hui Muslim Quarter (西羊市127号), anchored by the Great Mosque. The venue name begins with 清真 and it is Hui-run in the mosque quarter (where 清真 is legally required and faking it is illegal). Menu is exclusively lamb, beef and skewers (no pork); listed drinks are non-alcoholic. Grade C — a genuine Hui Muslim-owned, self-declared 清真 backbone paomo shop with NO confirmable Islamic-Association licence or municipal plaque. Confirm the physical 清真 plaque on-site.

Record scope
Outlet
Certificate scope
清真 (halal) lamb/beef paomo 羊肉/牛肉泡馍 — self-declared, mosque-quarter Hui backbone eatery

Original record date: 2026-07-16. Check for changes at the outlet before relying on this information.

C
Urumqi

Herembağ (Eden)

Muslim-owned / self-declared

· Open sources and details

Muslim-owned / self-declared

海尔巴格 / ھەرەمباغ

Area: urumqi

Grade C — an upscale Uyghur (维吾尔) Muslim restaurant chain founded in Urumqi (2009). Its corporate profile + Baidu describe it as "China's largest Muslim restaurant enterprise, specialising in 清真 ethnic cuisine", confirming Uyghur Muslim ownership + a company self-declared 清真 positioning across ~30 outlets. The halal signal is genuine but rests on company/self-declaration — NO official 清真 plaque or per-outlet licence is confirmable. ⚠️ Alcohol status UNVERIFIED — Xinjiang restaurants often serve beer; confirm alcohol-free + the 清真 plaque on-site.

Record scope
Brand
Certificate scope
Uyghur 清真 ethnic-cuisine chain (self/company-declared) — ⚠️ alcohol status UNVERIFIED: Xinjiang restaurants often serve beer; confirm alcohol-free + the 清真 plaque on-site

Original record date: 2026-07-16. Check for changes at the outlet before relying on this information.

D
Beijing

Hongbin Lou

Community-reported — pending

The record reports alcohol on the premises.

· Open sources and details

Community-reported — pending

鸿宾楼

Area: xicheng

Grade D (caution) — SERVES ALCOHOL on premises. Hongbin Lou is a genuine, state-recognised 清真 institution ("Beijing's premier high-end halal restaurant", founded 1853, its 全羊席 whole-lamb-banquet technique on the 2008 national ICH register, on the Beijing municipal 老字号 portal, operated by the state-owned 聚德华天 清真 catering group). On halal/pork-free grounds alone it would be Grade A. BUT as a high-end banquet/wedding venue it serves and sells alcohol on premises (酒水 packages). Per the SeSudu rubric, a 清真 venue that serves alcohol is a caution → Grade D. No pork (not U).

Record scope
Outlet
Certifier in the record
清真 whole-lamb banquet 全羊席; national intangible cultural heritage (2008); Beijing municipal 老字号 portal; state-owned 聚德华天 清真 catering group
Certificate scope
清真 banquet — but SERVES ALCOHOL on premises (wedding 酒水), so a caution not a halal environment

Original record date: 2026-07-16. Check for changes at the outlet before relying on this information.

D
Beijing

Afanti Hometown Music Restaurant

Community-reported — pending

The record reports alcohol on the premises.

· Open sources and details

Community-reported — pending

阿凡提家乡音乐餐厅（朝阳门总店）

Area: dongcheng

Grade D (caution) — SERVES BEER. A Xinjiang/Uyghur-themed music-and-dance restaurant in Beijing, described by Baidu as a 清真-style Xinjiang restaurant (1-metre lamb skewers, 烤羊腿). BUT it explicitly serves alcohol: a first-person account documents "阿凡提特色啤酒" (signature beer, ¥40) + a beer-drinking competition during shows, and the Beijing tourism board brands an Afanti outlet as a "啤酒坊" (beer house). No 清真 licence/plaque, ownership unconfirmed → on-premises beer = NOT reliably halal → Grade D.

Record scope
Outlet
Certificate scope
Xinjiang/Uyghur-themed music restaurant — SERVES BEER on premises; no licence/plaque evidenced

Original record date: 2026-07-16. Check for changes at the outlet before relying on this information.

D
Beijing

Donglaishun

Community-reported — pending

The record reports alcohol on the premises.

· Open sources and details

Community-reported — pending

东来顺

Area: dongcheng

Grade D (caution) — SERVES ALCOHOL. Donglaishun is a 123-year-old Beijing 清真 institution (founded 1903 by the Hui native Ding Deshan, confirmed by the Beijing government portal), a 中华老字号, its instant-boiled-lamb technique on the national ICH register (2008). On 清真/pork-free grounds alone it would be Grade A. BUT its published menu has a separate "beverages and alcohol" category ("187 SKUs, not including beverages and alcohol") = alcohol served → the same profile as Hongbin Lou → Grade D, NOT A. Confirm the alcohol status on-site.

Record scope
Brand
Certifier in the record
中华老字号 (China Time-Honored Brand, MOFCOM); 涮羊肉 technique on the national ICH register (2008); beijing.gov.cn confirms Hui founder + 清真饭庄
Certificate scope
清真 lamb hotpot 老字号 — but its published menu has a separate beverages/alcohol category (alcohol served), so a caution

Original record date: 2026-07-16. Check for changes at the outlet before relying on this information.

D
China Wide

Chen Xiang Gui Lanzhou Beef Noodle

Community-reported — pending

· Open sources and details

Community-reported — pending

陈香贵兰州牛肉面

Grade D (caution) — a new-wave, mall-format 清真 Lanzhou beef-noodle chain (emerged in Shanghai ~2020), now 300+ outlets. Chinese sources show it self-declares 清真 standards (halal-sourced beef, dedicated utensils). BUT NO official 清真 licence was found, ownership is a corporate group (not Muslim), and Chinese media (Sohu/Sina/36Kr) confirm some outlets diversified into beer + BBQ (啤酒/烧烤). A non-Muslim-owned, self-declared chain that has sold beer cannot be presented as reliably halal → Grade D-caution. Verify no-alcohol + a physical 清真 plaque at the specific outlet.

Record scope
Brand
Certificate scope
Self-declared 清真 chain (no official licence); non-Muslim-owned; some outlets diversified into beer + BBQ — verify no-alcohol AND a physical 清真 plaque at the specific outlet

Original record date: 2026-07-16. Check for changes at the outlet before relying on this information.

E
Beijing

Chinese vegetarian (素食)

Pork-free / vegetarian — NOT a halal claim

· Open sources and details

Pork-free / vegetarian — NOT a halal claim

素食 / 齋菜

Grade E (veg fallback, no halal claim) — Chinese/Buddhist vegetarian restaurants (素食 / 齋菜) are a practical pork-avoidance fallback when no 清真 venue is nearby. But they make NO halal claim or certificate, and Buddhist 素菜 kitchens may use 料酒 (cooking wine) or egg → "not a halal guarantee." Use only as a pork-free fallback — prefer a Hui/Uyghur-run 清真 venue.

Record scope
Dish
Certificate scope
Buddhist/Chinese vegetarian — pork-free fallback, NO halal claim

Original record date: 2026-07-16. Check for changes at the outlet before relying on this information.

U
Beijing

Red-braised pork & char siu (红烧肉 / 叉燒)

Not verified

· Open sources and details

Not verified

红烧肉 / 叉燒 / 猪肉

Grade U (honest-negative — NOT halal) — 红烧肉 (red-braised pork belly), 叉燒 (char siu) and roast pork are signature Chinese dishes = PORK, never halal. Included solely so Muslim travellers recognise and AVOID the pork dishes ubiquitous on every Chinese menu. Never to be published as halal.

Record scope
Dish

Original record date: 2026-07-16. Check for changes at the outlet before relying on this information.

U
Beijing

Pork dumplings, buns & lard (猪肉饺子 / 包子 / 猪油)

Not verified

· Open sources and details

Not verified

猪肉饺子 / 包子 / 猪油

Grade U (honest-negative) — most 饺子 (dumplings), 包子 (buns) and 馄饨 (wontons) are pork-filled, and 猪油 (lard) is a common cooking fat even in "vegetable" dishes → hidden pork. A "no pork" dish can still use lard. Recognise and avoid; use 清真 venues only.

Record scope
Dish

Original record date: 2026-07-16. Check for changes at the outlet before relying on this information.

Grades show the strength of evidence. C is not third-party certification; D is pending verification. Check for changes before visiting.

03 / ASK BEFORE EATING

Three questions.
Clarity at the table.

Open ingredient glossary
01

Ingredients and sources

“What is this ingredient made from?”

Ask about dumpling fillings, fats and meat sources.
02

Certification and preparation

“What has been verified?”

Check for alcohol in cooking or on the premises.
03

Kitchen and premises

“What should I know?”

Prepare AMap or Baidu for local navigation.
Ingredient notes for China +
  • Check 猪肉 (pork), 猪油 (lard), 饺子/包子 fillings and stock.
  • Ask about baijiu, beer, cooking alcohol and meat sources, including at outlets marked 清真.

UNDERSTAND THE LETTERS

Evidence grades,
not decoration.

Read the full method
AOfficially certified+

An active third-party halal certificate for that outlet/scope, from a recognized body.

BOfficial tourism classification+

Listed by an official tourism-board program with a clear Muslim-friendly category.

CMuslim-owned / self-declared+

Muslim-owned or self-declared with current evidence — not a third-party certificate.

DCommunity-reported — pending+

A dated, sourced community report, but not yet verified.

EPork-free / vegetarian — NOT a halal claim+

Pork-free / vegetarian only — a FALLBACK, NOT a halal claim.

UNot verified+

Evidence insufficient or expired — shown as neither halal nor haram.

SPACE FOR PRAYER

Plan food and prayer stops.

The Beijing guide covers Niujie; original notes also list Xi’an and Guangzhou.

Locations in this guide +

Niujie Mosque (牛街礼拜寺) in Beijing anchors the halal district; Xi'an's Great Mosque (化觉巷清真大寺), Guangzhou's Huaisheng Mosque (怀圣寺) & Xinjiang's mosques are other major ones. The Beijing city page lists exact locations.

Beijing guide
Check locations and
local facilities.

STILL WONDERING?

Answers
to help you plan.

Is Chinese food halal?+

Generally no. Mainstream Chinese cuisine is built around pork (猪肉) as the default meat, uses lard (猪油), and serves alcohol (白酒 baijiu, beer) freely — so an ordinary Chinese restaurant is not halal. Halal food exists and is called 清真 (qīngzhēn), anchored by China's Hui (回族) and Uyghur (维吾尔) Muslim communities. To eat halal you specifically seek out 清真 venues — around Niujie Mosque in Beijing, Xi'an's Muslim Quarter, Lanzhou beef-noodle shops, Xinjiang/Uyghur restaurants, and Guangzhou's Xiaobei district.

What does 清真 (qingzhen) mean, and how do I find halal food in China?+

清真 (qīngzhēn) is the Chinese word for halal. There is no single national certifier — it is overseen locally by the China Islamic Association (中国伊斯兰教协会) + provincial/municipal Islamic Associations + ethnic-affairs bureaus, which authorise an official green 清真 plaque. Displaying a fake 清真 sign is illegal in China, so a licensed mosque-area Hui/Uyghur-run 清真 restaurant is reliable — while a "清真" tag that appears only in a travel app, with no plaque, is weaker. On arrival, look for the physical green 清真 plaque and prefer venues near a mosque.

How do I navigate to halal restaurants in China when Google Maps is blocked?+

Google Maps and all Google services are blocked in mainland China, so download a local map app before you arrive: 高德地图 (AMap) or 百度地图 (Baidu Maps). Search the characters 清真 to surface halal venues near you; both apps also handle taxi/ride-hail and directions. Once you arrive, confirm the physical green 清真 plaque on the wall — that on-site sign is the definitive halal check. Stay alert at Xinjiang/Uyghur restaurants: some serve beer on premises, and a venue that claims 清真 while serving alcohol is a caution, not a guarantee.

Continue your journey.

Beijing guide Find nearby food Ingredient glossary Halal grade model Read in Bahasa Melayu
Each record links to evidence and a checked date. E is not a halal guarantee. U is not verified.