How to Travel as a Vegan or Vegetarian in China

Planning to travel to China but worried about maintaining your vegetarian diet? Have no fear! Eating as a vegan or vegetarian is never a problem in China. Vegetarian lifestyle is becoming more and more popular and it’s easier than ever to eat plant-based foods in China, one of the world's most popular culinary destinations. Even you have strict dietary restrictions as a vegan, you might be still offered with plenty of authentic food experiences. Here is an ultimate guide for eating in China while on a vegetarian diet.

China is one of the most vegan friendly travel countries in the world. It is as easy as a breeze for vegan travelers to eat in China, not only due to the trend of healthy eating but because of the growing number of vegetarian restaurants in the country. There are an incredible number of plant-based vegetarian food options that are part of traditional Chinese cuisine.

Actually, Chinese culinary culture has a profound tradition of vegetarianism because of the long-standing influence of Buddhist and Taoist diet, and now the tradition of vegetarianism is still retained in the country. China sees a great number of vegetarian restaurants nearly in all travel cities. Generally, southern China like Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Guilin, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou are most vegetarian–friendly cities as locals are more inclined to adopting a vegan diet. However, it is certainly possible to eat as vegetarian very well when traveling in other northern cities like Beijing and Xian, too.

• Rich Ingredients

What do you expect when entering a vegetarian restaurant in China? You will be pleased to know that a large variety of vegetables are actually used in Chinese daily cuisine. Moreover, Chinese vegetarian food often generously applies other vegan ingredients like tofu (bean curd), mushrooms, nuts, wheat, rice and water plants.



A standard Chinese vegetarian meal also involves rich plant-based seasonings including garlic, pepper, chili, ginger, sesame and soy sauce, etc. Most vegetarian foods in China have a light and fresh tastes, while some could be very spicy and salty.

• Perfect Mix of Colors, Texture and Flavor

Entering a real vegetarian restaurant in China, you will be surprised at the delectable appearance of dishes, displaying an elegant balance of colors and textures as well as flavors. This is especially true for the vegetarian restaurants famous for a Buddhist diet.

• Mock Meat

Mock meat might be something Chinese vegetarian cook specializes in, and they have been existing for centuries as a staple in Buddhist diet. They are 100% made of ingredients of plant origin, while they could have a realistic look and texture of an oyster, fish, chicken, kekab, beef or other meat. If you don't mind mock meat, what Chinese vegetarian restaurants offer will make you in for a treat.


• Representative Chinese Vegan Dishes

Although most Chinese people are not vegetarian, it is quite easy to find safe vegetarian food to enjoy. Even some of the simple snacks served at street food stalls across the country are meat free. Here are some most popular vegetarian dishes in China worth a try, including noodles with sesame paste, Sichuan-style cucumber salad with garlic, steamed buns with veggie fillings, vegetable dumplings, scallion pancake, spring rolls, porridge, fried rice, peanuts and spinach, spicy Sichuan tofu, fried greens and mushrooms, pickled cabbage and carrots, etc.

Though China has a long history of vegetarianism, ordering vegetarian Chinese food could be trickier than you expect. You will not only need to avoid the apparently meat-centric dishes, but also notice some hidden meats because many Chinese sauces, broths, and condiments may contain animal products like lard and chicken soup.

An important thing to remember is that most Chinese do not understand the differences between vegan and vegetarian. Vegetarians and vegans often avoid eating animal products for similar reasons, while the biggest difference is the degree to which they consider animal products acceptable. A vegan diet can be viewed as the strictest form of vegetarianism, excluding all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty like animal flesh, dairy, eggs, gelatin, honey, shellfish and butter. However, if you tell a Chinese waiter that you are a vegetarian, they may bring you a meat-based soup though it seems mostly made with vegetables.

Therefore, it's important to clearly specify your food restrictions to the food suppliers. If you're not sure about something, you could ask the waiter about what stock and broths are made from, what kind of oil is used for cooking and if fish sauce is an ingredient. Once you know what to watch for and what questions to ask, it's easy to confidently order and enjoy your vegetarian adventure in China.

It might be a pain for foreign diners to explain they are vegetarian in China because of the language barrier. However, you could learn a few key phrases to help you on your hunt for vegetarian food in China. The easiest and most practical phrase that you are able to easily master would be wo chi su 我吃素 (literally I am a vegetarian).

However, this phrase has its limitations especially when you try to explain the concept of a vegan in China since most Chinese restaurant owners do not fully understand how vegans differ from vegetarians. It may help a lot if you choose to describe what you don’t eat or digest. For instance, you could consider saying “wo bu chi... ” followed by the food (I don't eat meat/ chicken eggs/ beef/ pork/ fish/ seafood…). Drill your pronunciation of those Chinese phrases before you land in China, or you could write down the most used vegetarian phrases in Chinese characters to show the waitress. It’s far easier to resolve the language problem.

I am a vegetarian. – 我吃素(wǒ chī sù)
I am vegan. – 我是纯素食者 (wǒ shì chún sù shí zhě)
I eat only products of plant origin. – 我只吃植物性食品 (wǒ zhǐ chī zhí wù xìng shí pǐn)
I do not eat meat. – 我不吃肉 (wǒ bù chī ròu)
I do not eat fish. – 我不吃鱼 (wǒ bù chī yú)
I do not eat dairy products. – 我不吃乳制品 (wǒ bù chī rǔ zhì pǐn)

If you are looking for tried and tested vegetarian restaurants in China, here below are some restaurants highly recommended by western vegan travelers in different travel cities of China.

• Beijing

In the prosperous capital city Beijing, you will find a great variety of vegetarian restaurants from traditional Chinese Buddhist diet to vegan eateries of western concept. Do check out some upmarket vegan dinning places hidden in Beijing's hutong neighborhood.

King's Joy: No. 2 Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng District
The Horizon: Beijing Kerry Hotel, No. 1 Guanghua Road, Chaoyang District
Lily Vegetarian: No.23 Caoyuan Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing
The Veggie Table: No.19A Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng District
Suhu Restaurant (Vegetiger): 18, Chaowai St, 3rd floor, Fulllink Plaza, Haidian District

• Xian

As the start point of ancient Chinese Silk Road, Xian is famous for its halal cuisine and flour-made food. Vegie noodles could be found nearly in every street, and you are strongly recommended to try the veggie snacks like spinach noodles and liangpi (cold noodles with sesame paste) in the bustling Muslim Quarter.

Su Xin Cha Fang: 6F, Zhongmao Plaza, 118 North Chang'an Road
Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant: 2F, Heshengjing Shopping Mall, Fenglin Road
Shang Shan Vegetarian: 9, Dongguan Main Street
Sally's Dumplings - JM Kitchen: No 42, Jianhua West Lane, Lianhu District

• Shanghai

The vibrant Shanghai is actually the most vegan-friendly city in China, since the food is well catered to westerner's tongue and appetite. In Shanghai, you could easily enjoy favorable vegetarian food just as you do at home.

Hui Yuan Vegetarian: 49 Huaihai East Road, Huangpu District (at near Dashijie subway station)
If Vegan: 408 Shaanxi Bei, Jing’an District (at Beijing West Road)
Super Vegan: 618 Xu Jia Hui, Huang Pu District
Pure and Whole: 1376 West Nanjing Road (at Shanghai Centre)
Yi He Yi Shijie - Vegan Hotpot: Shop 509, 5th floor, 818 Plaza, 818 Nanjing West Road

• Hangzhou

Some believe Hangzhou is the best in making vegetarian dishes for locals have a long tradition of keeping a light diet with a great amount of vegetables intake. Besides, the restaurants in Hangzhou do an amazing job in achieve both elegance and flavors of plant-based food.

Shou Kang Yong: 38 Yan'an South Road, Shangcheng District
The Lakeside Veggie: No.1 Xueshiqiao, Nanshan Road, Shangcheng District
Lingyin Vegetarian Restaurant: No.1 Fa Yun Lane, Linyin Road, Xihu District
Fu Xing Guan: No.1, Yuhuangshan Road, Xihu District

• Chengdu

Chengdu people are biggest eaters of chili pepper throughout China, while surprisingly you could have a chance to enjoy some tasty vegan food totally different from the light-flavored food you tried before. You could even enjoy a veggie hotpot, a unique dish and cooking method that every visitor should not miss in Chengdu.

Zaozishu - Vegetarian Lifestyle: 4F, Bojingcheng Square, 27 Qinglong Street
Yu Su Ge: 4F Shunong Hotel, 67 Qingnian Road, Jinjiang District
Wenshu Temple Restaurant: 66 Wenshuyuan Street, Chengdu
Water Lotus (Qing Shui He Hua): 10-11, Shuhan Street, Chengdu

• Guilin

Mifen (Rice Noodles) is one of most representative local dishes of Guilin, and it could absolutely be a nice choice for vegetarian travelers. Meanwhile, both in Guilin downtown and Yangshuo County, you could find a number of quality vegetarian restaurants.

Nengren Temple Vegetarian Restaurant: 6 Lijun Road, Xiufeng District
Tian Fu Lou: 1 Dongzheng Road, Diecai District, Guilin
Pu Su Jia: 258 Linjiang Road, Qixing District, Guilin

• Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a vegan traveler's paradise where you could enjoy even more and better vegetarian stuff than at your home. As typical Cantonese cuisine, Hong Kong food are light-flavored, and many locals maintain a vegetarian lifestyle because of the Buddhist belief.

Veggie SF: 0/F 11 Stanley Street, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong
Kung Tak Lam: 10/F, World Trade Centre, 280 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay
Woodlands: UG 16-17, Wing On Plaza, 62 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Long Men Lou (Chi Lin Vegetarian): Nan Lian Garden, 60 Fung Tak Road, Diamond Hill
Amy's Vegetarian: 13/F Overseas Building, No. 417 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai

• Yangtze River Cruise

You may be wondering if you can get vegetarian meals on the ship of Yangtze River cruise. Don't worry, your special diet request can be totally accommodated. Yangtze River cruises have built up rich experience in catering for vegetarian travelers all across the world. Onboard, your breakfast, lunch and dinner are all served in buffet styles, offering plenty of vegetarian dishes like green vegetables and fruits salad in season. You can also pay extra for an a la carte meal with some specially cooked vegan or vegetarian food.

These listed places are all top travel destinations in China, which are modern, tolerant and friendly to vegan eaters. However, even popping into a small or remote place of China, you could definitely order vegetarian food without any problem since Chinese daily meals have been always applying a generous use of vegetables and grains.