Calle Mojia

Mojia Street is the most famous food street in Xining, and for many travelers the most memorable single culinary experience in Qinghai province. Located just off the eastern end of Dongguan Street in the old Hui (Chinese Muslim) district of the city, the street is more than six hundred years old and has been a continuous center of Xining's food trade since the Ming dynasty. Today it is a busy, partly covered market street of small restaurants, snack stalls, butcher shops, and food vendors, all packed into a few hundred meters of narrow lane.

The street is the best place in the city to sample the food of northwest China's Hui and Salar Muslim communities, alongside regional Tibetan and Mongolian dishes. Highlights include hand-pulled lamian noodles served in clear beef broth; cumin-dusted lamb skewers grilled over charcoal; freshly baked flatbreads (nang) from tandoor-style clay ovens; Lanzhou-style beef noodles; cold noodles with sesame paste; Xinjiang pilaf; roasted whole lamb; yogurt made from local yak or cow milk, topped with sugar and raisins; and the rich, milky tea that is a regional specialty. Sweet snacks — candied fruits, sesame balls, deep-fried dough twists — are sold from dedicated stalls, and in summer the street is famous for its cold noodles and iced yogurt.

The market is at its best in the evening, when the surrounding Dongguan district comes alive, the smoke from charcoal grills rises over the rooftops, and the temperature drops to a comfortable level. At night the street is crowded, loud, and atmospheric — a working food market rather than a tourist show, even though it appears in every guidebook.

For most foreign travelers, Mojia Street is a must-do evening stop, and a great introduction to the multiethnic food culture of northwest China. Eat from multiple stalls rather than sitting down to a single meal, carry small cash (some vendors still prefer it), and consider bringing a Mandarin-speaking guide or a good translation app for ordering — English is essentially nonexistent.

Combine Mojia Street with a daytime visit to the nearby Dongguan Mosque for a fuller picture of the historic Hui quarter of Xining. Allow two hours minimum for a proper eating tour.