Cultural site · SHAANXI
Muslim Quarter (Beiyuanmen Street)
回民街 · Huímínjiē
About
Centuries-old Hui-Muslim neighbourhood north of the Drum Tower. Halal food street alive at night with lamb skewers, paomo, hand-pulled noodles.
The Muslim Quarter is the historic neighbourhood of Xi'an's Hui (Chinese-Muslim) community, descended from Silk Road traders who settled here in the Tang and Yuan dynasties. The Great Mosque, founded in 742 and rebuilt in the 14th century in a Chinese architectural style with Arabic calligraphy, sits in the centre of the district. Beiyuanmen Street is the main food artery — lit-up after dark with stalls grilling lamb skewers, slicing paomo bread, and pulling laghman noodles. Most active 6pm–11pm.
How to get there
Walk from Bell Tower; or Metro Line 2 to Zhonglou.
When to visit
Evening (6pm onwards).
Crowds: Heaviest 7pm–10pm. Photography of worshippers in the Great Mosque is not appropriate.
Gallery
Other attractions in Xi'an
Itineraries featuring this site
- Xi'an in 3 days
3d · Terracotta Army, City Wall, Muslim Quarter, the Wild Goose Pagodas.
- One week China classics — Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai
7d · The first-time-traveller's loop: imperial Beijing, the Terracotta Army at Xi'an, Shanghai's skyline. Connected by overnight train or short HSR.
- Silk Road — Xi'an, Lanzhou, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang
10d · The Hexi Corridor: Xi'an east-to-west by HSR through the Buddhist cave-temples and Silk Road forts.
- Two weeks comprehensive — Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, Shanghai
14d · The expanded loop: adds the panda capital and the Li River karst landscape to the classic three.
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