Vegetarian and vegan in China

The reality

China is not a particularly easy country for vegetarians or vegans by Western standards. Restaurant defaults assume meat or fish in many dishes. But there is a deep Buddhist vegetarian tradition (素菜) and an active modern plant-based movement in tier-1 cities.

Useful phrases

• 我吃素 (wǒ chī sù) — I eat vegetarian.
• 我不吃肉 (wǒ bù chī ròu) — I don't eat meat.
• 我不吃鱼 (wǒ bù chī yú) — I don't eat fish.
• 我不吃鸡蛋 (wǒ bù chī jīdàn) — I don't eat eggs.
• 我不吃奶 (wǒ bù chī nǎi) — I don't drink milk.
• 没有鱼酱 (méiyǒu yújiàng) — no fish sauce.
• 没有鸡汤 (méiyǒu jītāng) — no chicken stock.

Buddhist restaurants

Look for restaurants signed 素菜 / 素菜馆 / 净素 — these serve no meat or fish. Many Buddhist temples have attached vegetarian restaurants (Lingyin in Hangzhou, Yonghe Gong in Beijing, Wenshu in Chengdu). Most cities have Buddhist-vegetarian chains: Songtang Vegetarian, Vege Tiger, Da Cangu.

What to know

• Pork lard is a common cooking fat in non-vegetarian restaurants — easy to miss as 'vegetarian' if you're not asking.
• Chicken stock is a default base for many soups and stir-fries.
• Fish sauce, oyster sauce, fish powder show up in unexpected places — Cantonese roast vegetables, fried rice, hot pot broth.
• Eggs and dairy are not always considered 'meat' — Chinese vegetarian categories don't always match Western ones. Specify if you're vegan.
• Buddhist vegetarian does not include meat, fish, eggs, dairy, alliums (garlic, onion, leek). If your vegetarianism is more relaxed, ask for 蛋奶素 (egg-and-dairy vegetarian).

Vegan modern scene

Tier-1 cities now have substantial vegan restaurants — Beijing has Pure Lotus, Lily's Vegetarian, Veggie Mama; Shanghai has Wujie, Pure & Whole, Mantra; Guangzhou and Shenzhen have several. Plant-based meat (Beyond Meat, OmniPork from Hong Kong's OmniFoods) is in supermarkets and trendy restaurants.

Travel tip

The card carrying your dietary requirements in Chinese, ready to show, is the single most useful tool — particularly for travel outside tier-1 cities. Ask a local friend to write you a clear, polite version: "I am vegetarian. I do not eat meat, fish, chicken stock or fish sauce. I eat vegetables, tofu, eggs, dairy. Please make this without meat. Thank you."