The phrases, written down
- 我吃素，不吃肉、不吃鱼、不吃鸡蛋、不喝牛奶。 — “I am vegetarian: no meat, no fish, no egg, no milk.”
- 这里面有肉吗？ — “Does this contain meat?”
- 不要放肉汤。 — “No meat stock.” (Critical — a “vegetable” dish is often cooked in pork or chicken stock.)
- 不要放猪油。 — “No lard.”
- 我对花生过敏，严重。 — “I am severely allergic to peanuts.”
Type it. Speaking through a translation app in a noisy restaurant fails. Keep these five sentences in a note and show the screen.
Hidden animal ingredients
| Hidden in | What it is |
|---|---|
| “Vegetable” dishes | Often cooked in pork or chicken stock |
| Fried rice, noodles | Egg by default; ask 不要鸡蛋 |
| Mapo tofu | Traditionally contains minced pork — ask 不要肉 |
| Hotpot broth | Beef tallow in Chongqing style; order 清汤 or 番茄 broth |
| Stir-fried greens | Sometimes finished with lard |
| Soup dumplings | Pork gelatin is structural, not optional |
Buddhist restaurants: the best vegetarian food in China
Large temples run restaurants (素菜馆) that serve entirely plant-based banquets — mock duck, mock abalone, mushroom “sea cucumber”. They are excellent, cheap, and completely safe for a vegan. Every major city has one; ask your hotel or search 素食 near you.
Halal food
China has roughly 20 million Muslim citizens, and halal (清真) restaurants are everywhere in Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter, Lanzhou, Xining, Yinchuan, Kashgar and Urumqi. Lanzhou beef noodle chains are halal and in every city. In areas without a Muslim community, halal food is harder — bring the phrase 清真 and expect to eat seafood, vegetables and eggs.
The places that make it easy
- Buddhist temple restaurants — fully vegetarian, no language problem.
- Lanzhou beef noodle shops — halal, ¥20, everywhere.
- International hotels — will understand “vegetarian” and can print an allergen note.
- Yunnan and Guizhou restaurants — mushroom and vegetable forward, easy to order around meat.
- Hotpot — order a clear or tomato broth and vegetables only; you control everything.
Frequently asked
Is it hard to be vegetarian in China?+
Manageable if you avoid stock and ask directly. Buddhist restaurants make it easy.
Are there vegan options in China?+
Yes, especially at temple restaurants and in Yunnan. Ask for no egg and no milk explicitly.
Where can I find halal food in China?+
Lanzhou noodle chains nationally; Xi’an Muslim Quarter, Lanzhou, Xining, Yinchuan and Xinjiang have full halal food scenes.