The short version
China is easier for special diets than many visitors fear, as long as you can explain what you need in Chinese.
- Vegetarian: ask for 素食 (sùshí). Buddhist vegetarian restaurants are the safest choice. In ordinary restaurants, watch for lard, meat stock, chicken powder and oyster sauce.
- Vegan: dairy is rare in Chinese food. Watch for eggs, which are everywhere.
- Halal: look for the green 清真 (qīngzhēn) sign. Lanzhou beef noodle shops and Xinjiang restaurants are in almost every city.
- Allergies: restaurants rarely label allergens. Show a written Chinese allergy card before you order, and carry your own medication.
- Use the cards below. Show them on your phone or print them.
This guide was written on 30 September 2026. It is general advice, not medical advice: if you have a serious allergy, talk to your doctor before you travel.
Vegetarian food in China
Where to eat
| Where | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Buddhist vegetarian restaurants (素食) | No meat or fish in the kitchen. Many imitate meat dishes with tofu and gluten |
| Temple restaurants | Many big temples run vegetarian canteens, such as Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai and Wenshu Monastery in Chengdu |
| Hot pot | Order a mushroom or tomato broth (菌汤锅, 番茄锅) and vegetables. Spicy broths often use beef tallow |
| Dumpling and noodle shops | Look for 素饺子 (vegetable dumplings) and plain noodles. Ask about eggs and stock |
| International restaurants | Big cities have Indian, Middle Eastern, Western and vegan cafes |
How to search: in Amap (高德地图) or Dianping (大众点评), type 素食 to find vegetarian restaurants near you. HappyCow also lists vegetarian and vegan places in big Chinese cities. Apple Maps works in China and finds some places with an English search.
Hidden meat to watch for
A dish of green vegetables is not always vegetarian. Common hidden ingredients:
| Ingredient | Chinese | Where you find it |
|---|---|---|
| Lard | 猪油 (zhūyóu) | Stir-fried vegetables, noodles, pastries |
| Meat stock | 肉汤, 高汤 (gāotāng) | Soups, noodle broth, braised tofu |
| Chicken powder | 鸡精 (jījīng) | Added to many dishes as seasoning |
| Oyster sauce | 蚝油 (háoyóu) | Stir-fried greens, especially in Guangdong |
| Minced pork | 肉末 (ròumò) | Mapo tofu, eggplant, green beans |
| Dried shrimp | 虾米, 虾皮 | Cold dishes, soups, fillings |
| Fish sauce | 鱼露 (yúlù) | Southern and Yunnan cooking |
Dishes to try, and what to ask
| Dish | Chinese | Usually vegetarian? |
|---|---|---|
| Tomato and egg stir-fry | 西红柿炒鸡蛋 | Yes (has egg) |
| Potato, eggplant and pepper | 地三鲜 | Usually. Ask for no lard |
| Smashed cucumber salad | 拍黄瓜 | Yes |
| Stir-fried seasonal greens | 清炒时蔬 | Ask for no lard and no oyster sauce |
| Garlic broccoli | 蒜蓉西兰花 | Ask for no chicken powder |
| Mapo tofu | 麻婆豆腐 | No by default: ask for 不要肉末 (no minced meat) |
| Fish-fragrant eggplant | 鱼香茄子 | Often has pork. Ask for no meat |
| Dry-fried green beans | 干煸四季豆 | Often has pork. Ask for no meat |
| Vegetable dumplings | 素饺子 | Usually, but may contain egg |
For ordering tips, picture menus and table QR codes, see how to order food in China.
Vegetarian card: show this to staff
我吃素。我不吃肉、鸡、鱼、海鲜。 请不要放猪油、肉汤、鸡精、蚝油、虾米。 可以用鸡蛋和牛奶。谢谢！
I am vegetarian. I do not eat meat, chicken, fish or seafood. Please do not use lard, meat stock, chicken powder, oyster sauce or dried shrimp. Eggs and milk are OK. Thank you!
Vegan food in China
Vegans often find China easier than expected:
- Dairy is rare in traditional Chinese cooking. Butter and cheese mostly appear in bakeries, Western food and some desserts.
- Tofu is everywhere, in dozens of forms: silken, dried, smoked, fried, tofu skin (腐竹) and more.
- Eggs are the main problem. They appear in fried rice, noodles, dumpling fillings, buns and cakes.
- Buddhist vegetarian restaurants are usually vegan except some desserts. Strict Buddhist cooking also leaves out garlic and onions.
Vegan card
我吃纯素。我不吃肉、鸡、鱼、海鲜、鸡蛋、牛奶、黄油、蜂蜜。 请不要放猪油、肉汤、鸡精、蚝油、虾米。谢谢！
I am vegan. I do not eat meat, chicken, fish, seafood, eggs, milk, butter or honey. Please do not use lard, meat stock, chicken powder, oyster sauce or dried shrimp. Thank you!
Halal food in China
China has more than 20 million Muslims, mostly Hui and Uyghur, so halal food is available in every city.
How to recognize a halal restaurant
- Look for 清真 (qīngzhēn, halal) on the sign, usually green, often with Arabic script.
- Lanzhou beef noodle shops (兰州牛肉面, 兰州拉面) are in almost every city and neighborhood, and most are run by Hui Muslim families. Check for the 清真 sign.
- Xinjiang restaurants (新疆菜) serve lamb skewers, hand-pulled noodles (拉条子), rice pilaf (抓饭) and big plate chicken (大盘鸡). Most display the 清真 sign.
- Supermarkets label halal meat and snacks with 清真.
There is no single national halal certificate for restaurants in China. The 清真 sign is the practical signal locals use. If you are unsure, ask the questions on the card below.
Best places for halal food
| Place | What to know |
|---|---|
| Xi’an | The Muslim Quarter (回民街) near the Drum Tower: lamb soup with bread (羊肉泡馍), skewers and noodles. Not every stall is halal, so check the signs. See Xi’an |
| Beijing | The Niujie (牛街) area around Niujie Mosque has halal restaurants, butchers and bakeries |
| Ningxia and Gansu | Yinchuan and Lanzhou have halal food on almost every street |
| Guangzhou and Shanghai | Many Lanzhou noodle shops, Xinjiang restaurants and international halal restaurants |
| Chongqing and Chengdu | Fewer choices. Search 清真 in map apps. Ordinary hot pot usually uses beef tallow and is not halal; look for 清真火锅 |
How to search: type 清真 in Amap or Dianping to see nearby halal restaurants on the map. Big mosques, such as the Great Mosque of Xi’an, Niujie Mosque in Beijing and Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou, usually have halal food nearby.
Things to check
- Cooking wine (料酒, liàojiǔ) is used in many Chinese dishes, even in some halal kitchens. Ask for none if this matters to you.
- Non-halal restaurants use pork and lard widely, and share woks and oils. Ordering a “no pork” dish there does not make it halal.
- Flights: Chinese airlines offer Muslim meals on request. Ask when booking, usually at least 24 hours before departure.
- Trains: food on high-speed trains is not halal. Bring your own. See riding China’s high-speed trains.
Halal card
我是穆斯林，只吃清真食品。 请问这里是清真餐厅吗？ 我不吃猪肉，不要猪油，不要料酒。谢谢！
I am Muslim and only eat halal food. Is this a halal restaurant? I do not eat pork. Please do not use lard or cooking wine. Thank you!
Food allergies in China
Food allergies are less widely understood in China than in Europe, North America or Australia. Restaurants rarely list allergens, and kitchens share woks, oils and sauces. You can still eat safely, but you need to be explicit.
The biggest risks
| Allergen | Chinese | Where it hides |
|---|---|---|
| Peanuts | 花生 (huāshēng) | Peanut oil for frying, kung pao dishes, cold noodles, sauces, street snacks |
| Tree nuts | 坚果 (jiānguǒ) | Cashew stir-fries, pastries, mooncakes |
| Sesame | 芝麻 (zhīma) | Sesame oil (香油) in cold dishes, sesame paste in noodles and hot pot dips |
| Shellfish | 贝类, 虾, 蟹 | Dried shrimp, oyster sauce, XO sauce, soups |
| Fish | 鱼 | Fish sauce, stocks |
| Wheat / gluten | 小麦, 麸质 | Soy sauce (almost everywhere), noodles, dumplings, mock meat (seitan) |
| Egg | 鸡蛋 (jīdàn) | Fried rice, noodles, batters, buns |
| Soy | 大豆, 黄豆 | Soy sauce, tofu, bean pastes, oils |
Gluten-free travelers: soy sauce contains wheat and is used in most sauces and marinades, so coeliacs find China hard. Choose plain rice, steamed dishes, congee (粥) and rice noodles (米粉), ask for no soy sauce (不要酱油), and bring gluten-free soy sauce packets from home.
Peanut allergy: peanut oil is a common cooking oil, especially in the south, and restaurant staff may not think of oil as containing peanuts. Say it explicitly, as on the card below.
Packaged food: ingredient lists are in Chinese. Use your phone’s camera translation on the label. Allergen labeling on packaged food is not yet mandatory in China, so an item without an allergen warning can still contain one.
Before you go
- Talk to your doctor and get a letter in English describing your allergy and medication.
- Bring your medication, including two adrenaline auto-injectors if prescribed, antihistamines and any inhalers. Auto-injectors are hard to find in Chinese pharmacies. Carry them in your hand luggage with the prescription. See China customs rules.
- Buy travel insurance that covers medical treatment. See China travel insurance.
- Save the emergency numbers: 120 for an ambulance, 110 for police.
- Know your nearest hospital. Big cities have international clinics and hospitals with international departments (国际部).
Allergy card (example: peanuts)
Replace 花生 (peanut) with your allergen from the table above.
我对花生严重过敏，吃了会有生命危险。 请不要放花生、花生油、花生酱。 请确认所有的油、酱料和汤里都没有花生。 如果不能确定，请告诉我。谢谢！
I have a severe peanut allergy that can be life-threatening. Please do not use peanuts, peanut oil or peanut butter. Please check that all oils, sauces and soups are peanut-free. If you are not sure, please tell me. Thank you!
Tip: show the card before you order, and again when the food arrives. If staff seem unsure, choose another restaurant or a simple dish you can see, such as plain steamed rice and boiled vegetables.
Useful words for special diets
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetarian | 素食 | sùshí |
| I am vegetarian | 我吃素 | wǒ chī sù |
| Halal | 清真 | qīngzhēn |
| No meat | 不要肉 | bú yào ròu |
| No lard | 不要猪油 | bú yào zhūyóu |
| No egg | 不要鸡蛋 | bú yào jīdàn |
| No MSG / chicken powder | 不要味精、鸡精 | bú yào wèijīng, jījīng |
| No soy sauce | 不要酱油 | bú yào jiàngyóu |
| I am allergic to … | 我对……过敏 | wǒ duì … guòmǐn |
A translation app helps with menus and follow-up questions. See translation apps for China.
Plan meals around your diet
Eating well with a special diet is much easier when restaurants are chosen in advance. Tell us in the free trip planning form if you are vegetarian, vegan, halal or have allergies. We can plan restaurants near your hotel and sights, and a local guide can explain your needs to the kitchen in Chinese.