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Best Food in Huaibei (2026)
Begin your food journey at the bustling Xiangshan Night Market on Xiangshan Road. This open-air market comes alive after 6 PM with dozens of stalls serving local favorites. Try t… 🍜 Where to Start
Begin your food journey at the bustling Xiangshan Night Market on Xiangshan Road. This open-air market comes alive after 6 PM with dozens of stalls serving local favorites. Try the cumin lamb skewers for 3 yuan each and the spicy tofu pudding for 5 yuan.
🥟 Must-Try Local Dishes
Huaibei is famous for its savory pancake rolls called jianbing, stuffed with egg, crispy wonton, and chili sauce. Another local staple is the braised pork belly with preserved vegetables, often served over steamed rice. For a unique snack, seek out the sesame seed cakes from the old town bakery on Huaihai Road.
🏪 Top Restaurants
For a sit-down meal, head to Laohuai Restaurant at 88 Renmin Road, known for its authentic Huaiyang cuisine. Their braised lion's head meatballs cost 48 yuan and the sweet and sour mandarin fish is 68 yuan. For dumplings, Wangji Dumpling House on Xiangyang Street offers pork and chive dumplings for 12 yuan per dozen.
🌯 Street Food Stalls
Don't miss the grilled cold noodles stall near the intersection of Huaihai Road and Xiangshan Road. The vendor tosses chewy noodles with bean sprouts, vinegar, and chili oil for 8 yuan a bowl. Another favorite is the fried dough stick vendor outside the East Gate Market, selling crispy youtiao for 1.5 yuan each.
🍜 Breakfast Spots
Start your morning at the breakfast alley off Renmin Square, where vendors serve steaming bowls of soy milk with fried dough sticks. The tofu pudding with pickled radish at Auntie Li's stall costs 4 yuan and is a local favorite. For a heartier meal, try the beef noodle soup at Old Zhang's Noodles on Huaihai Road for 15 yuan.
🍢 Evening Food Tours
The best evening food experience is a walking tour through the old town alleys near the Confucian Temple. Sample grilled squid skewers at 5 yuan each, spicy hot pot from a street cart for 20 yuan, and finish with a bowl of sweet red bean soup for 6 yuan. Most stalls operate from 5 PM to midnight.
💰 Budget Tips
Most street food items cost between 3 and 15 yuan, making Huaibei very affordable for food lovers. A full meal at a mid-range restaurant like Laohuai runs about 50 to 80 yuan per person. Carry small bills and coins, as many stalls do not accept digital payments.
🚌 Getting Around
The city's bus system covers all major food areas, with routes 1, 2, and 8 connecting the night market and old town. A single ride costs 1 yuan. Taxis are also cheap, with most food destinations within a 10 yuan fare from the city center. Walking is the best way to explore the food alleys.
Good to see someone put together a proper guide for Huaibei. The Xiangshan Night Market is a solid starting point but I would add that the best time to hit it is actually Thursday through Sunday when more vendors show up. On weekdays maybe half the stalls are open and it feels a bit dead.
The Wangji Dumpling House mentioned in the guide does a solid pork and chive dumpling but their real specialty is the shrimp and pork version that is not on the main menu. You have to ask for it specifically and it costs 16 yuan per dozen. They run out by 7 PM most nights.
For anyone visiting in summer, there is a cold noodle cart that sets up on the corner of Huaihai and Xiangyang around noon that does a vinegar-mustard dressing that will wake you right up. It is 7 yuan and the owner adds crushed peanuts and fresh cilantro. Beats the grilled version when the temperature hits 35 degrees.
That grilled cold noodles spot really is something else, I usually get mine with an extra egg for 2 yuan more and the owner just cracks it right on the grill. Makes the whole thing even richer.
One place the guide skipped is a small stall on the east side of Xiangshan Night Market that does stinky tofu with a fermented bean sauce. It's 6 yuan for a bowl and the smell scares off tourists but locals line up for it. The vendor has a little sign with a cartoon pig on it, hard to miss.
For the evening food tour near the Confucian Temple, there is a cart that sells candied hawthorn skewers for 3 yuan that I always grab for dessert. The sugar coating gets crunchy in the cool night air and it cuts through all the savory stuff from earlier.
honestly the sesame seed cakes from the old town bakery on Huaihai Road are worth the walk but go before 10am or they sell out. they're 2 yuan each and still warm from the oven, the sesame crust is super crispy and the inside is soft with a hint of five spice. i grab three and eat them on the way to the market.
another thing nobody's mentioned yet is the cold sesame noodles at a tiny cart near the Confucian Temple entrance. it's 6 yuan and the guy mixes it with cucumber shreds and a thick sesame paste, way better than the grilled cold noodles for a hot day. he's usually there from 11am to 2pm only.
the guide's budget tips are solid but u can prob get by on 30 yuan for a full evening if u stick to street food and skip the restaurants. just bring your own napkins cause most stalls don't have any.
3 Days in Huaibei: Itinerary 2026
Begin your trip at the Huaibei Railway Station, which connects to major cities like Hefei and Xuzhou. From there, take a taxi (about 15 minutes, 20 CNY) to your hotel near Xiangs… 🗺️ Where to Start
Begin your trip at the Huaibei Railway Station, which connects to major cities like Hefei and Xuzhou. From there, take a taxi (about 15 minutes, 20 CNY) to your hotel near Xiangshan Park for easy access to the city's main attractions.
🏞️ Day 1: Xiangshan Park Area
Start Day 1 at Xiangshan Park (open 6:00-18:00, free entry), a scenic spot with pagodas and lake views. Spend the morning hiking to the summit for panoramic city views, then visit the nearby Huaibei Museum (9:00-17:00, free) to learn about local coal mining history.
🍜 Lunch and Local Eats
For lunch, head to Laoma Street Food Court (11:00-21:00) for affordable local dishes like spicy noodles and steamed buns. Try the signature Huaibei lamb soup at Wangji Restaurant (28 Renmin Road, about 25 CNY per bowl) for an authentic taste.
🏛️ Day 1 Afternoon: City Center
After lunch, explore the Huaibei Commercial Pedestrian Street (Huaihai Road) for shopping and street performances. Visit the Longji Mountain Scenic Area (entry 30 CNY, open 8:00-17:30) for a short cable car ride (20 CNY) and temple ruins.
🌃 Evening: Night Market
End Day 1 at the Xiangshan Night Market (open 18:00-23:00) near the park entrance, where you can sample grilled skewers and fried tofu. Try the candied hawthorn sticks (5 CNY) and watch local calligraphers at work.
⛰️ Day 2: Suburban Nature
On Day 2, take Bus 101 (2 CNY, 40 minutes) from the city center to the Huaibei National Forest Park (entry 40 CNY, open 7:00-18:00). Spend the morning hiking the Bamboo Forest Trail and visiting the waterfall at the park's northern end.
🛶 Day 2 Afternoon: Lake District
In the afternoon, head to Nanhu Lake (free entry, open 8:00-19:00) for a relaxing boat ride (30 CNY per hour). Rent a bicycle (15 CNY per hour) to cycle the 5 km lakeside path, stopping at the Lotus Pavilion for photos.
🚌 Getting Around
Huaibei's public buses cost 1-2 CNY per ride and cover most attractions, but taxis are cheap (starting at 7 CNY). For Day 3, consider renting a car (about 200 CNY per day) to reach the Dangshan Pear Orchard, 30 km east of the city.
yeah this is a really solid plan, been here for work a few years now and youve got the highlights down. one thing i'd tweak is swapping the cable car at Longji for the hike, its only a 20 min walk and you get to see these old quarry pits that are pretty unique, plus you save the 20 yuan. the night market is legit, but the fried stinky tofu stall on the west end is the one to hit, that auntie's been there since the 90s and her chili oil is something else.
for day 2, Nanhu Lake is nice but the bike rentals run out fast on weekends, if you go after 2pm just walk the east side path to that little bridge past the lotus pavilion. there's a guy selling fresh sugarcane juice for like 4 yuan a cup, hits different after the forest park hike.
one thing missing is the morning scene at Xiangshan Park, if you get there around 6am you'll see the tai chi groups and old guys with their songbirds, real local vibe. also the Dangshan Pear Orchard is only worth it if you're there for the harvest in august or september, otherwise its pretty bare. for a winter trip swap it for the old coal mine museum on Renmin Road, its free and gives you a real sense of the city's history.
fwiw you should check out the old coal mine museum on Renmin Road if you have time on day 3 instead of the pear orchard if its not harvest season. its free and theyve got this huge model of the underground tunnels plus old mining equipment, really gives you a sense of how the city grew. also theres a little noodle shop two blocks south of the museum called Laomian Guan that does the best dandan noodles in town, like 8 yuan a bowl and theyre open for breakfast which most places arent
honestly this is a solid itinerary, i've lived here a few years and you nailed the main spots. one thing i'd add is that the cable car at Longji Mountain is nice but the hike up is only like 30 mins and gives you better views of the old quarry pits, plus you save the 20 yuan. if you're doing the night market, don't skip the fried stinky tofu stall on the west end, it's run by an auntie who's been there since the 90s and she uses a special chili oil that's way better than the others.
for day 2, Nanhu Lake is great but the bike rental can be a pain if you go after 3pm, they run out of bikes on weekends. if that happens just walk the east side path to the little bridge near the lotus pavilion, there's a guy selling fresh sugarcane juice for like 4 yuan a cup, really refreshing after the forest park.
also the Dangshan Pear Orchard is worth it in late summer or early autumn when the pears are in season, you can pick your own for like 10 yuan a kilo. but if you're going in spring or winter it's kinda bare, so maybe swap it for the Xiangshan Temple ruins if you want something closer. just a heads up.