Food & Drink

Dunhuang & Jiuquan Food Guide

What to eat along the Silk Road: must-try dishes, night market tips, and where to find the best lamb in Gansu.

Dunhuang's food is lamb and hand-pulled wheat, cooked simply and eaten loudly. The signature dish is donkey meat yellow noodles (驴肉黄面), a local heritage recipe. Two century-old noodle shops serve it; everything else worth eating is at the Shazhou Night Market. Budget CNY 40-60 per person for a full night market dinner.

Must-Try Dishes

Donkey Meat Yellow Noodles (驴肉黄面)

Dunhuang's signature dish and a recognised local intangible cultural heritage item. Hand-pulled yellow noodles under braised donkey meat in a dark, savoury sauce. The noodles should be springy — if they are soft and claggy, the shop is using machine-pressed dough. CNY 20-28.

Hu Yang Men Bing (胡羊焖饼)

The dish locals actually order most. Chunks of slow-braised lamb served over torn flatbread that soaks up the sauce until it is soft but still chewy. One portion usually feeds two. Best at the night market or at a dedicated lamb restaurant. CNY 30-40.

Lamb Soup with Vermicelli (羊肉粉汤)

Milky bone broth simmered for hours, poured over lamb, radish and glass noodles, finished with coriander and chilli oil. The standard night market warm-up. CNY 25-30.

Apricot Drink (杏皮水)

Dunhuang's local soft drink, made from dried Li Guang apricots. Sweet, faintly tart, and genuinely refreshing after a day in the dunes. Sold everywhere, cheapest at the night market. CNY 5-10.

Lamb Skewers (羊肉串)

Xinjiang-style grilled lamb with cumin and chilli, cooked over charcoal. Ubiquitous at night markets and the cheapest way to eat well. CNY 3-5 per skewer.

Lanzhou Beef Noodles (牛肉面)

Hand-pulled noodles in clear beef broth with chilli oil and sliced beef. Lanzhou is next door along the corridor, and the versions in Gansu are excellent and cheap. CNY 12-20.

Lamb He Zhi (羊肉合汁)

A Dunhuang breakfast-only soup: bone broth with lamb, radish and vermicelli. Locals eat it standing at a counter before 9 AM. Rarely found after that. CNY 15-25.

Stuffed Buns (包子)

Steamed or pan-fried buns with lamb, beef or vegetables. Cheap, filling, and the safest option if you are unsure about a menu. CNY 2-5 each.

Shazhou Night Market

Dunhuang's Shazhou Night Market (沙洲夜市) is the region's best food destination, and for most visitors it is the highlight of the trip. Stalls set up from around 7 PM and trade until well past midnight. It is split into a covered food court and a street food alley — the alley is where the charcoal grills are.

Arrive between 7 and 8 PM. Not all stalls are open before 7 PM, and by 9 PM the alleys are shoulder to shoulder. The sweet spot is early evening while everything is fired up but not yet rammed.
Choose fixed stalls over wandering vendors. The market is officially managed and prices are displayed, but touts working the entrances are not part of it. Pick a permanent pitch with a queue of locals and you will not be overcharged.
Gansu has abundant halal options. Look for green signs with Arabic script or the characters 清真. Most lamb and beef dishes are halal by default, and several stalls are run by Hui Muslim families.
Order by pointing. Few stalls have English menus. Point at what someone else is eating, or photograph a dish you liked and show it. Nobody minds — it happens all evening.

Best Restaurants in Dunhuang

Four places worth planning around, all in or near the city centre. Prices are approximate and portion sizes are generous — two people can usually share.

Shunzhang Huangmian Guan (顺张黄面馆)

CNY 20-40

Donkey meat yellow noodles

The benchmark local shop, founded in the late Qing dynasty — well over a century of the same dish. The braised donkey meat is the standout. Expect a queue at meal times; go before noon or after 2 PM.

Daji Jianglvrou Huangmian (达记酱驴肉黄面)

CNY 25-40

Braised donkey meat with noodles

A China "Famous Snack" award holder and the locals' everyday pick. Bigger portions and chewier hand-pulled noodles. The donkey meat regularly sells out by early afternoon, so this is a lunch stop, not a dinner one.

Guohui (国辉)

CNY 30-50

Hu yang men bing — braised lamb with flatbread

The local go-to for the flatbread dish. Chunks of slow-braised lamb served over torn flatbread that soaks up the sauce — one portion easily feeds two. Order it with a bowl of lamb soup.

Xiajia Hezhi (夏家合汁)

CNY 15-25

Lamb he zhi breakfast soup

Breakfast only, and it closes when the pot runs out. Bone broth with lamb, radish and vermicelli — the Dunhuang morning ritual. Cheaper than anything near the attractions.

Prices compiled from local listings and traveller reports, late 2026. Opening hours and availability change seasonally — call ahead or ask your hotel to confirm.

Halal & Vegetarian Options

Halal is easy. Gansu is home to a large Hui Muslim community, and the corridor has been Muslim-travelled for a thousand years. Restaurants display green signage with Arabic script, or the characters 清真, meaning halal. Lamb and beef dominate the cuisine anyway, so you rarely need to look far.

Vegetarian is harder but workable. The local diet is built on lamb and wheat, and many "vegetable" dishes are cooked in meat stock. What reliably works:

Hand-pulled noodles ordered plain — ask for 素面 (sù miàn) and confirm no meat broth.
Vegetable and mushroom stuffed buns, stir-fried greens, and cold dishes (凉菜) from the night market deli stalls.
Dried and fresh fruit — Li Guang apricots, melon and grapes are Gansu specialities. Useful when nothing else fits.
Carry a written card explaining your diet in Chinese. Our survival phrases page has the basics.

What Does Food Cost in Dunhuang?

Food is one of the cheapest parts of a Gansu trip. Prices are displayed at stalls and restaurants, and bargaining is not expected for food.

Bowl of donkey meat yellow noodles CNY 20-28

Hu yang men bing (feeds 1-2) CNY 30-40

Lamb soup / lamb soup with vermicelli CNY 15-28

Lamb skewers (per skewer) CNY 3-5

Apricot juice (杏皮水) CNY 5-10

Lanzhou beef noodles CNY 12-20

Night market dinner, per person CNY 40-60

Night market dinner for two CNY 70-90

Approximate, late 2026. Expect to pay 20-30% more inside hotel restaurants and at the attraction gates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What food is Dunhuang famous for?

Donkey meat yellow noodles (驴肉黄面) are the signature dish — a Dunhuang intangible cultural heritage item. Also look for hu yang men bing (胡羊焖饼, braised lamb with flatbread), lamb soup with vermicelli, apricot juice (杏皮水) and Lanzhou beef noodles. The Shazhou Night Market is the single best place to try most of them in one evening.

Is there halal food in Dunhuang?

Yes. Gansu has a large Hui Muslim population, so halal food is easy to find. Look for green signs with Arabic script or the characters 清真 on the shopfront. Most lamb and beef dishes are halal by default, and the night market has several dedicated halal stalls.

How much does food cost in Dunhuang?

Budget CNY 40-60 per person for a full meal at the night market, CNY 15-30 for a bowl of noodles at a local shop, and CNY 5-10 for a drink. Two people can eat very well at the Shazhou Night Market for around CNY 80 total. Prices are displayed and bargaining is not expected.

Can I eat well in Dunhuang as a vegetarian?

It is possible but requires effort. Gansu cooking is lamb- and wheat-based, and many dishes use meat stock even when the meat is not visible. Reliable options are hand-pulled noodles ordered without meat (ask for 素面), steamed vegetable buns, stir-fried greens, and the night market's fruit and dried-fruit stalls. Carry a translation card explaining your diet.

Hungry for more?

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