It is said that Guiyang people working outside Guiyang would be sure to lick their lips when they think of Guiyang food. This reflects their love of food and the culture. Food in Guiyang mainly includes Qian cuisine and local snacks.

Qian (Guizhou) Cuisine tastes numb and spicy, which are two indispensable elements in Guiyang food. Numb refers to the condiment made from several spices and the spicy is mainly refined from the red pepper.

Another typical Guiyang dish, Suan Tang Yu (Sour Soup Fish) is most delicious. Originating not in Guiyang, but in the Miao region, this dish has become a typical dish in Guiyang. You can have the dish at Kaili Sour Sour Fish Restaurant, No. 55, Shengfu Lu, Guiyang.

Snacks

Si Wa Wa (Sliced Vegetable Baby) could well be the cheapest snack in Guiyang. It literarily means the Baby because it takes the shape of a baby in swaddling clothes. Actually it is a thin cake made of flour and stuffed with various sliced cooked vegetables such as the carrot, radish, celerie and other vegetables. Sour and spicy juices are necessities when tasting the Si Wa Wa.

Zhangji Si Wa Wa: at the entrance of Wenhua Lu, Guiyang

Chang Wang Mian (Chang Wang Noodle) could be the most popular snack in Guiyang. The name of Chang Wang implies auspiciousness. With a long history of more than 100 years, Chang Wang Noodle has been highly-praised by the people of Guiyang.

Lian'ai Doufu Guo (The Bean Curd in Love) is another famous Guiyang snack. It has an interesting name and also an interesting method of preparation that is to cut a piece of bean curd horizontally, fill it with vegetables and sliced meat, then to toast the bean curd until it turns golden and then sprinkle with sesame oil and other condiments. The finished bean curd tastes excellent! As for its interesting name, it is told that lovers often share the bean curd with each other, which add romance to the food; hence the name. Locals have this snack together with the soy sauce, vinegar, pepper and shallot.

Spring Chicken is another savory snack in Guiyang. Bai Shi Ji Spring Chicken Restaurant on Xingguan Lu enjoys great fame all over Guiyang. It also has branches outside of Guiyang in major cities such as Kunming and Chengdu.

Where to Eat

The Qian cuisine is recommended to be sampled at restaurants serving the local dishes, like the Yayuan, Yixin Yuan and Buyi restaurants. In lots of star hotels such as the Trade-Point, Guizhou and Guiyang Plaza hotels, Qian Cai, Sichuan, Canton and the Western Cuisine are served.

Near the fountain in the center of Guiyang, there are two famous snack streets, Hequn Lu and Shaanxi Lu. A variety of food is available here, Si Wa Wa and rice noodle. The night market here will usually stay open until around 03:00 the next day.

Huaxi Wangji Beef Rice Noodle
Location: Huaxi, Guiyang
It has branches all over China, but the head office here in Huaxi serves the most local and delicious rice noodle of all.

Liuji Chang Wang Noodle
Location: Waihuan Lu, Guiyang – near the Provincial Hospital of Guizhou

Ding Guan Cheng
Location: at the expressway entrance to the airport
The specialties of this restaurant are the Sour Soup Fish (Suan Tang Yu) and the Miao people's dance show.

Vegetarian Restaurant:

Jue Yuan Zhai
Location: No. 11, Shushui Bei Lu, Guiyang

Chan Yue Su Yuan
Location: No. 8, Shenqi Lu, Guiyang