Food tours are available in vibrant destinations like Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Suzhou, Yunnan, and Xi’an. They offer flexibility to suit any schedule, including breakfast tours, dinner tours, and specialized food travel experiences, making them ideal for both newcomers to China and long-term residents looking for fresh adventures.

If you’re looking to book a China food tour, I highly recommend two fantastic companies:

Lost Plate Food Tours

I’ve been on several Lost Plate Food Tours – two dinner tours in Beijing, and one Breakfast and Coffee tour in Shanghai. They take you to local restaurants, with great guides who really know their stuff.

Click here to check out Lost Plate Food Tours and use my discount code: RACHELMEETSCHINA for a little extra savings!

UnTour Food Tours is an equally excellent option that I’ve personally tried and enjoyed! I especially loved their local Beijing hutong food tour walk, which focused on authentic local cuisine and hidden gems. Explore their offerings here: UnTour Food Tours.

Go on a Food Tour in China

So, whether you’re a seasoned expat or just starting your journey in China, these food tours are a must-try for anyone looking to deepen their connection with the local culture through its most delicious aspect—food!

Disclosure: These links are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission from your bookings. This helps me keep the content up-to-date, create new guides, and maintain this website. I personally use and recommend these companies because I’ve genuinely enjoyed my experiences with them!

Planning a trip to Beijing? Hire a private driver!

Hiring a private driver for a day trip is a great option to consider, especially for day trips to the Great Wall, Summer Palace, airport pick up/drop off, and more.

If you’re seeking a recommendation or want to connect with a local Beijing driver, I have a service in Beijing I can connect you with! I’ve booked several trips with this company, and they will help arrange a car for you according to the destination you want to visit and how many people are with you.

You can add my WeChat below and I will share the contact info with you. Alternatively, the driver service also uses WhatsApp (I currently do not). You can send me a DM on Instagram (@rachelmeetschina) or drop me an email (rachellynnweiss@gmail.com) and I can connect you.

Visiting Shanghai as well? I can connect you with a Shanghai driver service for day trips to Shanghai’s nearby water towns like Wuzhen, Tonglin Zhujiajiao, and more.

Xianzi: Traditional Stringed Instrument in Litang

Another reason Batang in Litang is famous is because of the Xianzi, a stringed instrument played while singing and dancing. The xianzi is a stringed instrument has been part of Tibetan folk culture for centuries. It is somewhat similar to the traditional Chinese erhu 二胡, a two-stringed Chinese instrument. The xianzi is the Tibetan variation, or piwang.

Like the erhu, the xianzi has a long wooden neck and two strings, which are played with a bow. Below the neck is a sound box, which helps amplify the sound. It usually is a more high-pitched sound than that produced by the erhu.

The xianzi is an important part of Tibetan folk life. It can often be heard at festivals, weddings, and harvest celebrations and symbolizes recognizing the small things in life. The instrument can be found wherever there are Tibetan communities, including the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan in southwestern China. We also met Wangjiaxi, a master of making Xianzi in Batang.

Traditional Litang Performances

While here I learned aobut the Xianzi and got to take part in some of these traditional performances. I put on the clothing and joined a dance!

Tibetan Opera

Afterwards I also watched a Tibetan opera. Tibetan opera is the most popular traditional opera of minority ethnic groups in China. It’s a comprehensive art combining folk song, dance, storytelling, chant, acrobatics and religious performance. The performance begins with a prayer ceremony, including the cleansing of the stage by hunters and blessings by the elder, and concludes with another blessing.

Rooted in Buddhist teachings, the stories told in Tibetan opera recount the triumph of good and the punishment of evil and therefore serve a social teaching function for the community. This multifaceted representative of Tibetan art and cultural heritage also acts as a bridge among Tibetans in different parts of the country, promoting ethnic unity and pride. Usually an opera will take 3-7 days to perform, but we don’t have time to see all of that so we will just see two short performances.

The story of the opera goes like this:
“In the Ganzi area of Tibet, an old couple, gave birth to a daughter, named Lang Shawenbo. The girl was not only beautiful and gentle, but also intelligent, and had the voice of a lark. She was capable, and suitors from all over the place were politely declined. When the girl was 12 years old she was fancied by the local mountain official Zha Qing, and he wanted to marry Lang Sha and make her his her wife. For Seven years she became well loved because of her respect for the elderly and hard work. However her Sister-in-law Nimtso was very jealous, afraid that power would fall into the hands of her sister-in-law, and did her utmost to slander and sow discord. During the autumn harvest, The sister-in-law beat Lang, and falsely accuse her of seeing the monk. Langsha’s severe beating actually killed Lang. When Langsha died, she went to the afterlife. Since she had good karma in her life, she was brought back to life again. She returned to the official home and dedicated her life to Buddha and her beliefs after that.”

Traditional Tibetan Music in Litang

Batang really was a cool little town to visit to see more about the Tibetan music culture here in Ganzi. We also did a live-stream while we were here to show more of these performers LIVE. From here we headed onwards to Yading Nature Reserve, another gorgeous Sichuan site.

Read More:

• Pengjiazhai Village 彭家寨 in Enshi, Hubei
• Xinduqiao Town in Kanding: Photographer’s Paradise of Sichuan
• A Complete Guide To Fenghuang: The Ancient Phoenix Village in China

In July 2021 I had the opportunity to travel around Ganzi for 12 days. Our first stop was in this village, Xinduqiao. Just know before you go: The town is in a plateau area with a high altitude of around 3300 meters, so it’s important to be aware of altitude sickness!

Here’s a video of some of the highlights of my trip:

Tibetan Language and Culture

In Ganzi 80% of the people are Tibetan, and you’ll find Tibetan culture everywhere in the town. We are really nestled into the mountains here in Xinduqiao. It’s a 25 minute drive from the main town area, which really is just a weirdly modern collection of hotels. But 5 minutes out and you’re surrounded by hills, passing Tibetan houses, prayer flags, and Tibetan writing on the mountain sides. You feel this Tibetan culture all around you. The people here speak Tibetan as well as Mandarin. They will switch back and forth when speaking with us.

While here I met a local Tibetan family and learned more about the people, the culture, and the food. In this town there are around 200 people, or about 80 families. My friend Long Jin Luo was was born and raised here and but left when he was 17 to find a job in Chengdu. Now he revisits Xinduqiao and hopes to share more of traditional Tibetan culture with others outside of the village.

Tibetan Homes in Xinduqiao

The homes are all a similar architectural style, a white blockhouse with patterns of white, black and red surrounding the windows,l and rooftop. They are usually 2 or 3 stories tall and have a bricked off garden area. Outside some of the home are traditional Tibetan tents. The Tibetan people used to be a nomadic people.

The traditional brown tent was used when people were more nomadic. They would tie it low to the ground so the wind couldn’t pick it up and carry it away. Inside is a fire pit, pots for cooking, and warm yak and sheep blankets to stay warm in winter.

While looking around, another lady pulled me from the group. She saw us looking at her neighbors houses, going inside, trying the tea, tasting the bread. And she wanted to show me her house too. She grabbed my hand, and together walked me over to her house next door across the river. She waved excitedly at her baby cow next to the house, chattering quickly in Chinese. The dialect is difficult to understand, even for my Chinese colleagues. I can make out the basics. She told me, “Wo de jia.” My house.

We walk inside. Each of the houses is similar in layout. An entry hallway. To the left, a large bedroom or living area. Religious artifacts, Tibetan patterns, a framed photo of the current Chinese president. To the right is the kitchen and dining room. I love the kitchens. It’s so open, a big room with large comfortable benches and long tables to fit lots of people, several families. It’s a community feeling. You cook and eat and chat around the tables. The tables have built in heating spot, to boil the tea while you chat. She puts the kettle on immediately. Ever hospitable.

Tibetan Food

The Tibetan diet consists of many Yak by-products and filling food to stay warm in winter. When you’re here you must try the yak meat, the yak butter tea, and milk bread. Many of their foods are also designed to combat high altitude sickness.

Common breakfast: mix Butter tea, barley, yak butter to make an edible dough. It’s supposed to be good for maintaining your body temperature so the high altitude doesn’t affect you. Also very high calorie and filling because they don’t often eat meat but they can still be full.

Traditional Tibetan Clothing

I also tried on traditional Tibetan pasture clothing, long colorful layers with patterns and bright designers. Tibetan people love accessories and ornaments as well, and put hats and earrings and necklaces on me. I also tried on one of the winter coat, a super heavy woolen coat!

Here’s a video of me trying on some of the clothes!

Visiting Xinduqiao in Ganzi

It was really an incredible experience to stay near this Tibetan village. I still haven’t been to Tibet, so this was a closer look into what that might be like. I loved meeting the people here especially, learning more about their Tibetan culture and heritage, and eating the food!

I hope I’ll have the chance to come back here again, but there’s more in the Ganzi adventure to come so stay tuned (I know this is 5 months late!)

Read More:

• Pengjiazhai Village 彭家寨 in Enshi, Hubei
• The Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village in the Guizhou Province of China
• A Complete Guide To Fenghuang: The Ancient Phoenix Village in China

It can be hard to know where to begin diving in to the Chinese food scene, but luckily if you have the right guide you’ll have a better idea of what dishes to try and where to start!

Lost Plate Food Tours 

Lost Plate Food Tours invited me to join their new “Flavors of China” restaurant tour in Beijing on December 1, and I happily (and hungrily) accepted. Lost Plate Food Tours offers specialized food tours in Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, and Xi’an with the goal of introducing you to local flavors and dishes you may have never tried before.

“Flavors of China” Tour

Lost Plate Food Tours has several tour options and just introduced a new tour: the “Flavors of China” tour. This Flavors of China tour allows you to try cuisines from all around China without having to leave Beijing!

Ruixi and Evon from Lost Plate Food Tours took us to four different restaurants in Beijing to sample these amazing cuisines:

1. Xinjiang Cuisine 新疆菜
2. Yunnan Cuisine 云南菜
3. Beijing Cuisine 北京菜
4. Sichuan Chuan Chuan 四川串串

If you’d like to watch my Instagram Stories about this tour to see these tasty dishes for yourself, check out my story highlight here! I share lots of my Chinese adventures on Instagram (@rachelmeetschina) and would love to connect with you there.

Now let’s get into the most important part: the food!

1. First Restaurant: Xinjiang Cuisine 新疆菜

Xinjiang cuisine is one of my favorites! Xinjiang is a far western province in China strongly influenced by the Silk Road route and Middle Eastern cultures. Because of the Muslim population, the food is largely halal and features lots of meats and bread dishes.

On the Menu:

• Big Plate Chicken
• Seasoned Naan
• Fried Mushrooms with Salt and Pepper
• BBQlamb and pepper skewers
• Wusu Beer

I haven’t traveled to Xinjiang yet, but it’s high on my China bucket list!

2. Second Restaurant: Yunnan Cuisine 云南菜

I visited Yunnan for the first time a few months ago and absolutely loved it. The food is quite different than most other Chinese cuisines, as it focuses more on freshness. You’ll find lots of vegetables like mushrooms and wild greens, as well as specialty dishes like cheese and Granny’s Potatoes (my favorite!)

• Pig Elbow Pancake
• Crossbridge rice noodle (Guoqiao 过桥米线)
• Kunming Fried Potato
• Fried Squash Leaves
• Sweet and Sour Lotus Root
• Homemade Plum Wine

Read more about my trips to Lijiang and Shangri-La!

3. Third Restaurant: Beijing Cuisine 北京菜

We jumped in a van together and drove into one of the many hutongs of Beijing to go to our next location. I looked around and realized we were in my hutong neighborhood! The amazing thing about the hutongs is that there are countless restaurants and local places hidden inside, and it takes some wandering (and local guides) to know where the best places are!

We went through an extremely narrow hutong alley and stumbled into a warm two story restaurant, decorated in the style of traditional Beijing. One Chinese man on our tour said it reminded him of his youth in Beijing in the 1980’s.  We all expected to eat Peking duck at the Beijing restaurant, as its the most famous dish people associate with Beijing cuisine. To our surprise it wasn’t on the menu – we had a variety of old and new traditional Beijing dishes instead!

On the Menu:

• Big Pot Beef
• Specialty Frog
• Five Spice Deboned Pork
• Soy Sauce with Tofu
• Black Tofu Skin and Vegetables
• Local Beijing Soda: Beibingyang

I’ve lived in Beijing for a year and haven’t properly been to a local Beijing restaurant like this (terrible I know!) It was nice to be introduced to these dishes and learn more about the history behind the food. I highly recommend trying Beibingyang especially – a local Beijing soda you have to try while here!

Read more about my experiences in Beijing: Top Instagram Spots, my 7 Day Beijing Itinerary, and Which Section of the Great Wall Is Best To Visit?

Sichuan Chuan Chuan 四川串串

Our last stop is a classic Sichuan experience: hot pot! Usually you’ll order large platters of meats and vegetables to put into the spicy (or nonspicy) broth, but we went to a Chuan Chuan (Skewer) style restaurant where you choose skewers that they will count up at the end. This is definitely one of the top eating experiences to try when in China!

• Double Flavor Hot Pot
• Choice of Skewers: vegetables, meats, etc
• Soy milk

I haven’t been to Sichuan in more than 3 years! I went to Chengdu once and would love to revisit and explore more of the province.

Meeting Beijing Friends 

The tour was very filling, food-wise and information wise Ruixi and Evon did an excellent job teaching us about the history of the cuisines while we ate and shared interesting stories about the origins of the dishes.

The tour was even more enjoyable because of the tour group – I met people from the Beijinger, Beijing Kids, as well as other media influencers (like my friends Lauren’s China Life and We Are Nico). We had a great time eating and chatting together.

Lauren made a great video about our food tour. Check it out! 

Try These Top Chinese Foods and More!

I love learning about new foods and places in China and thoroughly enjoyed the evening! Even after living here for 4 years there are still tons of dishes I still haven’t tried, and this evening I was able to cross a few more off my list.

If you want to eat your way through China but aren’t sure where to start, sign up for a tour with Lost Plate! You won’t be disappointed.

Want to learn more about foods and traveling in China? Check these out:

• 10 Street Foods To Try in Beijing
• What Do You Eat In China?
• Where To Travel In China: China Travel Quiz and Best Destinations To See