Shopping in Xi'an
Huanggui Persimmon Cake（Huanggui Shizi Bing黄桂柿子饼)
When autumn arrives in the ancient city of Xi'an, bringing crisp breezes and the fragrance of osmanthus blooms, a seasonal delicacy emerges—the Huanggui Persimmon Cake. This amber-colored treat, also known as Crystal Persimmon Cake, is made by mixing flour with Huojing persimmons, a specialty fruit from Lintong County in Shaanxi. With its sticky-sweet texture and golden hue, it serves both as a standalone snack and an elegant dessert for banquets.
The tradition of combining persimmons with flour dates back to the Yuan and Ming dynasties (13th–17th centuries) in central Shaanxi. Local folklore ties its creation to Li Zicheng, a 17th-century peasant rebel leader. As the story goes, during a famine in 1644, villagers in Lintong supported Li’s uprising by creating portable cakes using ripe Huojing persimmons and minimal flour. These energy-rich cakes sustained his troops during their march to overthrow the Ming Dynasty and establish the short-lived Shun regime. Though Li’s rebellion ultimately failed, the persimmon cakes endured as a symbol of resilience.
Over generations, Lintong locals continued making the cakes each autumn during persimmon harvest, gradually refining the recipe. By adding ingredients like sweet osmanthus flowers, chefs transformed the simple wartime ration into today’s Huanggui Persimmon Cake. Now celebrated as a "signature Shaanxi delicacy," it has spread from rural kitchens to Xi’an’s bustling food streets, preserving both its historical legacy and its role as a beloved autumn tradition—where every sticky, fragrant bite carries echoes of rebellion and community ingenuity.
Crystal Cake（Shuijing Bing水晶饼)
Crystal Cake, a renowned pastry from Xiagui Town in Weinan, Shaanxi Province, traces its origins to the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127 CE). Legend attributes its creation to local villagers honoring Kou Zhun, a respected statesman, through a delicately crafted treat. Made through steps of dough mixing, filling preparation, layering, shaping, and baking, it earned its name for its translucent, jewel-like appearance.
The cake features a golden crust with silvery layers, flaky yet tender, rich but not greasy. Its sweet filling, infused with rose essence, balances sugar and lard without overwhelming the palate. By the Song era, Crystal Cake had gained fame across central Shaanxi, rivaling luxury foods like bird’s nest and Jinhua ham. By the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), it was sold as far as Beijing and Tianjin.
A popular tale recounts how villagers presented Kou Zhun with 50 glistening cakes for his 50th birthday, accompanied by a poem praising his integrity: “Eyes like crystal, heart like crystal, discerning loyalty from deceit, unstained by dust.” Inspired, Kou’s chefs recreated the pastry, cementing its legacy.
In the late Qing Dynasty (1644–1912), Zhang Caifeng, a merchant from Weinan’s Tongyi Trading Company, refined the recipe. Using premium white flour, lard, and sugar, he crafted fillings with candied fruits, rose petals, and osmanthus, aged in jars for over a year to deepen flavors. Hand-molded and baked, the cakes developed their signature “golden crust, silvery layers, and cool, fragrant sweetness.” Packaged in elegant wooden boxes, they became tributes to the imperial court and prized gifts among nobles.
Over time, the craft spread to Xi’an and Ningxia’s Guyuan region. In modern China, Crystal Cake has earned multiple accolades, including honors from the Ministry of Commerce, for preserving a millennium-old tradition where history, artistry, and local pride converge in every bite.
Huanggui Rice Wine(Huanggui Choujiu黄桂稠酒)
Huanggui Choujiu, a milky-white fermented rice wine from Xi’an with a history stretching back over 3,000 years to the Shang and Zhou dynasties, is renowned for its thick, creamy texture and subtle osmanthus aroma. Containing just 0.5–1% alcohol, it blurs the line between beverage and dessert, making it suitable for all ages—even those who typically avoid alcohol. Served warm or chilled, this sweet, silky drink, often called "Shaanxi Thick Wine" or "Imperial Concubine Wine," owes its name to legends of Yang Guifei, the Tang Dynasty’s famed beauty, who reportedly adored it.
Originally known as "Jade Nectar" in ancient texts, its earliest form—called *laoli*—appeared in China’s oldest medical classic, *The Inner Canon*. By the Han Dynasty, it had become a staple at royal banquets, as noted in historical records like The Book of Han. The Northern Wei agricultural manual *Essential Techniques for the Common People* referred to it as "white fermented wine," while Tang poets like Han Yu and Du Fu praised its honey-like sweetness.
The addition of osmanthus (huanggui) emerged from a Tang-era tale: After Yang Guifei sampled the wine at a Xi’an tavern, she gifted the owner a sprig of osmanthus. Planted in the brewery’s courtyard, the fragrant blooms thrived, inspiring the infusion of osmanthus honey into the brew. This refinement elevated its status, turning it into a tribute for emperors and a favorite among scholars.
Over centuries, the recipe evolved. Made from glutinous rice and fermented with yeast, its modern version—crafted in Xi’an’s Huyi District—retains the velvety texture and floral notes celebrated since antiquity. Guo Moruo, the 20th-century scholar, famously declared it “more than wine yet better than wine” after tasting a steaming bowl. Today, as one of Shaanxi’s “Eight Treasures,” Huanggui Choujiu remains a living thread connecting China’s dynastic past to its vibrant culinary present—a sip of history in every fragrant drop.
Cured beef and lamb(La Niu Yang Rou腊牛羊肉)
Cured beef and lamb, rich in protein and fat, have long been valued in Chinese cuisine not only for their nourishing properties—believed to tonify the kidneys and boost vitality—but also for their preservation methods that tame their gamey flavors. By simmering the meat with rock salt, saltpeter, and aromatic spices like star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, and Sichuan pepper, artisans create *la* (cured meat), a delicacy with roots stretching back over 2,000 years.
Historical records trace its origins to the Han Dynasty, when Zhang Lu, a regional warlord, was served cured meats during his retreat through Hanzhong. Centuries later, in 1900, Empress Dowager Cixi reportedly praised Shaanxi’s cured meats as a tribute during her refuge in Xi’an. Traditionally prepared between late autumn and early spring, the process begins by rubbing fresh meat with salt and spice blends, followed by marinating in jars for 7–15 days. The meat is then hung to dry and smoked slowly over fires fueled by cypress branches, sugarcane husks, or fragrant woods, absorbing earthy aromas.
Some households hang the meat above wood-burning stoves or hearths, allowing weeks of gentle smoke to work its magic. This age-old technique, balancing preservation and flavor enhancement, transforms simple ingredients into a savory, shelf-stable staple—a testament to culinary ingenuity passed down through dynasties and hearths alike.
Youpo Lazi油泼辣子
Youpo Lazi, Shaanxi’s iconic chili oil, begins with locally grown Qin peppers, ground into a fine powder and mixed with roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, and fragrant spices—a blend considered the soul of the condiment. The magic unfolds during the “oil pour,” where precisely heated oil is poured over the spice mixture, releasing an intoxicating aroma that fills the air. A splash of rustic vinegar adds a tangy depth, elevating the fragrance and complexity.
Crafted for balance, the process hinges on temperature control: too cool, and the spices remain dormant; too hot, and they risk burning. When done right, the oil coaxes out the peppers’ natural sweetness and the nuts’ toasty richness.
In Shaanxi’s culinary landscape, this chili oil is indispensable. It crowns Qishan cold-skin noodles, enriches Fengxiang’s tofu-and-bread soup, and elevates the famed lamb paomo (crumbled-bread stew). More than a garnish, it embodies the region’s love for bold, layered flavors—a humble yet transformative touch that turns everyday dishes into vibrant experiences.
Yifeng Qinsu一封秦酥
Yifeng Qinsu, a traditional pastry shop, specializes in handmade, additive-free treats like millet crisps and oat crisps. Among its highlights is the sunflower seed crisp, which combines crunchy sunflower seeds with a flaky crust. The classic snowflake crisp offers a light, balanced sweetness, while the matcha version adds a subtle earthy freshness. For fruit lovers, the strawberry snowflake crisp blends natural berry fragrance with just the right touch of sweetness. Each bite reflects the care of artisanal craftsmanship, turning simple ingredients into delicate layers of texture and flavor—a testament to Shaanxi’s love for wholesome, understated indulgence.
Academy Gate (Shu Yuan Men书院门)
Academy Gate, or Shu Yuan Men, is a well-known street created in the early 1900’s. Located near the Bell Tower, this ancient street is built in the style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Covered with hand-carved wooden doors and windows and tiled roofs, the buildings can bring you back into time. Lots of unique small shops along the street sell various crafts and arts, including replicas of antiques, traditional Chinese painting brushes, calligraphy, paintings, jades, fans, traditional Chinese musical instruments, and other folk art fine works.
Xi'an Antique Market西安古玩市场
Xi’an Antique Market, rooted in the city’s legacy as the capital of 13 dynasties, thrives on its unparalleled historical wealth. Known for having the highest ratio of genuine artifacts among China’s antique markets—5–8% of items sold here are authentic, primarily artifacts from the Guanzhong region—it has been a trusted hub for collectors since its founding in 1998. Originally located on Zhuque Avenue, the market relocated to Xing Shan Temple West Street in 2014, settling into a 6,000-square-meter underground space within the Jinshang Cultural Plaza. Today, it houses over 300 vendors in orderly rows of shops and stalls, with weekends drawing the largest crowds of enthusiasts and dealers.
Specializing in cultural relics like porcelain, jade, bronze ware, calligraphy, paintings, coins, and books, the market has earned national recognition. Ranked fifth in China’s antique market listings, it holds honors such as “Civilized Market” and “Consumer Trust Demonstration Unit” from local authorities. As a member of the appraisal committee of the China Collectors Association, it combines credibility with diversity.
Every Saturday, a bustling open-air bazaar spills into the plaza, where traders from across the country gather to sell curiosities. This weekly ritual, paired with the market’s curated shops, has turned the area into a cultural landmark within Xi’an’s Xiazhai business district. Over decades, Xi’an Antique Market has mirrored the city’s collecting culture, evolving from a niche trade hub into a microcosm of Xi’an’s collecting history—a living archive that has witnessed the rise and evolution of the city’s antique market since China’s reform and opening-up era.
Wenbaozhai Tourist Shopping Center文宝斋
Xi'an Wenbaozhai Tourist Shopping Center, with high-quality service and comfortable shopping environment, has gained high reputation of Chinese and foreign guests. More than 200 kinds of goods can be found easily here, including replicas of terracotta warriors, bronze chariots and horses, jades, jewelries, paintings, calligraphy and antiques.
Address: No.5, Yanta Road, Xi'an
Huxian County Peasant Painting Gallery
Huxian County Peasant Painting Gallery is the largest folk art center in China with 8 exhibition rooms displaying over 500 pieces paintings, paper-cuts, cloth arts, iron arts, shadow puppet, embroideries and black potteries. All the artworks here are full of strong flavor of rural life and distinctive local features, enjoying high reputation both at home and abroad. Moreover, you can learn how to paint or cut from professional craftsmen in the gallery.
Daily Articles Shopping
Century Ginwa Shopping Mall (世纪金花购物中心)
Located between the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, Century Ginwa Shopping Mall is a fashionable shopping center in Xi'an. Over 60 world top brands can be found here, such as Estee Lauder, Lancome, Burberry, Dior, Zegna and Dunhill, etc. Besides, high-quality service, well-equipped facilities and first-rate shopping environment will make your shopping happy with your wanted products.
Kaiyuan Shopping Mall (开元商城)
Kaiyuan Shopping Mall, located at the southeastern corner of the Bell Tower, is one of the biggest department stores in Xi'an. More than 130 thousand kinds of products are sold here. Kaiyuan Shopping Mall not only has more than 130 thousand kinds of products, but also provides high-quality shopping environment and service for every guest.
Parkson Shopping Center (百盛购物中心)
Luck Parkson
Address: No.119, Dongdajie Road
Shidai Parkson
Address: Shidaishengdian Plaza, Xidajie Road
Chang'an Parkson
Address: No.38, Chang’anzhong Road
CR Vanguard Supermarket (华润万家超市)
South Gate Branch
Address: No.18, Pink Alley, Nandajie Road
Yanta Road Branch
Address: No.69, Yanta Road
Xinghuo Road Branch
Address: No.1, Fenghe Road
Xiying Road Branch
Address: No.50, Xiying Road
LOTUS SUPERCENTER (易初莲花购物中心)
Tangyan Road Branch
Address: No.3, Yangyan Road
Chang’an Branch
Address: No.101, Chang’annan Road
Changying Branch
Address: No.50, Changying Road
