Tipped to be one of the must-visit highlights on a tour of Xian, Shaanxi City’s Muslim Quarter is a cultural epicenter like no other in the Chinese Republic. Offering visitors a unique look at the region’s Islamic community the Muslim Quarter is located in the northern reaches of West Street in the heart of the city. Also known as Beiyuanmen Muslim Street this historic venue is the home of more than 20,000 Muslim immigrants while the businesses and restaurants they own and manage are located down The Beiyuanmen Muslim Market which occupies an area of half a kilometer in the centre of the Muslim community hub.

A close knit community the inhabitants of Beiyuanmen Muslim Street are the descendents of the first Islamic merchants to visit Xian. Preserving their heritage and traditions to this day the residents of the area have spent their entire lives living next to, schooling, and forming marital relations with one another and as such resemble a family in terms of communal feeling. The chief highlight along the Beiyuanmen Muslim Street is of course its array of snack vendors and restaurants. Islamic specialties and Muslim community dishes reign supreme in the area which is renowned for selling delectable goodies found nowhere else in Xian. Highlights include persimmon fruit pies, casseroles and Yangrou Paomo which is a dish made of unleavened bread and mutton stew. Noodles, preserved meat products, and Jiasan stuffed buns are other must-try items found down the thoroughfare which also specializes in handicrafts and souvenirs.

Hot pick items include hand-carved Chinese name boards, exquisite silk scarves, and paintings of farming scenes by Hu county residents and intricate paper wares and other traditional crafts from Shaanxi Province.

Another point of interest in the centre of the Muslim Quarter is its iconic Great Mosque which is believed to have been constructed in 700 AD. Displaying distinctly Chinese building elements the unique house of worship contains few features typical of traditional Islamic mosques. Various carvings and stone tablets are also contained within the complex which houses a scenic courtyard at its centre. Prayer services are conducted daily and visitors are welcome to tour the environs and even take photographs for a nominal fee.

Travellers on the lookout for a charming Xian apartment should look to Citadines Gaoxin Xi’an for all their accommodation needs. Ranked among the city’s best rests in more than one travel Xian publication this luxury aparthotel is well suited for both business travellers as well as those on a holiday.

Thanuja Silva is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Auburn Silver. She has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.

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