You can eat well in China with a vegetarian, vegan, halal or allergy constraint, but you cannot assume the kitchen already understands it the way a café at home would. ‘Vegetarian’ (素食, sùshí) may still include a meat stock, lard, oyster sauce or egg. Halal (清真, qīngzhēn) restaurants exist in every large city, especially where there is a Hui or Uyghur community, and should be chosen by the 清真 sign and a dated look of your own, not by a ranking. For allergies, carry a clear Chinese card and treat ‘no peanuts’ as a request that may not be fully controlled in a busy wok kitchen. This is a practical guide, not a certification.
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Key facts
| Vegetarian is not always vegan | 素 (sù) can still mean egg, milk, or a meat-based stock. Write the restriction in Chinese and show it |
|---|---|
| Halal | Look for 清真 (qīngzhēn) on the sign. Large cities have Hui and Uyghur restaurants. We do not certify a kitchen |
| Allergies | A printed Chinese card is more reliable than spoken English. Wok kitchens may still have shared oil and shared utensils |
| Useful characters | 不要肉 (no meat), 我不吃猪肉 (I do not eat pork), 我对花生过敏 (I am allergic to peanuts) — see the phrases below |
| Hotel breakfast | Often the easiest controlled meal of the day — fruit, plain rice or noodles, and a clearly labelled section |
Vegetarian and vegan
The usual word is 素食 (sùshí), vegetarian food, or 我吃素 (wǒ chī sù), “I eat vegetarian.” That does not always mean vegan, and it does not always mean a clean vegetable broth. In many Han Chinese kitchens, a “vegetable” dish may still be finished with oyster sauce (蚝油, háoyóu), lard, or a stock made from chicken or pork bones. Egg and dairy are often treated as acceptable on a 素 menu. If you need a stricter line, write it.
Buddhist vegetarian restaurants, often with 素食 on the sign, are the closest thing to a dedicated option in most cities. Hotel restaurants can usually handle a clear request. Hotpot can work if you control the broth (a clear mushroom or tomato pot, not a bone pot) and the plates. For a first look at how Guangdong tables work, see our Cantonese explainer and the Shenzhen food guide.
Useful sentences to show, not just say:
- 我吃素，不要肉、不要鱼、不要鸡汤。 I eat vegetarian: no meat, no fish, no chicken stock.
- 不要蚝油，不要猪油。 No oyster sauce, no lard.
- 我是严格素食者，不吃蛋和奶。 I am strictly vegan: no egg and no dairy.
Halal
清真 (qīngzhēn) is the word to look for on a sign. Hui and Uyghur restaurants, and some larger hotel kitchens, serve halal food in every major Chinese city. Shenzhen has a number of 清真 restaurants; we will name specific rooms only after a dated visit. Search 清真 in a maps app, then use your own eyes: a clear sign, a visible kitchen, other Muslim diners, and a menu that is actually halal, not just “lamb.”
Show: 我不吃猪肉，我只吃清真食物。 I do not eat pork; I only eat halal food. If you also avoid alcohol in cooking, add 菜里不要放酒。 Do not put alcohol in the dish. A kitchen that is not 清真 may still cook a vegetable or seafood dish without pork, but that is not a halal certification, and we will not pretend it is.
Allergies and coeliac concerns
Soy, peanut, sesame, shellfish, egg and wheat are all common. Peanut oil and shared woks mean a severe nut allergy is hard to guarantee in a typical restaurant. Soy sauce contains wheat in many bottles; “gluten-free” as a labelled category is still rare outside some international hotels and imported products. If your reaction is serious, this is a risk you plan around — a kitchen you can speak to, packaged food you can read, or meals you prepare — rather than a problem a waiter can fully solve at pace.
Carry a card in Chinese, with the allergen and the word 过敏 (guòmǐn), allergic. Examples:
- 我对花生过敏，请不要用花生或花生油。 I am allergic to peanuts; please do not use peanuts or peanut oil.
- 我对虾和蟹过敏。 I am allergic to shrimp and crab.
- 我不能吃麸质 / 小麦。 I cannot eat gluten / wheat.
- 我对牛奶过敏。 I am allergic to milk.
Bring any emergency medication you already use, in original packaging, with a copy of the prescription. See hospital visits if you need care, and what to pack for the documents.
Frequently asked questions
Is it easy to be vegetarian in China?
In large cities, yes, with effort. Buddhist vegetarian restaurants (often marked 素食) and many Han restaurants can cook vegetable dishes, but broth, lard and oyster sauce are common. Show a Chinese sentence. In smaller towns, the options narrow.
How do I find a halal restaurant?
Look for the characters 清真 on the shopfront, and for a restaurant that is clearly serving Hui, Uyghur or other Muslim Chinese cuisines. Maps apps can help if you search 清真. We will not publish a ranked list we have not visited this year.
Will a restaurant take a nut allergy seriously?
Some will; a busy canteen may not be able to. Peanut oil and shared woks are common. If your allergy is severe, a hotel restaurant, a kitchen you can talk to slowly, or food you control yourself is the honest risk reduction. Carry any emergency medicine you normally use.
Is subway or convenience-store food safer for restrictions?
Packaged food has an ingredients list in Chinese. You still have to read it. Fresh-cut fruit, plain steamed buns without meat filling, and yoghurt are often usable. Do not assume a wrapper is accurate in a language you cannot read — a translation app helps, with the usual caveats.