GUANGZHOU · XIGUAN ROUTE

Xiguan Route

A route through old Xiguan's Cantonese dim sum and traditional snacks. Yum cha at Tao Tao Ju and Lin Heung Lau — har gow and char siu bao in the basket — Yinji's cloth-steamed rice rolls, sampan congee, Nanxin's double-skin milk. From the arcaded shophouses of Shangxiajiu to Enning Road, following the morning steam and the sweet bowl.

🚇 Metro Line 1, Changshou Rd Stn🚶 ~110 min on foot🍽 6 dishes

What Xiguan is

Xiguan is the old name for the western side of Guangzhou's old city, around Liwan District. A merchant quarter since the Qing, its Shangxiajiu street runs long with "kei lau" arcades whose second floors overhang so you walk dry in the rain. Deeper lanes still hold the latticed "Xiguan houses," lived in to this day. The food here begins with morning yum cha: in the teahouse the baskets are brought one at a time, and you pick at har gow and char siu bao over tea — that quiet hour is how Xiguan starts a day. The tourist street and the living lane sit back to back, and food has roots in both.

Following yum cha and sweet soups

The core of Xiguan's food is the care of its dim sum and the culture of its sweet soups. Yum cha means "picking at dim sum over tea": har gow is judged by the clarity of its skin and the count of pleats, char siu bao by its rise and the sweet-savour of the filling. Tao Tao Ju is said to date from around 1880, Lin Heung Lau from 1889, and the baskets turn from early morning. Out of the teahouse comes Yinji's cloth-steamed rice rolls and the lane congee shop's sampan congee. Close with Nanxin's double-skin milk or ginger milk curd, a steamed buffalo-milk bowl that lands cold and sweet on a tired body. Lin Heung Lau's sweetheart cake makes a gift too. Light, ingredient-first, restrained in sweetness — that is the outline of the Xiguan taste.

How to walk this route

Starting from Metro Line 1's Changshou Rd Stn, head first to Shangxiajiu street. Early on, take yum cha at Tao Tao Ju or Lin Heung Lau and pick har gow and char siu bao from the basket. Order tea first; stacking the empty baskets is the signal, and you usually pay on leaving. Working west along the street, fold in Yinji's rice rolls and a lane congee shop's sampan congee, then a bowl of double-skin milk at Nanxin on Dishipu Road. Close by buying sweetheart cake at the Lin Heung Lau bakery, and walk to the Enning Road arcades and Lizhiwan Creek to round the loop. Yum cha is safest in the morning, and the dessert shops open at night. Prices and hours are a guide, so on a crowded weekend move early. Payment is mostly by phone, but cash is safest at the stalls.

Route map

Changshou Rd Stn → Shangxiajiu St → Dishipu Rd → Enning Rd　·　numbers match the dishes below

The dishes on this route (6)

Tap through to each shop and dish

包1DumplingsTao Tao Ju×Har Gow (shrimp dumpling)Through the translucent wheat-starch skin the whole shrimp shows pink. More than ten pleats are gathered by fingertip; fresh from the steamer the skin is taut and clear, and the shrimp snaps as you bite. At yum cha you order tea first, then have the baskets brought one at a time. The morning room is full of steam and Cantonese, and sharing a table is normal. You point to order and pay on the way out.Nearest Changshou Rd StnPrice 12–20 CNY per basket 肉2MeatLin Heung Lau×Char Siu Bao (barbecue pork bun)Steamed, the dough splits three ways to show the red pork inside. The risen skin is faintly sweet, and pulling it open draws a honey-like filling. Chopped char siu is dressed with sweet bean sauce and sugar so fat and sweet-savour become one. At the teahouse you order it with har gow and cheung fun, and split it by hand while hot. Three to a basket — enough for two.Nearest Changshou Rd StnPrice 8–15 CNY per basket 飯3RiceYinji Cheung Fun×Rice Roll (shrimp)Rice batter is spread thin on cloth, steamed into a single sheet, then laid with shrimp and rolled. It comes to the plate smooth and thin, eaten with a pour of light soy. The skin is soft yet holds, and a bite brings the sweetness of rice and the scent of shrimp. Made to order, so sit before you ask. A breakfast standard, often taken with a bowl of plain congee.Nearest Changshou Rd StnPrice 10–18 CNY per plate 食4soupOld Xiguan Congee Shop×Sampan CongeeWhite congee cooked until the rice dissolves, scattered with sliced fish, tofu skin, fried rice crisps, peanuts, spring onion and greens. The hot congee is ladled over the toppings so the fish half-cooks on residual heat. It is light and lightly salted, and the crunch and onion keep it from tiring. Good for a morning or a small hunger, stirred up from the bottom with the spoon.Nearest Changshou Rd StnPrice 12–20 CNY per bowl 甘5SweetsNanxin Milk Dessert×Double-Skin MilkBuffalo milk is warmed, the skin skimmed off, mixed with egg white and sugar, then steamed again. Served chilled, a second thin skin has formed on top — the "double skin." A spoon makes it tremble, and in the mouth only the sweet scent of milk stays. You can choose it cold or warm, and some bowls come with red bean or ginger. Good as a close to a meal or a rest from walking.Nearest Changshou Rd StnPrice 12–20 CNY per bowl 甘6SweetsLin Heung Lau Bakery×Sweetheart CakeA round pastry about the size of a palm. Inside layered thin crust sits a pale filling of winter-melon paste and sugar. Fresh-baked the crust flakes and falls, the filling soft with a faint melon scent. Not very sweet, and good with tea. You can buy a box to take away — a standard gift. Easy to eat as you walk, though the crust sheds, so carry the paper bag.Nearest Changshou Rd StnPrice 3–6 CNY each

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