Religious Dietary Culture in China & How to Find Vegetarian Restaurants

Religious Dietary Practices

Buddhism: Many temples serve vegetarian meals (斋饭 zhāi fàn), often meat-free but may use garlic/onion

Islam: Halal (清真 qīng zhēn) restaurants nationwide, labeled with green signage

Taoism/Others: Generally no strict dietary rules, but some avoid beef

Finding Vegetarian Options

Search Terms:

Chinese: "素食" (sù shí) = vegetarian | "纯素" (chún sù) = vegan

Look for Buddhist-style "斋菜" (zhāi cài)

Apps:

大众点评 (Dianping): Filter "素食" + check reviews

HappyCow: Crowdsourced vegan/veg spots (works in China)

Hotspots:

Cities: Beijing - 龙泉寺餐厅, Shanghai - 福和慧, Chengdu - 文殊院素斋

Supermarkets: Ole’/CityShop have vegan sections

Pro Tip:

"Say ‘我不吃肉’ (wǒ bù chī ròu) – ‘I don’t eat meat’ to clarify dietary needs.