Photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash
🍡 Beijing · Beijing Street Food Market
Wangfujing Snack Street王府井小吃街
⭐⭐⭐ · ¥5–50/item
⭐⭐⭐ · ¥5–50/item
Wangfujing Snack Street is the most internationally famous food market in China — and the most controversial among locals. The exotic items (scorpions, starfish, silkworm pupae) are primarily tourist theater and not traditional Beijing food. But the market is genuinely fun, the atmosphere is electric, and some of the traditional items (tanghulu, jianbing, smoked meat) are excellent.
['The scorpions and exotic items are almost entirely for photos — the vendors know it', 'The covered market behind the main strip has far better quality traditional food', 'Go in the evening when the lights are on for the best atmosphere', 'Bargaining is not common here — prices are fixed at most stalls']
The scorpion-eating challenge is one of the most-watched Beijing food clips on YouTube — virtually every travel vlogger does it
Address (English): Off Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Address (Chinese — show to driver): 东城区王府井大街东侧小吃街
Take Didi (China's Uber equivalent) and show the Chinese address above. Or use the metro — all major Beijing attractions and restaurant districts are well-connected.
Most restaurants in Beijing accept Alipay and WeChat Pay. Both apps now accept international credit cards — set up Alipay before arriving in China. Some traditional restaurants prefer cash.
Citizens of 54+ countries can visit China for up to 240 hours (10 days) without a visa. This restaurant is fully accessible during a visa-free transit stay in Beijing.
Read the Full Visa-Free Guide →Peking Duck
Historic Peking Duck
Beijing Copper Pot Hot Pot