Luoyang Old Street Food Market (洛阳老街)

Luoyang Old Street Food Market (洛阳老街) is a pedestrian street in the Old City of Luoyang, Henan Province, on Laojie off Dongdajie in Laocheng District. Luoyang is one of China's ancient capitals, and the streets of the Old Town retain a historic character that makes the district a popular walking area. The food stalls along the street sell donkey-meat sandwiches, hulatang and Luoyang pancakes, providing an easy way to sample regional street snacks close to the historic sights.

The signature snack is the donkey-meat sandwich (驴肉火烧), priced at about ¥12 to ¥20. It consists of braised, sliced donkey meat packed into a hot baked flatbread and is one of the emblematic street foods of Henan. Hulatang, the peppery thickened soup, is sold alongside, as are Luoyang-style pancakes and other wheat-based snacks. Most visitors walk the length of the street, choose two or three items and eat as they go. A full grazing meal usually costs less than ¥50 per person. Visitors who avoid particular meats should ask at each stall about the filling.

The street is a pedestrian zone, busiest after dark, when lanterns and shopfront lighting give it a lively atmosphere. The mood is casual and social, with tour groups and local families mixing along the way. There is no dress code, and noise is moderate to high in the evening. Seating is limited to informal benches and shared tables, and drinks are limited to tea, soy milk, soft drinks and bottled water sold by stalls.

No reservations are taken. Stalls generally operate from about 9:00 AM to 10:30 PM daily, so the street works for a morning snack as well as an evening walk. Payment is normally by Alipay or WeChat Pay, with cash accepted at some stalls. Because the area is popular with sightseers, weekends and public holidays are considerably more crowded than weekdays. The street can be combined with a walk through the surrounding Old Town streets.