Nanpo Donkey Meat King Hotpot (Tianyi Park)

Nanpo Donkey Meat King Hotpot is a mid-range restaurant devoted to donkey meat, located at Tianyi Park in Yanhu District, Yuncheng, Shanxi. Donkey meat is a traditional delicacy across northern China, with a proverb about dragon meat in heaven and donkey meat on earth, and it is prized for its lean, fine-grained texture and mild, slightly sweet flavour. In Shanxi it is commonly braised, served cold in slices, or cooked in hotpot. The restaurant's signature is donkey-meat hotpot, in which a rich, savoury broth simmers at the table and diners cook thin slices of meat, offal, tofu and vegetables. A second staple is cold donkey-meat slices, a plated appetiser in which braised and chilled meat is sliced thin and dressed with garlic, vinegar or chili oil. The restaurant tends toward robust, warming food, which makes it especially popular in the cold months of the Shanxi winter. The dining room is casual and communal, with a pot at each table and a hearty atmosphere well suited to groups of friends and family; noise is moderate to high on busy evenings. There is no dress code. Prices are reasonable at about CNY 70 to 100 (roughly USD 10 to 14) per person, depending on how much meat and how many side dishes are ordered. Beverages include tea, soft drinks, beer and baijiu, which is commonly served with hotpot, but there is no notable wine programme. Reservations are not usually required and the restaurant is walk-in, although groups may wish to call ahead at weekends. Listed hours of about 11:00 to 21:00 daily should be verified. The location near Tianyi Park gives the option of a walk before or after the meal. Visitors curious about northern Chinese meat traditions will find the cold sliced donkey a good starting point, while the hotpot is best shared by three or more people.