China Guide
The Yellow River
The Muslim Quarter
North of the Drum Tower, the scale of Xi'an's streets constricts, and the narrow alleys lined with cramped half-timbered, two-storey buildings feel more like a village than a sprawling provincial capital. This is the Muslim Quarter, for centuries the centre for Xi'an's thirty thousand Hui people, said to be descended from eighth-century Arab soldiers. Beiyuanmen, the street that runs north from the Drum Tower gate, is flagstoned and lined with Muslim restaurants, all packed out and lively in the evening. Huajue Xiang, a narrow, covered alley heading west off Beiyuanmen (30m or so north of the Drum Tower), is one long line of tourist souvenir stalls and a great place to shop for gifts, though with the exception of a couple of places selling Muslim hats, rugs and crockery, nothing feels particularly relevant. Bargain hard, as asking prices are sometimes absurd.
After Huajue Xiang curves to the north, you'll arrive at the spiritual heart of the district, the Great Mosque. The Muslim Quarter extends west from here nearly to the city wall, though the widening of Xi Dajie has encroached on the far end of the quarter. There are a couple of targets: the produce market, including antique and pet stalls, in the streets north off Miaohou Jie (the western extension of Xiyang Shi Jie); and the small West Mosque, at the end of Miaohou Jie. Streets along the way are full of poky dumpling shops with rows of street stalls in front, selling daily necessities, sweets such as steamed "eight treasure pudding" (glutinous rice cooked in a tiny wooden pot and dusted with sugar and sesame), mutton cooked on skewers while you wait, and nuts, seeds and preserved fruits heaped on plates outside tiny shop fronts.