China is not typically associated with vegetarian cuisine — but Hangzhou is the exception. A thousand years of Buddhist influence, an abundance of fresh vegetables, a sophisticated tofu culture, and a culinary tradition that naturally emphasizes lightness and freshness have made this city a surprisingly excellent destination for plant-based eating. Whether you are a strict vegan, a curious flexitarian, or simply someone who needs a break from all that Dongpo Pork, this guide covers everything you need to know.
Temple Vegetarian Restaurants
The Buddhist temples of Hangzhou have been serving vegetarian food for centuries. Temple cuisine — known as zhai cai (斋菜) — is a distinct tradition that avoids not only meat but also the "five pungent vegetables" (garlic, onion, leek, chive, and asafoetida) that are believed to agitate the mind during meditation. The result is food that is clean, subtle, and deeply satisfying in a way that surprises people accustomed to bold Western vegetarian cooking.
Lingyin Temple Vegetarian Restaurant
The largest and most famous temple restaurant in Hangzhou. The ground-floor canteen serves simple, affordable bowls of vegetarian noodles (素面) with mushroom broth, wood ear fungus, and seasonal greens for ¥25-35. Upstairs, the restaurant offers a more extensive menu of Buddhist vegetarian dishes — mock fish made from tofu skin, braised "pork belly" made from layered bean curd, and seasonal vegetable plates. The food is simple but prepared with care, and the setting — within the temple complex — adds a spiritual dimension to the meal.
Jingci Temple Canteen
Jingci Temple, on the southern shore of West Lake, runs a humble canteen that serves some of the cheapest temple food in Hangzhou. The offerings are simple — rice, a few vegetable dishes, tofu soup — but the prices are almost impossibly low, making this a favorite of budget travelers and local retirees. Go for lunch; the canteen typically closes by 1 PM. The temple itself is beautiful and worth exploring after your meal.
Yongfu Temple Tea and Vegetarian Food
The restaurant at Yongfu Temple, hidden in the hills behind Lingyin, serves the best temple food in Hangzhou. The menu changes seasonally based on what the temple garden produces — spring bamboo shoots, autumn mushrooms, winter radishes. The food is served in a beautiful wooden dining hall with views of the surrounding forest. Combine lunch here with a tea session at the temple tea house for one of the most peaceful afternoons you can spend in Hangzhou.
Vegetarian Restaurants in the City
Beyond the temples, Hangzhou has a growing number of dedicated vegetarian and vegan restaurants, ranging from traditional Buddhist-style to modern plant-based dining.
Gong De Lin
The Hangzhou branch of China's most famous vegetarian restaurant chain, founded in Shanghai in 1922. Gong De Lin specializes in the art of mock meat — tofu, wheat gluten, and mushroom-based creations that mimic everything from roast duck to shrimp to shark fin soup. The technique is astonishing: dishes look and taste remarkably like their meat counterparts while being entirely plant-based. Even committed carnivores find the experience fascinating. The menu is extensive, the setting is elegant, and the prices are very reasonable for the quality.
Naturally Vegetarian Hangzhou Dishes
One of the joys of eating vegetarian in Hangzhou is that many traditional dishes happen to be plant-based — no modification needed.
Vegetarian by Nature
- Lotus Root Starch (藕粉): A beautiful, translucent dessert made from lotus root starch and osmanthus syrup. Entirely plant-based.
- Dingsheng Cake (定胜糕): Pink steamed rice cake with red bean paste. Vegetarian and delicious.
- Vegetarian Pian Er Chuan: Ask for the noodle soup without meat (不要肉 bù yào ròu) — the preserved vegetable and bamboo shoot broth is flavorful enough on its own.
- Tea-Infused Vegetables: Many restaurants serve green vegetables stir-fried or braised with Longjing tea, a subtly fragrant Hangzhou specialty.
- Tofu Dishes: Mapo tofu (ask for no meat), home-style tofu, and cold tofu with century egg (non-vegetarians) or soy sauce (vegetarian option) are widely available.
- Osmanthus Lotus Root (桂花糖藕): Sweet glutinous rice-stuffed lotus root in osmanthus syrup. A classic dessert, naturally vegetarian.
Essential Phrases for Vegetarian Travelers
Useful Chinese Phrases
Dianping Tip: Search for 素食 (sù shí, vegetarian food) on Dianping to find vegetarian and vegan restaurants near you. The app will show ratings, photos, and menus. Look for restaurants with the green leaf icon, which indicates vegetarian/healthy options. Many temple restaurants do not appear on Dianping, so the temple options listed above are especially valuable.
Hangzhou Buddhist vegetarian cuisine is not merely a dietary accommodation — it is a cultural and culinary tradition in its own right, one that has been refined over centuries by monks who approached cooking as a form of meditation. Eating at a temple restaurant, surrounded by ancient trees and the sound of distant chanting, is one of the most memorable food experiences the city has to offer — regardless of what you normally eat.