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Gonghetang Lion’s Head Meatballs
Heritage restaurantsWith drinksHearty main dishes
¥22–38
At century-old Gonghetang, fist-sized meatballs are fried then braised, with a firm-crisp surface and juicy filling.
No online product linked yet.
Flavors of Luzhou
Huizhou gray
Fermented mandarin fish, hairy tofu, Luzhou roast duck and mature-hen soup—the Huizhou-cuisine heartland between the Yangtze and Huai rivers.
6
Featured snacks
East China
Region
Savory freshnessFermentedHuizhou flavors
Hefei events and travel information
Published event guides and travel information for Hefei.
No published event guides or travel information are available for this city yet.
Travel information
Places and neighborhoods worth exploring in Hefei.
🏛️
Anhui Provincial Museum
A panorama of Huizhou culture, led by the 400-kilogram Chu Great Ding, described as the largest surviving pre-Qin round bronze cauldron.
Free admissionIndoorsFamily-friendly
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Museums and heritageFree; reservation required
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Huangshan
One of China’s ten celebrated mountains, famed for unusual pines, rocks, cloud seas and hot springs. High-speed rail from Hefei takes just 1.5 hours.
5A scenic areaWorld HeritageMust-visit
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Natural wonders¥190/adult · Low season ¥150
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Sanhe Ancient Town
Hefei’s only 5A ancient town, where three rivers meet amid cobbled streets and Ming-Qing horse-head gables.
5A scenic areaNo admission chargeLocal heritage
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Historic water townsFree admission (combined ticket for smaller sights ¥50)
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Bao Gong Park
The home ground of Northern Song judge Bao Zheng, with old-city views from Qingfeng Tower and a legacy of integrity.
4A scenic areaHistoryFree admission
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Historic landmarksFree admission (Qingfeng Tower ¥20)
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Xiaoyaojin Park
A Three Kingdoms battlefield turned green lung: Zhang Liao’s legendary victory now shares space with Hefei’s lively everyday park life.
Free admissionHistoryLeisure
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Urban parksFree admission
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Li Hongzhang’s Former Residence
Birthplace of the late-Qing statesman and family mansion of the Huai Army’s founder, a setting for Hefei’s complex memory of its powerful native son.
4A scenic areaLocal heritageHistory
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Historic landmarks¥20/adult
Featured snacks
Hefei's signature street-food highlights.
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Fermented Mandarin Fish
Huizhou cuisineMust-trySkilled cooking
¥68–128
A flagship Huizhou dish: fresh mandarin fish is lightly brined and naturally fermented for seven days, developing firm garlic-clove-like flakes, a pungent aroma and remarkable flavor.
No online product linked yet.
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Hairy Tofu
Huizhou cuisineFermentedSpecialty
¥18–28
Tofu fermented with mucor grows a layer of white fuzz, then is pan-fried golden on both sides for a crisp surface and a soft, fermented-bean-curd-like center.
No online product linked yet.
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Huangshan Baked Pastries
PopularFood giftsStreet food
¥8–15
Layered flaky pastry wraps preserved mustard greens and diced pork fat, baked against a charcoal oven wall to a crab-shell gold, with mingled sweet and savory flavors.
No online product linked yet.
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Hefei Mature-Hen Soup
ClassicNourishing traditionHome cooking
¥48–88
A whole hen over a year old slowly simmers in a clay pot for four hours, creating clear golden broth with deep savory flavor.
No online product linked yet.
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Luzhou Roast Duck
Must-tryHeritage restaurantsLuzhou flavors
¥48–68
Hefei’s roast duck is marinated, dried and roasted for crisp skin and firm, fragrant meat with little greasiness—a distinct approach from Peking duck’s rich tenderness.
No online product linked yet.
How to enjoy it
How to enjoy Hefei's street-food highlights.
🐟 The Fine Points of Fermented Mandarin Fish
- Smell before tasting：Smell before tasting. Good fermented fish has pungency with savory freshness, compared here to blue cheese and shrimp paste, rather than a foul fishy odor. The source treats an acrid rotten smell as excessive fermentation.
- Separate the flakes gently：Its flesh separates into garlic-clove-like flakes. Gently tease it apart with chopsticks along the grain instead of gripping hard, then dip each piece in the sauce.
- Mix the sauce with rice：At the end, mix plain rice into the remaining sauce. Fish flakes, fermented juices and rice make a prized final mouthful, locally called “sweeping the plate.”
🫘 How to Eat Hairy Tofu
- Fry thoroughly：Hairy tofu must not be eaten raw. Fry both sides until golden and bubbling, with the surface fuzz fully dry and crisp. The original describes a toast-like aroma and attributes it to activation of fungal enzymes.
- Pair the dipping sauces：The traditional dip is garlic-chili sauce: chili balances the bean flavor and garlic adds savoriness. Some restaurants also serve homemade fermented bean curd, combining two fermented foods for a “1+1>2” effect.
- Eat while hot：The best texture is within two minutes of leaving the griddle: crisp outside and piping hot and soft within. As it cools, the surface toughens and center firms up.
🍲 Understanding Hefei Mature-Hen Soup
- Look at the hen, not the sign：Judge the hen’s age rather than the restaurant name. A true mature hen has laid eggs for more than a year, with callused feet and yellowish skin. The source describes Feixi Laomuji’s own free-range birds as consistently reliable.
- Soup before meat：Start with plain broth before lifting out meat. Clear gold with a thin layer of chicken fat is the ideal. Drink the soup, then eat the meat to appreciate the layers of flavor.
- Try the chicken-blood addition：A local option is asking for chicken blood, which sets dark red in the hot soup with a pudding-like texture. Not every restaurant has it, so ask ahead; the source presents this as a local rather than tourist choice.
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