Vegetarian in Beijing

I will be going to Beijing on business over the summer, and am curious if anyone has advice for me regarding vegetarian options there. Or even- how do I convey that I don%26#39;t eat any meat, including seafood? I know from previous international trips and even dining at chinese restaurants in America, that most people don%26#39;t really understand vegetarianism.

Any help would be appreciated!

Vegetarian in Beijing

You are in for a hard time. Get somebody to write down something like ';I do not eat meat or fish';. However even then you will get little bits of ';meat'; floating in a soup (';that%26#39;s not meat, that%26#39;s pork!';) or worse as happened to a Jewish friend - ';That%26#39;s not pork, it%26#39;s pig%26#39;s blood';.

Even Tofu (which should be your safest bet) can be cooked in animal fat. Before going to a business meal make sure that the organisers know so that they order some vegetarian dishes.

Vegetarian in Beijing

Try this link:

happycow.net/asia/china/beijing/index.html

As you may know, happycow usually have vegetarian restaurant listings in most big cities.

In China or many Chinese cities, there are many that dont eat meat because of religious belief (strict Buddhist) or eat all vegetarian meal occasionally as a ';body cleansing%26#39; event.

I have a printable JPG file with Chinese characters detailing what vegetarians cannot eat. If you think it would be of use to you, email me at ellyse99@yahoo.com with ';TripAdvisor'; and your own username (eg veggie2001) in the subject line, thanks.