Is Chengdu good for vegetarians?

Buddhist restaurants, especially around Wenshu Monastery, are the safest bet. They serve vegetarian versions of Sichuan dishes without meat, fish sauce, or animal broth. Vegetarian hotpot restaurants also exist; search ahead or ask your hotel.

Common vegetarian dishes include mapo tofu (confirm no meat), dry-fried green beans, eggplant with garlic sauce, cucumber salad, and stir-fried leafy greens. Tofu skin and mushrooms are good protein sources.

Wenshu Monastery's vegetarian restaurant is the best-known, but there are others near Baoguang Temple and in the older neighborhoods around Qingyang Palace. Dedicated vegetarian buffets exist in shopping malls; search '素食' (sùshí) on a map app. Buddhist restaurants often close early, around 8 pm, so do not save them for a late dinner.

• Buddhist restaurants near Wenshu
• Vegetarian hotpot spots
• Tofu, eggplant, greens, cucumber

Learn or show the phrase 'wǒ chī sù' (I eat vegetarian) and 'bù yào ròu' (no meat). Ask whether the broth is meat-based ('zhè ge tāng shì ròu tāng ma?'). Confirm that sauces do not contain oyster sauce, fish sauce, or lard.

Some restaurants will say a dish is vegetarian but use chicken stock or lard. Be specific and polite. If communication is difficult, choose a Buddhist restaurant or a dedicated vegetarian place.

Ask 'zhè ge cài yǒu ròu ma?' (does this dish have meat?), 'yǒu zhū yóu ma?' (does it have lard?), and 'tāng shì sù de ma?' (is the broth vegetarian?). 'Wǔ xīn' (five pungent vegetables) matters to some Buddhists: garlic, scallion, onion, chive, and leek. If that matters, ask for 'bù fàng suàn' (no garlic) and 'bù fàng cōng' (no scallion).

Hotpot is possible at a vegetarian restaurant with a vegetarian broth, but not at a standard hotpot place where the mild broth is bone-based. Avoid shared pots with meat eaters if cross-contact matters to you.

Carry snacks and a translation card. If you are traveling with a group, choose a restaurant with both vegetarian and meat dishes so everyone is happy. Tipping is not expected.

Dry-fried green beans often contain pork mince; mapo tofu almost always does; fish-fragrant eggplant may contain pork and oyster sauce. Ask for 'sù de mápó dòufu' and confirm no meat. Egg and dairy are common in vegetarian dishes, so vegans must ask separately. When in doubt, order plain rice and a vegetable dish cooked in front of you.

• Show 'wǒ chī sù'
• Ask about broth and oyster sauce
• Choose dedicated vegetarian hotpot
• Mapo tofu usually contains meat

Breakfast: soy milk, steamed buns with vegetable filling, congee, and fruit from a convenience store. Lunch: a Buddhist restaurant with three dishes—tofu, greens, and a mushroom dish—plus rice. Dinner: vegetarian hotpot or a neighborhood restaurant where you order cucumber, dry-fried beans without pork, and eggplant without oyster sauce. Carry nuts or crackers for gaps between meals.

Cross-contact is the hard part. A wok used for pork will not be cleaned to your standard at a busy lunch service. If you eat strictly vegetarian for religious reasons, choose Buddhist or dedicated vegetarian kitchens instead of asking a regular restaurant to remove meat. If you eat plant-based for preference, a little cross-contact may be acceptable, but decide before you order and say so clearly.

• Buddhist kitchens avoid cross-contact
• Carry snacks for long days