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Dongpo pork
东坡肉 · Hangzhou, China
Red-braised pork belly named after Su Dongpo, the signature dish of Hangzhou cuisine.
Know before you go
- Don't stick your chopsticks upright in rice
- don't turn dishes over on the table to pick through them
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
Legend
A pot of pork from Su Shi's exile in Huangzhou
Legend has it that after the 'Crow Terrace Poetry Case', Su Shi was banished to Huangzhou and, living in straitened circumstances, worked out a way of slow-braising pork. The dish was later adopted and refined by the people of Hangzhou — capital of the Southern Song — and became Dongpo pork, named after him. The story is hard to verify, but Su Shi was indeed a famous gourmet and also served as a local official in Hangzhou.
Source: Wikipedia: Dongpo pork
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Dongpo pork is a famous Hangzhou dish: pork belly first pan-fried and then red-braised until rich but not greasy. It is named after the Song poet and gourmet Su Shi (Su Dongpo). The 'Meat-shaped Stone' in the National Palace Museum in Taipei is a piece of jasper carved to look like braised pork.
Local customs
Usually one piece per person in a small clay pot, with rice or lotus-leaf buns
Etiquette
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
China: don't get physical in a dispute
- Walk away from an argument and call the police if needed
- Pushing, shoving or fighting
Whoever starts it, taking part in a fight can bring a fine or detention, and the injured party usually demands compensation.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: China travel advice
China: carry your original passport
- Foreign visitors should carry their original passport
- Carrying only a copy or photo of your passport
Police make random ID checks and do not accept printouts; if you cannot show your passport, you may be fined or detained.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: China travel advice
Don’t DON'T
- Don't stick your chopsticks upright in rice
- don't turn dishes over on the table to pick through them
Locals appreciate DO
Hangzhou people appreciate diners who order the 'Hangzhou trio': Dongpo pork with West Lake fish in vinegar sauce and Longjing shrimp.
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- The old restaurants by West Lake are the most famous, with queues on holidays. Prices and opening hours are set by each restaurant
- popular old places often have queues, so go outside peak mealtimes.
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