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Cheung fun (rice noodle rolls) from the Guangdong region (specific city not specified)

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Cheung Fun (Rice Noodle Rolls)

肠粉 Cheung fun · Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Photo: ZWang98 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Rice batter steamed into thin sheets, rolled around fresh shrimp or beef and topped with a spoonful of soy sauce—a regular at Guangzhou breakfasts.

Know before you go

  • If you are allergic to shellfish, avoid the fresh shrimp rolls and dried shrimp
  • if you are allergic to sesame, note the sesame paste on the plain rice rolls
  • don't let rice rolls sit and cool too long before eating, as the sheets turn hard

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

Cheung fun is a Cantonese snack originating in Guangdong: rice batter (sometimes mixed with wheat starch) is steamed sheet by sheet on a steamer or cloth into translucent skins, topped with filling, rolled up, cut into pieces and served drizzled with seasoned soy sauce. Guangzhou people call it "la chang" (pulled rolls), because the sheet is pulled up into a roll by hand. Rolls with no filling and no dried shrimp or scallions are called "zhai chang" (plain rolls) or "zhu chang fen" (pig-intestine rolls), named for their resemblance to pig intestines. There is no formal record of its exact origin; most recipes say it first appeared in the 1930s. Rolls steamed on a cloth bag are called bu la chang, those made with stone-ground rice batter are called shimo chang; common fillings include fresh shrimp, beef, char siu, pork liver and fish slices, and those wrapping a youtiao are called "zha liang".

Local customs

  • Cheung fun is both a dim sum dish at teahouses and a staple at street breakfast shops
  • it is generally steamed to order, so expect a wait of a few minutes. Sauce is poured over the rolls, with chili sauce or sesame paste added to taste
  • plain rolls are often served with sweet soy sauce, sesame seeds and sesame paste.

Religion & beliefs

  • Fillings are mostly pork, beef and seafood, and the sauce may contain animal fat such as roast goose fat
  • plain rice rolls and Luohan vegetarian rice rolls suit vegetarians better, but please still ask about the sauce. Travelers who need halal food can look for halal restaurants in Guangzhou.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas

Do

  • Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
  • Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
  • Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
  • Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
  • Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave

Don’t

  • Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
  • Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
  • Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos

During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones

Do

  • Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
  • On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
  • Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
  • Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
  • If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app

Don’t

  • Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
  • Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
  • Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes

If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages

Do

  • Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
  • Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
  • Use headphones for videos and music
  • In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
  • Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings

Don’t

  • Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
  • Don't take someone else's seat
  • Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)

Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks

Do

  • Walk only on open sections and marked routes
  • On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
  • Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
  • Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
  • Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail

Don’t

  • Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
  • Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
  • Don't run or push on steep sections

Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels

Do

  • Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
  • Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
  • Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
  • Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly

Don’t

  • Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
  • Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
  • Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days

Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows

Essential restrictionsEntryCountry-wide guidance · China

China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport

Do

  • Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
  • Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
  • Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
  • Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
  • If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane

Don’t

  • Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
  • Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
  • Don't book with details that differ from your passport

Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites

Do

  • Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
  • On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
  • Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
  • Sort your rubbish into the right bins
  • Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat

Don’t

  • Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
  • Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
  • Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
  • Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
  • Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places

Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit

Local customsRestaurants & barsGuangzhou

Guangzhou dim sum: tap your fingers to thank whoever pours, open the teapot lid for a refill

Do

  • Order a pot of tea with a few dishes of dim sum: 'one cup, two pieces'
  • Pour for others before yourself, and the young pour for elders first
  • When someone pours for you, tap the table lightly with bent index and middle fingers
  • For more hot water, lift or shift the teapot lid and staff will refill it
  • Dim sum is priced by tiers such as small, medium and large; check prices before ordering

Don’t

  • Don't pour only for yourself
  • Don't hurry your companions; lingering for hours is normal

Nothing happens if you don't know these customs, but knowing them helps you fit into Guangzhou's yum cha culture. The finger tap is said to go back to the Qianlong Emperor travelling incognito, when his attendants tapped instead of kowtowing; this is only a legend.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Wikipedia (Chinese): Yum cha

Don’t DON'T

  • If you are allergic to shellfish, avoid the fresh shrimp rolls and dried shrimp
  • if you are allergic to sesame, note the sesame paste on the plain rice rolls
  • don't let rice rolls sit and cool too long before eating, as the sheets turn hard
  • don't pick through the shared plate with your own chopsticks
  • don't walk off with the sauce dish without returning it

Locals appreciate DO

  • Guangzhou locals appreciate queuing early for freshly steamed cheung fun and eating it hot
  • in a teahouse, ordering a basket of dim sum with a plate of cheung fun and slowly 'enjoying morning tea' is the way
  • using serving chopsticks to share cheung fun with your table is considered polite. Praise the silky rice sheets and generous filling, and the cook will be delighted.

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • Breakfast shops, congee-and-noodle shops and teahouses in Guangzhou's old districts (around Xiguan and Yuexiu) all serve cheung fun
  • it is liveliest from early morning to late morning
  • one plate makes a breakfast, and two or three plates can be shared. Flavor: the soy sauce is savory and slightly sweet, and the dish itself is not spicy. Dietary notes: the batter is mainly rice, sometimes mixed with wheat starch
  • common fillings include shellfish, beef, pork and pork liver
  • the 'zha leung' (fried dough version) contains wheat. You can combine it with the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street and Shamian. Stone-milled cheung fun is ground and steamed to order, so the wait is a bit longer. You can pair it with a bowl of congee. It can also be ordered in teahouses. Prices, opening hours and the day's offerings are as announced by each shop
  • popular shops often have queues at peak mealtimes, so avoiding them is more relaxed.

Photos

Photos

Cheung fun (rice noodle rolls) from the Guangdong region (specific city not specified)
Cheung fun (rice noodle rolls) from the Guangdong region (specific city not specified)
ZWang98 · CC BY-SA 4.0
A plate of steamed rice noodle rolls; photographed in Hong Kong, not Guangzhou
A plate of steamed rice noodle rolls; photographed in Hong Kong, not Guangzhou
Peachyeung316 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources & verification notes

Chinese Wikipedia: Cheung Fun (Rice Noodle Rolls)

Wikipedia (English): Rice noodle roll

Wikipedia (Japanese): Rice noodle roll

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