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Siwawa from Guiyang, Guizhou

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Si Wawa (silk dolls)

丝娃娃 Siwawa · Guiyang, Guizhou, China

Photo: Caitriana Nicholson · CC BY-SA 2.0

A palm-sized thin wrapper filled with a dozen or so shredded vegetables, topped with a spoonful of sour-spicy dipping sauce and eaten in one bite.

Know before you go

  • Travelers trying zheergen (fish mint) for the first time should start small, as it has an unusual smell
  • those allergic to peanuts or soy should avoid the crispy peanuts and fried soybeans
  • do not dip a wrapper you have bitten into the shared sauce pot—use a spoon

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

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

Si Wawa is a Guiyang specialty snack that looks like a spring roll but has a smaller wrapper and is eaten differently. The wrappers are thin pancakes of wheat flour about 9 cm across, steamed briefly before eating to soften them. Diners choose their own fillings, such as mung bean sprouts, shredded kelp, shredded pickled radish, zheergen (fish mint), cold noodles, fried soybeans, crunchy peanuts, glass noodles, shredded cucumber and bracken, put them in the wrapper, roll it up and pour in sour soup or chili dipping sauce, eating it all together with the broth. Because the wrapper around the shredded vegetables looks like a baby swaddled in a blanket, it is called "silk doll". At the 2nd China Catering Expo in 2006, Si Wawa was named a "Famous Chinese Snack", and after being featured in A Bite of China 2 in 2014 it became popular nationwide.

Local customs

  • In Guiyang, many siwawa shops have one long table surrounded by small stools
  • you pay by the number of wrappers and help yourself to the fillings
  • you wrap your own and spoon your own dipping sauce, as families or friends wrap and eat together. Do not put in too many shredded vegetables when wrapping, as the thin wrappers tear easily.

Religion & beliefs

  • The traditional accompaniments are mostly vegetables and soy products, fairly suitable for vegetarians
  • but some shops add cuishao (crispy fried pork bits) or meat, and the dipping sauce may use bone broth, so vegetarian and halal travelers should ask first. You can ask the shop to confirm the dipping sauce ingredients.

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

Don’t DON'T

  • Travelers trying zheergen (fish mint) for the first time should start small, as it has an unusual smell
  • those allergic to peanuts or soy should avoid the crispy peanuts and fried soybeans
  • do not dip a wrapper you have bitten into the shared sauce pot—use a spoon
  • most fillings are raw, so those with sensitive stomachs should eat in moderation.

Locals appreciate DO

  • People in Guiyang appreciate first-time customers who boldly try wrapping their own
  • choosing a varied mix of fillings and pouring in just the right amount of dipping sauce will earn you praise as someone who knows how to eat
  • gathering up your used bowls and plates when you finish is much appreciated by the shop. Locals also advise finishing one wrapper before making the next rather than wrapping too many at once.

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • Siwawa shops are found in Guiyang's old town and every shopping area, open from lunch into the evening
  • it works as a snack or a full meal, and a dozen or so wrappers will usually fill you up. Flavor: the dipping sauce is sour and spicy, with adjustable heat
  • the fillings are refreshing. Dietary notes: the wrappers contain wheat
  • the fillings are mostly raw or dressed cold vegetables and include peanuts, soybeans and zheergen (Houttuynia)
  • some shops add cuishao (crispy pork). Combine it with Jiaxiu Tower, Qingyun Market and Qianling Mountain Park. Wrappers are priced per piece, and you can order more if it is not enough. You can also try Guiyang's sour soup fish. Fillings can be refilled. Prices, opening hours and the day's offerings are as posted by each shop
  • popular shops often have queues at peak mealtimes, so going outside the rush is more relaxed.
Sources & verification notes

Chinese Wikipedia: Si Wawa

Wikipedia (English): Siwawa

China News Service (reprinted from Chongqing Evening News, 2014): A Bite of China 2 Recommends Guizhou's Si Wawa: The Wrapper and Dipping Sauce Are Key

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