Duck blood and vermicelli soup
鸭血粉丝汤 · Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
A bowl of duck broth with duck blood, duck liver, duck intestines and fried tofu puffs, something Nanjing people can't do without from morning to night.
Know before you go
- Travelers who don't eat animal blood or offal should not order it, or ask the shop to add only fried tofu puffs and vermicelli
- do not put the shared chili-oil spoon into your own bowl and then back
- those allergic to soybeans should watch out for the fried tofu puffs
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Duck blood and vermicelli soup, also called old duck vermicelli soup, is a signature snack of Nanjing, and like salted duck it comes from Nanjing people's fondness for duck. The main ingredients are small cubes of duck blood, duck liver and duck intestines, with fried tofu puffs and vermicelli, in a simmered duck broth; the vermicelli is usually made from sweet potato and is cooked in a strainer dipped into the boiling broth. A folk legend says that a poor man in Nanjing, while killing a duck, accidentally dropped vermicelli into the bowl of duck blood, cooked them together and found them exceptionally delicious; this is only a story with no historical record to support it. In 2017 the Nanjing Institute for Food and Drug Control applied for a standards project on hygienic practices for processing duck blood and vermicelli soup, which was approved by the Jiangsu Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission.
Local customs
- Nanjing shops usually put duck blood, duck offal and fried tofu puffs in the bowl first, then add the blanched glass noodles and hot broth, and finish with a sprinkle of coriander
- chili oil and vinegar are on the table to help yourself. Many shops also sell soup dumplings, duck-fat shaobing and spring rolls, and Nanjing people often pair a bowl of soup with a steamer of soup dumplings.
Religion & beliefs
- Both the broth and the toppings come from duck (including duck blood and offal), so it is not vegetarian. In Nanjing some duck blood vermicelli shops are halal and others are not
- travellers who need halal food should check the shop sign. If you do not eat offal, you can order just the fried tofu puff vermicelli.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 who don't eat animal blood or offal should not order it, or ask the shop to add only fried tofu puffs and vermicelli
- do not put the shared chili-oil spoon into your own bowl and then back
- those allergic to soybeans should watch out for the fried tofu puffs
- do not waste a whole bowl of soup
- do not carry the bowl away from the table and drink as you walk
Locals appreciate DO
- Shop owners appreciate customers who say clearly whether they want cilantro and chili
- Nanjing people love to order duck blood and vermicelli soup together with salted duck and soup dumplings for a 'one duck, many ways' experience
- drinking the soup hot is considered the best way to taste its freshness. Adding a spoonful of chili oil and a few drops of vinegar is a habit of many Nanjing people.
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Specialty shops can be found in snack hubs such as Confucius Temple, Laomendong and Xinjiekou and in lanes throughout the city, serving breakfast, lunch and late-night meals
- one bowl makes a light meal, and with soup dumplings or sesame flatbread it is more filling. Flavor: the broth is savory and not spicy in itself
- you decide the heat by adding chili oil. Dietary notes: contains animal blood, duck liver, duck intestines and other offal, and some shops add dried shrimp to the broth
- sweet potato vermicelli contains no wheat, but soup dumplings and sesame flatbread do. Can be combined with Confucius Temple and the Qinhuai River, Laomendong and the Zhonghua Gate Castle. Prices, opening hours and daily availability are as announced by each shop
- popular shops often have queues at peak mealtimes, so going off-peak is more relaxed.
Photos
Photos
N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0
N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0
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