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Sliced Peking duck

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Peking duck

北京烤鸭 Peking duck · Beijing, China

Photo: City Foodsters · CC BY 2.0

From a Yuan court recipe to the old shops of Qianmen: six hundred years of duck rolled in pancakes.

Know before you go

  • Don't waste lots of leftovers
  • don't tap your bowl with chopsticks or stick them upright in rice

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

Stories & people

Stories & people

History

From the Yinshan Zhengyao to the old shops of Qianmen

In 1330 Hu Sihui, the Yuan court's dietary physician, recorded a 'roast duck' in his 'Yinshan Zhengyao'. By the late Ming dynasty the method of Peking duck had fully taken shape, and it became one of the main dishes of imperial banquets. In 1416 Bianyifang, the first restaurant specialising in roast duck, opened at Xianyukou near Qianmen; more than four centuries later, in 1864, Quanjude opened in Beijing.

Source: Wikipedia: Peking duck

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

In 1330 Hu Sihui, imperial dietician to the Yuan court, recorded a 'roast duck' in his Yinshan Zhengyao (Principles of Correct Diet). Today's Peking duck took its full form only in the late Ming, becoming a centrepiece of court banquets. In 1416 Bianyifang, the first restaurant specialising in roast duck, opened at Xianyukou near Qianmen; Quanjude opened in Beijing in 1864. You wrap slices of duck in thin pancakes with spring onion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce.

Local customs

  • Carvers often slice the duck at your table
  • dip the crispy skin in sugar first, then roll the meat in pancakes
  • the carcass can be made into soup

Etiquette

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Red lineSafetyChina

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

Red lineEveryday mannersChina

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 waste lots of leftovers
  • don't tap your bowl with chopsticks or stick them upright in rice

Locals appreciate DO

Beijingers appreciate diners who order sensibly and don't waste food.

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • The closed-oven (Bianyifang) and hung-oven (Quanjude) methods are the two great schools — try one of each
  • book ahead at popular restaurants. Prices and opening hours are set by each restaurant
  • popular old places often have queues, so go outside peak mealtimes.

Photos

Photos

Sliced Peking duck
Sliced Peking duck
City Foodsters · CC BY 2.0
The oven at a roast-duck restaurant
The oven at a roast-duck restaurant
Luca Gamberini · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources & verification notes

Wikipedia: Peking duck

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