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Spanish mackerel dumplings wrapped and boiled at home (the photographer describes them as a home-style dish of the Bohai and Yellow Sea coasts; location not stated)

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Spanish mackerel dumplings

鲅鱼水饺 · Qingdao, Shandong, China

Photo: Jason M. C., Han · CC BY-SA 4.0

Spanish mackerel minced into a filling with garlic chives, thin wrappers around white filling: the dumplings Jiaodong coastal families serve to guests.

Know before you go

  • If you are allergic to fish, don't eat it
  • the mackerel filling occasionally has tiny bones, so chew slowly rather than swallowing big mouthfuls
  • don't tip leftover dumplings from your garlic-vinegar dish back onto the shared plate

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

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

Seafood jiaozi are a traditional speciality of the Jiaodong region of Shandong and belong to Shandong cuisine. They are filled with seafood such as cuttlefish, yellow croaker, Spanish mackerel and shrimp, and Spanish mackerel jiaozi are the most popular. To make them, fresh mackerel is chosen, the flesh is cut away along the backbone and skinned, then chopped with minced ginger and mixed with a little garlic chives; the wrappers are slightly soft, and once boiled the dumplings are translucent, revealing a white and green fish filling. In Jiaodong, the jiaozi made for New Year, for honouring the gods and for entertaining guests are mostly seafood jiaozi. In Laoshan, Qingdao, it is a custom for sons-in-law to give Spanish mackerel to their parents-in-law in spring; the "Laoshan Spanish Mackerel Custom" was inscribed in 2021 on the fifth batch of Shandong's provincial list of representative items of intangible cultural heritage, and Shazikou holds a mackerel festival every spring.

Local customs

  • Spanish mackerel dumplings are usually ordered by the jin or liang (by weight) and dipped in vinegar and crushed garlic
  • Qingdao people often pair them with a mug of draft beer. A Jiaodong saying goes, "When the mackerel leap, the father-in-law smiles": giving and eating Spanish mackerel in spring is a big family occasion. Mackerel dumplings are fairly large, so be careful of the heat if you eat one in a single bite.

Religion & beliefs

The mackerel filling itself is fish, but many shops add pork fat or lard to the filling to make it richer, so travelers who need halal or pork-free food should ask first. Travelers who do not eat garlic chives can ask whether there is a filling with another vegetable.

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

  • If you are allergic to fish, don't eat it
  • the mackerel filling occasionally has tiny bones, so chew slowly rather than swallowing big mouthfuls
  • don't tip leftover dumplings from your garlic-vinegar dish back onto the shared plate
  • if you are allergic to wheat (gluten), don't eat the dumpling wrappers
  • don't gulp down dumplings while drinking beer

Locals appreciate DO

  • Shop owners appreciate customers who eat them hot dipped in vinegar and praise them as 'fresh'
  • locals most recommend eating dumplings with fresh in-season Spanish mackerel in spring and autumn
  • ordering by the number of people and not leaving dumplings is also good manners. Qingdao people also like to serve mackerel dumplings as a home-style meal for guests from afar.

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • You can find it at seafood dumpling restaurants and home-style eateries in central Qingdao and at fishing-family restaurants around Shazikou in Laoshan
  • it is most in season in spring (around the Spanish mackerel festival) and in autumn after the fishing season reopens in September and October. About 150 to 200 grams per person is usually enough, and it goes well with clams and seaweed salad. Dietary notes: contains fish and wheat
  • some shops add pork or lard to the filling
  • the garlic chives have a strong smell. It combines well with Badaguan, Zhanqiao Pier and the Laoshan Scenic Area
  • after visiting Laoshan, have a fishing-family meal at Shazikou. You can also buy frozen mackerel dumplings to cook yourself. Prices, opening hours and the day's offerings are as posted by each shop
  • popular shops often have queues at peak mealtimes, so eating outside those times is more relaxed.
Sources & verification notes

The Paper · Culture and Tourism China (2021): Intangible heritage on the tongue | Just how fresh are Shandong's seafood dumplings

The Paper · Local Specialties (2020): One Spanish mackerel dumpling that fed half of Shandong

Xinhuanet (2026): New Explorations in Culture and Tourism | A Spanish Mackerel's New Story of Mountains, Sea and Tourism (Laoshan Spanish Mackerel Customs)

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