Qi lou snack street is perhaps the most famous snack street in all of Haikou. It is located right next to Haikou’s historic old town and the perfect place to grab food after spending the day wandering around the arcade streets. (entrance to Qi lou snack street pictured above).
There are two parts to Qi lou snack street, one is more touristy whilst the other is a little older and where you will find more locals. Both are quite similar and worth visiting before you decide where to dine. (entrance to older snack street picture above).
The older snack street is right next to the Qi lou snack street and offers, shall we say, more exotic snacks for the more adventurous types, such as silkworms on sticks (pictured above).
On the Qi lou side of the snack street, it’s a cashless system. You can pay either with We-chat wallet, Alipay or with a card that you will need to charge with money. The counter where you can charge your card is to the left of the main entrance.
It’s a fantastic market with a wide range of local produce and Hainan style snacks, cooked right in front of you.
Turn up hungry and open minded. Most of the menus have English but there will definitely be a few surprise items that you may not find in your typical supermarket back home.
Lingshui fen is a famous Hainan dish, sometimes called Hainan fen, which is very popular with the locals. It has a sweet and sour taste. Depending on where you are on the island the ingredients may differ slightly. Typically there will be dried fish, dried meat, noodles and some vegetables in there.
Affordable Dining.
Dishes at the food street are inexpensive and range from 2 yuan to upwards of 50 yuan.
Indoor and outdoor seating.
At the food street, you can eat either inside or outside. The food street is busiest during evening time, although usually you will always be able to get a spot.
The snack stalls are smaller here but there are some interesting choices on the menu. The seating situation is limited here, you may need to take your snacks to the other street or eat on the go.
Facing Qi lou snack street (the arcade-style building, the first photo in this article), turn left and head 50 meters down the street to get to the older style market. The photo above was taken around 2 pm mid-week. Visit in the evening and it’s going to be a lot busier.
The snack stalls are smaller here but there are some interesting choices on the menu. The seating situation is limited here, you may need to take your snacks to the other street or eat on the go.
Location.
The snack street is located close to Qi lou lao jie (the old town) and just about all of the taxi drivers in the city know if it.
Address: 骑楼小吃街 Enter this into Baidu Maps for a more accurate location.
Bus numbers : 10, 22, 28, 32, 34, 60, 93, 98, 106
Also close by Qi lou snack street:
Qi lou old town
The Tian Hou Temple
Fish Market and Food Street – Video
Coffee, art and books all in one great location
Love food markets then you may also be interested in the Haikou Night Food Market.
Related article: Hiking in Hainan – routes, trails, tips and recommended spots
