Travel in China
The alley that has served breakfast for 100 years - hot dry noodles, doupi and rice-wine soup at 8 a.m.
Hubu Alley (Breakfast Street) is a marble-paved lane of food stalls that has served Wuhan's breakfast for over a century. The name refers to the Ming dynasty Ministry of Revenue (hubu) that was once located here - today the revenue is entirely culinary.
The alley's holy trinity are the foods that define Wuhan breakfast: reganmian (hot dry noodles - the city's signature dish), doupi (pancake-wrapped sticky rice with egg and meat), and jiuniang (sweet fermented-rice soup with rice balls). By 8 a.m., the steam and the queues are at their thickest.
Hubu Alley is more than just a breakfast destination - it is the living embodiment of 'guozao', the Wuhan word for having breakfast, which is a civic religion in this city. Come hungry, try everything, and understand why the locals say that a day in Wuhan that doesn't start with reganmian is a day wasted.
Highlights
Reganmian (Hot Dry Noodles)
Wuhan's signature dish - sesame-paste noodles with scallions and pickled vegetables.
Doupi
A crispy pancake wrapped around sticky rice, egg and meat.
The 8 a.m. Atmosphere
Steam, queues and the sound of breakfast at its peak.
Jiuniang (Sweet Rice-Wine Soup)
Sweet fermented rice wine with glutinous rice balls.
The Marble-Paved Lane
A restored historic street of food stalls.
The 'Guozao' Culture
The Wuhan breakfast tradition - a civic institution.
Photo Gallery
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