Lanzhou beef noodles soar to global fame

For the people in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, a day starts with a bowl of beef noodles.

Lanzhou is home to over 1,200 beef noodle restaurants, which sell more than 1 million bowls of Lanzhou beef noodles a day. What began with a local street food created by Ma Baozi has evolved into a widely recognized and popular dish, steadily expanding its reach across the globe.

Lanzhou beef noodles consist of a flavorful and clear broth, shaved beef, tender radish slices, chili oil, green garlic leaves and coriander, and chewy hand-pulled "lamian" noodles. Diners can even request the specific thickness and shape of their noodles.

Lanzhou beef noodles date back to the Jiaqing period (1796–1820) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Ma Wenbin is a fourth-generation inheritor of this culinary tradition, and he has dedicated 50 years to making Lanzhou beef noodles.

①: File photo shows Ma Wenbin, the fourth-generation inheritor of Lanzhou beef noodles, making hand-pulled lamian noodles.

②: Lamian cooks show noodle-making skills during a Lanzhou beef noodles skill competition held in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province in September 2024. (Xinhua/Lang Bingbing)

③: Workers work on a production line in a beef noodle industrial park in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province. (Photo/Zhao Yuxin, Ma Tao)

④: A diner enjoys Lanzhou beef noodles. (Photo/Zhang Yuge)

In 1999, the dish was recognized by China as one of the three major Chinese fast-food varieties to be promoted nationwide.

The expansion of Lanzhou beef noodles gained momentum in 2009 when Dongfanggong, a Lanzhou-based company, was selected as the first exemplary enterprise for nationwide and international promotion of the dish. The company's first franchise in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, became an instant hit since its opening in 2012, with nearly 5,000 bowls sold daily. Today, the company has over 200 Lanzhou beef noodle restaurants across China.

So far, there are over 58,000 Lanzhou beef noodle restaurants across China, with their annual sales exceeding 60 billion yuan (about $8.25 billion). Over 400,000 people are engaged in business in the sector.

In December 2020, Gansu Province established its first Lanzhou beef noodle industrial park in Yongdeng county of Lanzhou, aiming to forge an integrated industry chain that combines the operations of offline chain restaurants and the online marketing of pre-packaged products. The industrial park, spanning about 200,000 square meters, has attracted over 80 enterprises. The annual output value of the industrial park is expected to reach 10 billion yuan.

This year, the Lanzhou municipal government issued a three-year action plan to boost the high-quality development of the Lanzhou beef noodle industry. According to the action plan, the total number of pre-packaged enterprises in the sector is expected to exceed 50 by the end of 2026, with their potential operating income surpassing 10 billion yuan and the entire industry chain generating over 30 billion yuan in revenue. Meanwhile, the number of brick-and-mortar beef noodle restaurants is projected to exceed 10,000, with their total potential operating income surpassing 60 billion yuan.

In March, Zhou Yan, a post-90s native of Gansu, opened his first Lanzhou beef noodle restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden. With just 10 tables, the restaurant sold over 300 bowls of beef noodles daily during the peak period. Zhou is planning to open his second beef noodle restaurant in the Swedish capital.

Thanks to efficient logistics, overseas customers can order authentic seasonings for Lanzhou beef noodles directly from Chinese online platforms.

According to statistics from the Department of Commerce of Gansu Province, there are over 600 Lanzhou beef noodle restaurants in more than 60 countries and regions in the world, including the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Liang Shunjian, president of the Gansu Jinweide Beef Noodles Culture Industry Group, established training centers to cultivate cooks for the dish. Liang has also run Lanzhou beef noodle restaurants and engaged in international cultural exchanges in terms of the dish.

This may, Lanzhou Resource and Environment Vocational and Technical University collaborated with Beijing Bailie University, Gansu Jinweide Beef Noodles Culture Industry Group, and UUNZ Institute of Business to establish the Bailie Workshop, the first of its kind in terms of educational tours on Lanzhou beef noodles in New Zealand. At present, the workshop has attracted over 500 local participants in just seven training sessions.

In addition, a vocational school for Lanzhou beef noodle soup, established in 2012 in Lanzhou, has trained over 230 foreigners from more than 40 countries, including the U.S., France, Italy and Switzerland.