This is one of the “must-go” restaurant in Datong that has been around since 1413 serving a traditional treat called Shaomai 燒麦.
Longjuxiang Shaomai Restaurant in Datong Drum Tower, founded in 1413, has ten kinds of Shaomai 燒麦, more than 20 local specialties and various famous snacks. This is their main store, although now it has six branches spread around the city.
It used to be called “正居顺”饭店 and was popular with the descendants of the local lord, King Dai Zhu Gui 明代王朱桂 (1374-1446), whose official residence was just nearby. Hence the name was changed to Longjuxiang (lit. “Auspicious Gathering of Dragons”). Legend aside, the place is located at a touristy place (the Drum Tower 鼓楼 in the Datong Ancient City 大同古城) so it is often overlooked and underrated.
Along my trip to Shanxi, I saw fresh sea buckthorn juice sold everywhere. Out of concerns of hygiene I did not try any of it. When I saw that they offer it here, I ordered a jug, thinking that it was just like another fruit juice. I was so wrong. It was so sour and overpowering, like orange cordial. Sea buckthorn may be able to help treat conditions like eczema and inflammation, heal wounds, boost heart health, and lower blood sugar. Caution, sea buckthorn might slow blood clotting when taken as a medicine.
It is really interesting that they provide a card when you order their signature dishes. It give a brief introduction on how the dish came about, and the significance in their cultural relevance.
老汤兔头 Braised Rabbit Head
It looked quite disgusting when it was served. Without its furry hide, the rabbit’s head looks like an oversized rat. Just like the Chengdu folks, the rabbits head has been braised in a bunch of aromatic spices to produce an appetiser that only Chinese folks would appreciate. It was not as spicy as the Chengdu version, and more savoury and quite flavourful. You can buy vacuum packed ones for bringing home if you enjoy it.
百花烧麦 Assortment of Shaomai
Shaomai 烧麦, according to many historical records, originated further away in Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia. There, it was known as suumai, which translates to “without being cooled down” in Mongolian. It’s said to describe how people should eat it while it’s still hot. Instead of pork, suumai consisted of a mutton filling with scallion and ginger. It is considered to have been brought to Beijing and Tianjin by merchants from Shanxi, causing its later widespread.
It comes in an assortment of flavours, and Longxiangju has an option of providing all the flavours in one basket. It is closed on top like a Shanghainese dumpling, but the Northern version is characterised with the flower-like folds on top. You have to enjoy it with Shanxi vinegar. The filling is like the Cantonese version, very solid and flavourful, unlike the Shanghainese shaomai that comes with glutinous rice.
Although it sounded like Cantonese siewmai 燒賣 and the Chinese characters of the names are interchangeable, these Northern style shaomais are nothing like the Cantonese ones. Usually it comes with eight pieces per basket, but for some unknown reason mine had nine. The skin of the shaomai is made from wheat flour, and the red ones have used dragonfruit juice, yellow ones pumpkin and green ones spinach juice to differentiate.
You can taste good flavours and freshness as you bite into each one of the shaomai. My favourites are the shrimp and pork shaomai and the lamb shaomai (the green one, because lamb eats grass, get it?) which are available as individual orders. The red one looked pretty but was my least favourite because I prefer cleaner tastes in my dumpling; the three ingredients (shrimp, pork and lamb) competed with each other and overwhelmed the flavours, make it quite rojak (confusing) in a bad way.
老大同羊杂粉 Lamb Offal Noodles
Shanxi is famous for noodles and Datong is when the world-renowned knife-cut noodles 刀削面 originates. But do not be tempted to order it here, as there are better ones (and cheaper too). Lamb offal 羊杂 is a specialty in the Northwestern part of China, and Datong has been serving this specialty for a long time.
The usually discard parts of the lamb – head, hooves, heart, liver, legs, intestines, blood – are cleaned thoroughly and then braised in a lot of aromatic herbs and spices to produce one of the most delicious eats that is the integration of the nomadic tribes and Han cooking techniques. The broth is sticky with the collagen from boiling the lamb head and hooves in the stock, and the rest of the offals provided great texture and flavours to the accompanying potato starch noodles called helemian 饸饹面.
The noodles are freshly made, and have the texture and smoothness of thick rice vermicelli 粗米粉. But it definitely cooks better and stays in shape when cooked in the wonderful lamb offals. I finished the whole portion, to the very last drop. And like every Shanxi customer, I asked for more garlic and chopped leeks. Chopped garlic has more kick, but the locals will bite into a whole garlic while they enjoy their noodles.
Recommend to come and try their shaomai after a visit to the famous Datong Nine Dragons Wall 大同九龙壁. The wall looks magnificent in the evening, and you will be just in time for a nice supper at Longjuxiang. Service is excellent, the food tasty and tasted so much better than it looked. Strong recommend the lamb offals noodles.
Longjuxiang Steamed Dumplings Restaurant 龙聚祥烧麦馆(鼓楼店)
45 Yongtai St, Pingcheng, Datong, Shanxi, China, 037004
Northwest corner of the Drum Tower, Pingcheng District, Datong City (鼓楼西北角)
Tel : +86 352 5378899
Visited Oct 2025
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