After finding that the internet sometimes lies about where the best grub is I instead tried to follow my spider senses and go to a street that looked good, Renmin Lu and its surrounding streets seemed to be that place.
Located down by Shenzhen Railway Station this bustling area had the vendors that I wanted, as well as a street that looked interesting. So, how was it?
What the Luo Hu?
Luo Hu, the bustling border district of Shenzhen, is where modern China meets old-school charm. Home to over 800,000 people, it’s a lively mix of shopping, culture, and, of course, food. Known for its proximity to Hong Kong, Luo Hu is a gateway for travelers and a haven for food lovers.
The food scene here is a blend of Cantonese classics, Sichuan spice, and street food gems. From steaming dim sum to spicy hotpot joints tucked in alleys, it’s a paradise for adventurous eaters. And they’ve got night markets and street food galore!
What the Renmin Lu
Remnin Lu quite literally means “People’s Street” and is where the money Renminbi gets its name from, the area also appeared to be known as Xiangcun. Its located as stated down by the railway station and links up with the rest of backstreets and side alleys that make up the vibrant food scene of this area.
Layout wise all of the “street food” as such on Renmin Lu, such as the vendors are located on the bottom end, while there is a row of restaurants, shops and as things are in China many people selling the same things!
Pig skin and boiled chicken street!
Most interestingly about Renmin Street and Xiangcun was that of the many shops that lined the main street, as well as the alleyways were all pretty much selling the same things. The most popular of these was what appeared to be fried pig skin, which was being knocked out for $3-4 for 0.5 KG, or as they call it in China “One Jin”. Alas I was not in the mood for oily pork skin, but it looked decent and was certainly popular.
The second major product was boiled chicken. Now this is not something that is rare in China, with me being able to buy it down by my not to far office. The difference on this street as that its a whole street selling it with there being hundreds of chooks of various colors to choose from. Aside from that cured meat seemed to be the order of the day, although again I did not partake.
Street Food Renmin Lu
Street food wise Renmin Lu and the sourciding streets were actually a little bit of a disappointment with there not being as many vendors as usual, perhaps due to the incoming Chinese New Year of the snake.
There were though at least a few interesting options to keep me fed, such as Chinese BBQ, some decent stir-fry and of course some weird shit! Chief among these was an egg that was huge, in fact almost the size of megapode egg. We still have not worked out what it was, with swan egg being suggested. This was followed with some fried egg seafood balls, as well as one of real favorites for dessert a mixed fruit Chinese coffee concoction on a stick.
And then from here it was but a mere 30 minutes walk back to my abode again passing strange shops and vendors, which included Victoria’s Secret on the high end and a guy selling ancient posters of Mao on the lower end.
Is Renmin Lu worth a visit? Probably only just if you re looking for somewhere to eat, but by no means make a beeline for it.
