Travel China through its hot pots.
Start with one shared meal. Learn the broth, order with confidence, and use hot pot to understand the city around the table.
Editorial framework Β· October 2026
What is Chinese hot pot?
Chinese hot pot is a shared meal where diners cook meat, vegetables, noodles and tofu in a simmering broth at the table. The broth, ingredients, dipping sauce and pace change from city to city.
Chongqing: the first hot pot city
Follow one practical night: choose a branch, order a controlled first round, then walk through the old streets and river lights.
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Four cities, four ways to eat hot pot
Save a city guide, a restaurant and a phrase card. The first version of your trip should be useful before it is ambitious.
Chongqing
The first city to visit if you want heat, old streets and a late dinner.
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Chengdu
A slower food city for comparing broths, tea houses and neighbourhood restaurants.
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Beijing
A clear-broth route that shows how northern hot pot differs from Sichuan styles.
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Chaozhou Β· Shantou
A beef-first trip where the cut, timing and dipping sauce matter more than heat.
View city guide βPractical guides for the first meal
Make it a trip
Save a city guide, a restaurant and a phrase card. The first version of your trip should be useful before it is ambitious.
Restaurant prices, opening hours and branches change. We show a last-verified date and link to the current map or official source wherever a fact can change.
Last verified: 2026-10-04