From Borrowed Signboards to Homegrown Brands: Qinghai’s Hand-Pulled Noodle Industry

Dragon Media Newsroom

Many hand-pulled noodle restaurants across China are run by people from Qinghai. In the 1980s, entrepreneurs from Hualong County began leaving the province to open restaurants elsewhere. Because customers were unfamiliar with their highland noodles, many used the better-known “Lanzhou beef noodles” signboard to attract business. Over the past four decades, the trade has grown into a major industry with its own brands.

Qinghai noodle restaurants now operate in more than 330 Chinese cities. About 32,000 outlets employ 203,000 people and generate more than 24 billion yuan in annual revenue. In Hualong County alone, the industry has helped transfer 110,000 people into employment and generated more than 13.5 billion yuan in operating revenue. Qinghai noodles have also reached 40 countries and regions.

In 2023, the Qinghai government proposed a model that combines restaurant operations, sales of local specialty products and cultural tourism promotion. The program began in 2024, allowing businesses to register voluntarily and receive fee reductions. Around 1,000 restaurants across China are now being converted to the new model.

Li Shoulin was among the first to join. In 2024, he put up a “Qinghai Noodles” sign at his restaurant. The redesigned shop features Qinghai-inspired decor and displays local products such as yogurt and dried yak meat. When customers scan a code to buy the products, Li receives 20 percent of the sales proceeds. He said the Lanzhou brand had helped Qinghai entrepreneurs prosper, and that they were now establishing an identity of their own.

The Qinghai Noodle Industry Association says entrepreneurs from the province have built more than 10,000 restaurants under their own brands, including over 130 well-known brands. As the industry shifts toward chain operations and brand development, demand for trained workers is growing.

The Qinghai Modern Noodle Industry College, established in 2024, offers a three-year program. Students learn noodle-making, broth preparation and chili-oil production, along with restaurant management and livestream sales. The college has enrolled 52 students, many of whom hope to open their own noodle restaurants.