Qiaojiayuan and the surrounding pedestrian streets in the eastern city centre are Taiyuan's main food and entertainment district, lined with Shanxi-cuisine restaurants, hot pot chains, snack stalls, and the night market vendors who set up from early evening. The atmosphere is busy and informal — this is where residents eat out rather than a tourist area — and the density of Shanxi noodle and vinegar-based dishes available in a single street makes it the easiest place in the city to eat well without much planning.
The area is also representative of Taiyuan's contemporary energy: new construction alongside older street blocks, young people dominating the evening crowd, and the steady background hum of a provincial capital with considerable spending power from the coal economy. Worth a wander on any evening, with or without a specific restaurant in mind.