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Moslem Street (Huimin Jie), Xian Moslem Street is located beside the Drum Tower and it is about 500 meters (about 547 yards) long from south to north. It is the hub of the Moslem community in Xian City, Shaanxi Province. This street is paved with dark colored stone with green trees providing heavy shade during summer; the buildings on both sides of the street are modeled on the styles of both the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasties (1644-1911). Some of the constructions are restaurants; while others are stores. Moslem Street has a long history. It is said that in olden days, foreign diplomatic envoys and merchants lived here then they married and had children, so gradually the population increased. Today, most of the inhabitants of Moslem Street are the descendants of those immigrants. All the Moslems here are the pious and devout followers of Islam so they form a tight knit community, which maintains its own culture and traditions to this day even in such a modern society. People here are very familiar with each other. Walking along this twisted, narrow street which is aligned with stores on both sides provide authentic hand-made Moslem food which tastes very good. While still there are small stores selling the special local products of Shaanxi Province and yet others provide you with exquisite souvenirs. But here there is one thing in common: the owners are all Moslems. Here you will find the distinctive snack of Xian which is extremely delicious. The steamed stuffed bun of Jiasan is a very delicious snack. There are also fruit pies made with persimmon here which are considered as the unique refreshment in Xian. Fried rice with pickled Chinese cabbage and little capsicum is also extremely tasty. There are a great many other snacks to be found along this street, such as preserved meat, casserole, various noodles, and so on.
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