When traveling in Zhengzhou, what I enjoyed the most was searching for an authentic breakfast in the early morning streets. Zhengzhou’s mornings are always filled with a strong sense of daily life, especially in the old parts of town, where the air is rich with the aroma of soy milk, spicy soup (hula tang), and fried dough sticks. One day, I set out early, hoping to find something to eat in the alleys of the city center and experience Zhengzhou’s urban heartbeat.

The alley was already bustling with vendors—some pushing carts selling fried dough sticks and flatbreads, others standing by spicy soup stalls, busy serving steaming bowls. I lined up at one such stall, run by an older man, who skillfully ladled hot hula tang into bowls, garnishing them with cilantro and chili oil. The aroma was mouthwatering. Noticing I was alone, he cheerfully encouraged me to add more toppings and joked, “Young man, have a hearty breakfast before heading to work.”

With my bowl of spicy soup, I found a seat. Around me, people were chatting and laughing, talking about the weather and their children’s schools. I couldn’t help but strike up a conversation with an elderly man next to me. He shared that this particular stall had been around for over twenty years; he used to bring his children here when they were little. “You see,” he said with a smile, eyes filled with nostalgia, “this is the taste every Zhengzhou native grows up with.”

As I finished my hula tang, warmth spread through me—not just from the heat of the soup but also from the genuine warmth of the city itself. On Zhengzhou’s streets, scenes like this are everywhere—people gathering around simple stalls, sharing moments of everyday life. Just like the city, these moments are unpretentious but powerful.

That morning’s breakfast left a lasting impression on me. It captured the warmth and groundedness of Zhengzhou’s people. While the city is rapidly modernizing, those hidden alleys still offer a steady, vibrant rhythm of life. The taste of Zhengzhou lives in every morning and in every steaming bowl of hula tang.