If I could recommend only one thing to eat when visiting Nanjing, it wouldn’t be duck blood vermicelli soup — it would be duck. More specifically, Nanjing roast duck (kaoya) and Nanjing salted duck (yanshuiya).
Walk down any residential street in Nanjing, and you’ll find at least one “Shuiximen” duck shop — glass counter lined with gleaming ducks, aromas wafting out onto the sidewalk. Locals stop by on their way home, buy half a duck wrapped in a plastic bag, and that’s dinner.
But two questions plague every first-time visitor:
- Which one of those “Shuiximen” shops is the real one?
- Roast duck or salted duck — which should I order?
This article answers both.
Shuiximen: A Brand, Not a Store
You’ll see the characters “水西门” (Shuiximen) on duck shop signs all over Nanjing. Like “Qijiawan” for beef potstickers, Shuiximen is a generic quality label, not a trademark owned by any single store.
Why? It goes back to one legendary establishment.
The Birth of a Standard
In 1866, a shop called Han Fuxing opened at Shuiximen (Water West Gate). It specialized in both salted and roast duck, using only lean, thin-skinned ducks with a proprietary brine recipe. It became so famous that it’s now recognized as a China Time-Honored Brand (中华老字号), essentially the “Whampoa Military Academy” of Nanjing duck-making.
Apprentices trained at Han Fuxing eventually opened their own shops across the city. To signal their authentic training, they put “Shuiximen” on their signs. Over time, the name evolved from a neighborhood into a quality guarantee — meaning “lean duck, crispy skin, tender meat, proper technique.”
Shared Name, Individual Craft
This history created a unique market structure:
- Shared prefix: Famous shops like Lu Jia (陆家), Du Jia (杜家), and Xu Jia (徐家) all use “Shuiximen” above their own name — like “Chongqing hot pot” or “Lanzhou pulled noodles.”
- Individual reputation: Each family adds its surname to distinguish itself. Lu Jia, Du Jia, Huang Ji, Chen Jia — each has its own brine recipe (salty vs. sweet-salty), heat control, and secret techniques.
- Location doesn’t equal lineage: The real Han Fuxing-trained master chefs set up shop in Old城南 (south of the city), not necessarily at Shuiximen itself. Many shops near the original Shuiximen location today are franchises or copycats.
How to Pick the Right Shop
- Look for a family name. Shops with specific surnames (Lu, Du, Xu, Chen) have a reputation to maintain. Search what locals recommend, not what’s touristy.
- Follow the queue. If a shop has grandmas and grandpas waiting patiently, you’re in the right place. The signature move of a good duck shop: chop the duck, pour hot brine over it, and hand it over in a plastic bag — all in one fluid motion.
🔥 Important: Roast duck must be eaten hot — the hot brine poured over crispy skin is half the experience. Salted duck is good both hot and cold. (And yes, salted duck also has a brine — Nanjing locals just don’t usually pour it over.)
Roast Duck vs Salted Duck: Which to Order?
I’ve watched countless tourists stare at the shop window, frozen by the choice. Here’s my rule of thumb:
Not a regular duck eater → Go for roast duck
Roast duck comes with hot broth poured over crispy skin and tender meat. It’s universally appealing. Each shop’s broth varies (sweet vs. sweet-salty) but it’s always good. Hard to go wrong.
Duck lover / seasoned eater → Go for salted duck
Salted duck is the real benchmark of a duck shop’s skill. Roast duck relies on heat and sauce; salted duck relies on the duck itself — the quality of the bird, the restraint in seasoning, the preservation of natural flavor. A shop that makes great salted duck will make great roast duck. The reverse is not guaranteed.
Front breast or hind leg?
It’s a matter of taste, but there’s a Nanjing classic division: front breast (tender, best cold) vs. hind leg (chewier, best hot).
And one final insider tip: if you’re buying half a duck, tell the shopkeeper you want the “soft side” (软边, ruan bian) — meaning one whole side cut cleanly. It makes you sound like you know what you’re doing.