I would venture to say no. Or at the very least, it will be much harder in China than most other places.
It’s super easy to avoid dairy for sure, but avoiding all animal products is practically impossible. All your rice, noodles, veggies are cooked in broth, or at least with some bones thrown in, and you’ll never find a completely vegan soup either.
It’s not the same types of meat as you would eat in more Western countries, but it’s in everything. Little bits of fat and gristle are very commonly mixed in for flavor, but it’s rare to have something like a steak or a chicken breast.
Most people will tell you that it’s not that common for people to eat meat in China (which is true) but the concept of veganism, especially from a purely animal rights standpoint, is pretty foreign. It’s not high on food priorities. Ingredients aren’t listed the same way they are in the states, and prepared foods definitely aren’t marked as clearly vegan, gluten-free or things like that.
The bright side is, fruits and vegetables are SO cheap, fresh and amazing.
So unless you want to eat nothing but plain steamed rice and raw fruits and veg when you go out to eat, I would say it’s probably not feasible to be vegan in China. But if you’re planning to cook at home, it should be feasible, if a little bit tricky without foods marketed specifically for vegans.
Finding Eden 