Ramadan in Yiwu: Iftar Restaurants, Mosque & Market Hours
Ramadan changes the rhythm of Exotic Street: kitchens open for iftar, stay open past midnight for suhoor, and some close in the daytime. Here is where to break your fast, what the set menus cost, and how the market's hours shift.
Ramadan 1448 / 2027 in Yiwu — and the Chinese New Year overlap
Ramadan 1448 AH is expected to begin on Sunday 8 February 2027 and Eid al-Fitr on 9 March 2027 (10 March if the month runs 30 days), according to the Umm al-Qura calendar used in Saudi Arabia. Communities that rely on local moon sighting may start a day earlier or later; the Yiwu mosque follows its own announcement. Source: Umm al-Qura projections via Makkah Live Islamic calendar 1448 and IslamicCalc, read 2026-09-22.
Plan around Chinese New Year. The first day of the Year of the Goat is 6 February 2027, two days before Ramadan. In 2026 the International Trade City (Districts 1–5 and the Global Digital Trade Centre) closed from the afternoon of 13 February and reopened on 28 February at 08:30 (official notice, Yiwu Market Group, published 2 Feb 2026); expect a similar two-week closure in early February 2027 — the exact 2027 dates are announced in late January and will be posted on the market visitor guide. Exotic Street restaurants do not follow the Chinese holiday and stay open for iftar.
Ramadan 2026 for reference: visitors reported Eid al-Fitr around 20 March 2026, with the mosque courtyard full and the Yemeni restaurants serving Eid breakfast — see the Eid section below.
Restaurants serving iftar, with set-menu prices
| Restaurant | Cuisine | Iftar time | Set menu price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
    | Turkish · Yemeni · Afghan | At maghrib — not confirmed with the restaurants yet; call ahead | Price: not reported | — |
Updated each year before Ramadan; restaurants confirm times directly. Visitor posts describe the Exotic Street restaurants staying open through the month and the street filling after sunset.
Eid al-Fitr in Yiwu
Visitors describe Eid morning at Yiwu Mosque as an international crowd — Arab, South Asian, Chinese Hui — praying together, then heading to the Yemeni rooms on Exotic Street for a late breakfast. One visitor stumbled into an Eid gathering at a lamb-soup shop and compared the scene to the Gulf. Eid dates and the Eid prayer time are confirmed locally each year.
Taraweeh and the Ramadan crowd
Yiwu Mosque holds Taraweeh nightly after Isha; the courtyard and the street outside are at their busiest of the year. By calculation Isha in Yiwu falls at about 19:40–19:55 through February–March 2027 (Muslim World League method, see the live table on the mosque page), so Taraweeh usually starts around 20:00 — the mosque’s own board is final and we have not yet photographed it. See the mosque page for directions. After Taraweeh the 24-hour Arab cafés and the shisha rooms near Exotic Street stay open until suhoor — listed with closing times on Where Muslims hang out.
Does the International Trade City change hours in Ramadan?
The market keeps its normal schedule (it follows the Chinese calendar, not the Islamic one), but Muslim-run shops inside and around it often open later and close for iftar. Halal food courts adjust their hours; we note the changes we observe each year.
Arrival, payment setup and useful Chinese phrases.
First visit checklistQuestions visitors ask
Do restaurants in Yiwu open during Ramadan?
Yes. Muslim-run restaurants shift to iftar and late-night service; many are quiet or closed in the daytime. Chinese restaurants are unaffected.
Where is iftar served in Yiwu?
Mainly on Chouzhou North Road (Exotic Street) and near the mosque; the table above lists restaurants with confirmed iftar service each year.
Is the market open in Ramadan?
Yes, the International Trade City follows the Chinese calendar; individual Muslim-run shops may keep shorter hours.
Where do people go after Eid prayer in Yiwu?
Visitors describe heading from the mosque to the Yemeni restaurants on Exotic Street for breakfast; the street is at its most crowded of the year on Eid morning.