Shaanxi noodle grandee

From calabash chicken to hotpot handled with care, one Beijing eatery is specializing in serving up the authentic tastes of old Xi'an, Li Yingxue reports.

Youku's currently streaming hit thriller The Longest Day in Chang'an starring singer-actor Yi Yangqianxi and actor Lei Jiayin has generated more than 10 million comments on Sina Weibo.

Set in Chang'an, today's Xi'an and the capital of Shaanxi province, during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the series has piqued viewer interest, not only with its cliff-hanger plotlines, but also its delicious local gastronomy - from stewed mutton in a basin down to the local persimmons - eaten by character Zhang Xiaojing, played by Lei.