Handmade noodles have a long history, known as "Xumian" in the Tang Dynasty. The term "handmade noodles" first appeared in the book *Yinshan Zhengyao* (Essentials of Diet and Nutrition) written by Hu Sihui, a court physician during the Tianli era of the Yuan Dynasty (1328-1330). The book describes the preparation method as follows: "Handmade noodles nourish the middle and replenish qi. One leg of mutton, six catties of handmade noodles, half a catty of mushrooms, five eggs fried into cakes, one ounce of pickled ginger, and one ounce of water chestnuts. Season the above ingredients with clear broth, pepper, salt, and vinegar."

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, handmade noodles were widely popular, leading to the formation of numerous distinctive local production areas and traditions: Wuqi noodles from Shaanxi province had a history of 400 years since the late Ming and early Qing dynasties; Zhongjiang noodles from Sichuan province received the honor of being "Imperial Noodles" during the Ming dynasty, becoming a tribute to the imperial court; hollow handmade noodles from Chengxian county in Gansu province originated in the Ming dynasty, flourished in the late Qing dynasty, and have a history of over 600 years; handmade noodles from Shixia village in Shaanxi province have a history of over 600 years; hollow handmade noodles from Wubao village in Zigong province originated in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties and have a history of over 400 years; the noodle-making technique of Shibu village in Jiangxi province originated during the Xianfeng period of the Qing dynasty and has a history of over 160 years; and the history of handmade noodles from Ertu village in Lixian county in Gansu province can be traced back to the early Qing dynasty, more than 100 years ago.

Since modern times, the art of making handmade noodles has been listed as an important traditional handicraft and has been included in the intangible cultural heritage lists at various levels, such as Wubu handmade hollow noodles in Shaanxi (listed as a Shaanxi provincial intangible cultural heritage in 2011), Zhongjiang handmade noodles in Sichuan (listed as a Sichuan provincial intangible cultural heritage in 2007), Jinzhai handmade noodles in Anhui (listed as a Lu'an municipal intangible cultural heritage in 2020), Shibu noodle making techniques in Jiangxi (listed as a Nanchang municipal intangible cultural heritage in 2019, and upgraded to a provincial level in 2025), and Ertu Village handmade noodles in Lixian County, Gansu (Lixian county-level intangible cultural heritage). Meanwhile, the handmade noodle industry has achieved large-scale, industrialized, and e-commerce-based development through the establishment of cooperatives, standardized production workshops, the introduction of automated production lines, brand building, and the use of e-commerce live streaming platforms to expand sales channels. For example, Jinzhai handmade noodles in Anhui province achieve daily sales of thousands of orders through e-commerce; Wubu County in Shaanxi province is building a modern industrial park to promote industrial upgrading; Sanbao Town in Minle County, Gansu province, adopts the "Party branch + economic cooperative organization + farmers" model to develop the handmade noodle industry, with annual sales reaching 5 million yuan; Wubu County's total output reached 7,000 tons in 2023; and Kang County in Longnan, Gansu province, has launched new products such as Tianma handmade noodles and yam handmade noodles, which are sold to multiple provinces through e-commerce platforms.