Spring Festival Road Trip to Ancient Mosques in Sichuan (Part 10): Shanghe Street, Guangyuan
<p>Returning from Jiujing up the Jialing River gorge, accompanied all the way by river breezes and mountain shadows, we arrived in downtown Guangyuan just in time to break our fast at the Shanghe Street Mosque. When I visited, the interior of the mosque was undergoing renovations, so prayers and the Iftar (fast-breaking meal) were temporarily set up on the second floor. Although the arrangement was simple, the atmosphere was exceptionally calm and solemn.</p>
<p><b>Guangyuan is strategically located at the junction of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces, controlling vital land and water transportation routes.</b> Consequently, the congregation is diverse, bringing together brothers (Duositi) who have traveled from afar in the Northwest, foreign students studying locally, and native elders whose families have lived here for generations. Hearts from all directions blend here in a spirit of peace and profound inclusivity.</p>
<p>The Iftar meal was simple and home-style: tender and flavorful beef stewed with carrots, refreshing and palate-cleansing stir-fried celery lettuce with wood ear mushrooms, mild and stomach-soothing white radish stewed with kelp, accompanied by cold glass noodles and pickled radish. It was modest, grounding, peaceful, and healing.</p>
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<p><b>The Shanghe Street Mosque stands quietly beside the Jialing River, while right outside its doors lies the vibrant and bustling Jialing River Pedestrian Street.</b> The river breeze blows gently, and tourist boats shuttle back and forth constantly at the pier, creating a lively scene of worldly prosperity. Yet, stepping inside the mosque to focus on the Taraweeh prayers evoked a deep sense of emotion. Separated by only a single window, outside is the hustle and bustle of the secular world; inside is a pure and peaceful place of spiritual practice, a quiet harbor to rest one's heart. The noise of the world and the tranquility of the ancient mosque coexist perfectly, allowing one to find a spiritual sanctuary amidst the lively riverbank with just a single thought of stillness.</p>
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<p>As early as the Yuan and Ming dynasties, Guangyuan had a mosque located on East Street in the old city, but it was destroyed at the end of the Ming Dynasty. From the Qing Dynasty onwards, Guangyuan's commercial center gradually shifted from East Street to the banks of the Jialing River. Therefore, local Hui Muslims established the Shanghe Street Mosque in 1721 (the 60th year of the Kangxi reign) — though some sources say 1674 — and it was expanded in 1777 (the 42nd year of the Qianlong reign).</p>
<p><b>The mosque preserves nine precious wooden plaques from the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China era.</b> During the 1960s and 70s, these nine plaques were carefully covered with layers of paper, painted red, and inscribed with "highest directives" regarding ethnic unity, which ultimately saved them from destruction. Today, these nine plaques proudly hang on the walls of the mosque's staircases and corridors.</p>
<p>The "Mosque" (Qing Zhen Si) plaque from 1748 (the 13th year of the Qianlong reign), with a signature indicating the congregation rebuilt it in the 10th year of the Republic of China (1921).</p>
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<p>The "Recognize Only One Lord" (Ren Zhu Wu Er) plaque from 1803 (the 8th year of the Jiaqing reign), respectfully presented by Min Huaixi, an imperial Baturu (a Manchu honorary title for bravery).</p>
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<p>The "Pure Energy, True Principle" (Qi Qing Li Zhen) plaque from 1811 (the 16th year of the Jiaqing reign), erected by Geng Ziyu, the Guerrilla Commander of the Guangyuan Battalion.</p>
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<p>A small-text stele plaque from 1849 (the 29th year of the Daoguang reign), authored by Min Zhengfeng, the Provincial Military Commander of Guangxi. It records the historical facts regarding religious policy disputes concerning Hui Muslims during the Yongzheng reign and the imperial court's subsequent protection of Islam.</p>
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<p>The "Penetrating Even the Smallest Dust" (Guan Che Wei Chen) plaque from 1873 (the 12th year of the Tongzhi reign), erected by Jiang Guolin, Acting Regional Commander and Guerrilla Commander of the Guangyuan Battalion, who was imperially bestowed with a peacock feather.</p>
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<p>The "Only Pure, Only One" (Wei Jing Wei Yi) plaque from 1873 (the 12th year of the Tongzhi reign), erected by Ma Dengchao, Acting Brigade Commander and Central Guard of the Guangyuan Battalion, who was imperially bestowed with a peacock feather.</p>
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<p>The "Supporting the Holy Religion" (Zhi Wei Sheng Jiao) plaque from the Guangxu reign, presented by Mu Xiangfu, Guerrilla Commander of Guangyuan.</p>
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<p>The "Expounding the Heavenly Direction (Islam)" (Dao Chan Tian Fang) plaque from 1925, inscribed by Liu Cunhou, Border Defense Commissioner of Sichuan and Shaanxi and Military Inspector of Sichuan.</p>
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<p>The "Reforming Religious Affairs" (Jiao Wu Wei Xin) plaque from 1932, erected by the Guangyuan Islamic Funeral Mutual Aid Association.</p>
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<p>After finishing the Taraweeh prayers, I went behind the mosque to enjoy a bowl of beef flatbread soup (Niu Rou Hui Mo). Due to the proximity to Shaanxi and Gansu, the people of Guangyuan love Hui Mo, which is quite different from what you find in other parts of Sichuan. <b>Guangyuan's Hui Mo is distinct from Shaanxi's Pao Mo; the bread is cut into larger chunks, soft but not mushy.</b> The broth is a rich beef bone soup, loaded with plenty of glass noodles. While it's popular to eat Hui Mo for breakfast in Guangyuan, restaurants actually serve it all day long. Both Zhou Ji and Old Mu's family (Lao Mu Jia) on Shanghe Street serve Hui Mo, with Old Mu's staying open later into the night.</p>
<p>The Hui Muslims surnamed Mu in Guangyuan migrated along the Jialing River from Shaanxi and Gansu during the mid-Qing Dynasty. Most of them live in Mujiapo, Datan Town, and they have opened restaurants in downtown Guangyuan and Jiange County, where you can taste the unique Hui culinary delights of Guangyuan.</p>
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<p><i>This article is a translated repost from the original source.</i></p>
