Qingming Festival Trip to Ancient Mosques in Huailai and Zhuolu, Hebei (Part 2)
<p>In the previous article, we had lunch in Shacheng Town, Huailai County, Hebei, and visited two ancient mosques in Ganji Liang and Mayukou. (See "Qingming Festival Trip to Ancient Mosques in Huailai and Zhuolu, Hebei (Part 1)"). In this second part, we will head to Xinbao'an Town and Zhuolu County to experience the local Islamic culture and heritage.</p>
<p>On the morning of April 5th, we had breakfast in Xinbao'an Town, Huailai. We arrived a bit late, so the traditional tofu pudding (Lao Doufu) and brown sugar baked flatbreads (Shao Bing) were already sold out. Instead, we enjoyed a basket of steamed buns accompanied by fried tofu soup. Little Sulaiman particularly loved the purple rice porridge.</p>
<p><b>Xinbao'an is a crucial historic town along the ancient Beijing-Zhangjiakou route</b>, with a post station established as early as the Yuan Dynasty. After the "Tumu Crisis" during the Ming Dynasty, to fortify the northern defense line of Beijing, a city wall was built here in 1451 (the 2nd year of the Jingtai reign). The Bao'an Guard, originally located in Zhuolu, was relocated here, and the town became known as the New City of Bao'an. From the Qing Dynasty onwards, Xinbao'an gradually transformed from a military stronghold into a bustling commercial hub, serving as a vital trade link between Beijing and Zhangjiakou.</p>
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<p>At the bustling local market in Xinbao'an, we bought some old-fashioned five-nut mooncakes and honey cakes from a roadside bakery. <b>They were baked fresh that very day and made for perfect snacks to accompany our tea.</b></p>
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<p>After breakfast, we proceeded to the Hui Muslim residential area in the northwest of the ancient town to visit the famous "Nine Interlocking Courtyards" (Jiu Lian Huan Da Yuan). Originally a grand mansion belonging to a wealthy merchant in the Qing Dynasty, it was later inhabited by Hui Muslims after the merchant's decline, earning it the name "Hui Muslim Courtyard." <b>The main gate is exquisitely crafted, showcasing classic Qing Dynasty residential architecture of the Zhangjiakou region</b>, adorned with intricate brick, wood, and stone carvings. During the Battle of Xinbao'an in 1948, the courtyard was caught in the crossfire, and the bullet holes are still clearly visible today.</p>
<p>The Hui Muslims in Xinbao'an predominantly bear the surnames Liang and Zheng. Historical records trace the ancestors of the Liang family back to Nanjing. During the Chongzhen reign at the end of the Ming Dynasty, they migrated to Liangjiapo in Weinan, Shaanxi. In 1677 (the 16th year of the Kangxi reign), they moved from Weinan to Xinbao'an to cultivate land, guard the borders, and protect the capital. During the Qianlong reign, the Liang family began trading in Zhangjiakou. By the Tongzhi era, their camel caravans traveled as far as Kulun (now Ulaanbaatar in Outer Mongolia) and Lanzhou. They eventually established five major trading firms, collectively known as the "Five Great Guangs."</p>
<p>The Zheng family shares common ancestry with Hui Muslims in neighboring Huailai and Zhuolu counties. Their ancestors migrated from Shaanxi during the transition from the Ming to the Qing Dynasty, first settling in Shacheng Town, Huailai, and later spreading to Wangjialou, Yanzhuang, Xinbao'an, Xuanhua, and Zhangjiakou. <b>Zheng Kuishi was a renowned Hui military commander in the late Qing Dynasty.</b> During the Xianfeng reign, he fought against the Taiping Rebellion, achieving numerous military successes. He was awarded the honorable title "Shalama Baturu" and granted the privilege of wearing the Imperial Yellow Riding Jacket. In the Tongzhi era, he served as the Acting Provincial Military Commander of Zhili, guarding the capital region and pacifying the Nian Rebellion within Zhili, ensuring the safety of Beijing. In his later years, he returned to his hometown and spearheaded water conservancy projects, building the Yonggu Dam to tame the Liuchuan River, repairing the Zhenshuo Tower and the Four-Archway in Xuanhua, and opening the Huoshipo road to facilitate transportation, earning him immense prestige locally.</p>
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<p>The Xinbao'an Mosque is situated right next to the Nine Interlocking Courtyards. Some sources state it was established in 1621 (the 1st year of the Tianqi reign), while others suggest 1677 (the 16th year of the Kangxi reign). The main prayer hall consists of a front hall, a middle hall, and a rear kiln-style hall (Yao Dian). <b>Its scale is larger than other ancient mosques in Huailai, and it preserves magnificent brick carvings.</b> Regrettably, the Moon-Watching Pavilion (Wang Yue Lou) that once sat atop the Yao Dian no longer exists.</p>
<p>In 1907 (the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign), the esteemed 27-year-old Grand Imam Wang Jingzhai taught here for a year. During this time, he subscribed to the "Bamboo Garden Colloquial Newspaper" and the "Orthodox Patriotic Newspaper," exposing himself to new cultural ideas—a critical period for his intellectual development. However, due to a jurisprudential dispute regarding the playing of music at a local Liang family wedding, he resigned and moved to the Baitasi Mosque in Daxing, Beijing.</p>
<p>During the Pingjin Campaign in 1948, Xinbao'an was a key battlefield, and the Xinbao'an Mosque served as the command post for the Nationalist Army's 35th Corps. <b>The walls of the main hall are still riddled with bullet holes to this day.</b> In 2008, the mosque was listed as a Hebei Provincial Heritage Site under the designation "Site of the Battle of Xinbao'an - Nationalist 35th Corps Command Post."</p>
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<p>The only surviving stone stele in the Xinbao'an Mosque appears to be a donation record, listing the names of many commercial firms.</p>
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<p>From Xinbao'an, we drove to Zhuolu County to visit another ancient mosque in the Zhangjiakou area—the Zhuolu Mosque.</p>
<p><b>Located in the East Gate (Dongguan) area of the county town, the Zhuolu Mosque was established during the Chenghua reign of the Ming Dynasty.</b> It is a famous historic mosque in northern Beijing and was designated a Key Provincial Heritage Site in Hebei in 2008. The main prayer hall is constructed with three interconnected sections with flush gable roofs, featuring a front porch (Bao Xia). Atop the rear Yao Dian sits an 11-meter-high octagonal Moon-Watching Pavilion with a pyramidal roof, which is far more spectacular than the hexagonal pavilions commonly seen in North China. Wind chimes hang from the pavilion, producing a refreshing, melodious sound when the wind blows. Between the Yao Dian and the side alcoves (Yao Wo) are wooden partition screens featuring beautifully crafted, unique hard-pen style Arabic calligraphy (Tasmiyah).</p>
<p>The Hui community in Zhuolu predominantly has the surname Shan. <b>They are descendants of Sayyid Ajjal Shams al-Din Omar.</b> One branch, originally from Shanjiagou in Xi'an Prefecture, Shaanxi, migrated to Zhuolu during the Kangxi reign. In the Qianlong reign, they built the Shan Family Nine Interlocking Courtyards in the West Gate (Xiguan) area. The Shan family was renowned for their military service; at one point, five family members passed the imperial military examinations, earning them the moniker "The Five Dragons of the Shan Family." The Dongguan area, where the mosque is located, was also a major Hui settlement, once featuring streets named after local families: Ma Family Alley, Fei Family Alley, and Shan Family Alley. Unfortunately, due to urban redevelopment in 2018, only the mosque itself has been preserved.</p>
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<p><b>The Zhuolu Mosque is celebrated for its exquisite brick carvings.</b> The carvings on the side walls of the three main hall sections are all distinctly different. Inside the main hall, there are eighteen precious murals depicting themes like plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, chrysanthemums, landscapes, and traditional vessels—a decorative style exceedingly rare inside the prayer halls of Islamic mosques.</p>
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<p>Plaques inside the Zhuolu Mosque:</p>
<p>The "Myriad Phenomena, One True Lord" (Wan Xiang Zhen Zong) plaque from 1809 (the 14th year of the Jiaqing reign).</p>
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<p>The "Guiding Heaven and Humanity" (Dao Tong Tian Ren) plaque from 1859 (the 9th year of the Xianfeng reign).</p>
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<p>The "Truth Without Falsehood" (Zhen Shi Wu Wang) plaque from 1870 (the 9th year of the Tongzhi reign).</p>
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<p>The "Bathed in Heavenly Grace" (Tian Xiu Wo He) plaque from 1919. This is the only one with a dedicated signature, reading "Respectfully presented by Shan Xiangchen."</p>
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<p>At noon, we returned to Shacheng Town in Huailai for lunch. At the Qing Yi Zhai restaurant, we enjoyed naked oat noodles (You Mian Wo Wo) smothered in lamb and mushrooms, stir-fried millet with chive flowers, and a winter melon and meatball claypot. The prices at restaurants here are much lower than in Beijing, and the food is exceptionally delicious.</p>
<p><b>The lamb and mushroom dish had quite a lot of potatoes, but the stir-fry flavor was fantastic.</b> They used several types of mushrooms, making it rich and savory. The naked oat noodles were firm and chewy, carrying the unique, natural wheaty aroma of coarse grains. It was my first time eating stir-fried millet with chive flowers; it was slightly salty, the golden millet grains were distinct and dry, and mixed with the unique pungent aroma of the chive flowers, the texture was hearty yet refreshing. The winter melon and meatball soup was the most surprising—the clear broth meatballs were incredibly tasty, firm, and bouncy, even better than the ones I make at home. One bite and you know they didn't use much starch; it was almost pure meat.</p>
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<p><i>This article is a translated repost from the original source.</i></p>
