Zhengzhou, Bo'ai and Qinyang Spring Halal Travel Guide (Part 1)
Reposted from the web
Summary: This travel note introduces Zhengzhou, Bo'ai and Qinyang Spring Halal Travel Guide (Part 1). In mid-March 2021, Beijing lifted travel restrictions, and Zainab and I went to Henan for a trip on the last weekend of March, visiting Zhengzhou, Bo'ai, and Qinyang. It is useful for readers interested in Henan Travel, China Mosques, Halal Food.
In mid-March 2021, Beijing lifted travel restrictions, and Zainab and I went to Henan for a trip on the last weekend of March, visiting Zhengzhou, Bo'ai, and Qinyang.
We took a high-speed train to Zhengzhou on Friday night, got off, transferred to the subway, and headed straight to the North Mosque. We ate Laoshuncheng Xiaolong Guantangbao (steamed soup dumplings) on Mosque Street. The soup dumplings were very fresh and delicious. Zainab was very satisfied with Zhengzhou's cold dish culture, where you can mix and match dishes as you like.
After finishing the soup dumplings, we went to the nearby Lu Laoda Mutton Soup on Shangcheng Road. Their shop is open 24 hours, so you can drink mutton soup even late at night. We ordered mutton soup and Xiaosuru (crispy stir-fried meat). It was Zainab's first time drinking milky-white mutton soup, and she was very surprised. We also ordered bean products and gluten stewed with chicken frames, but it was a bit salty.
Early Saturday morning, we went to Mashan Doumo Shop on Shuncheng Street to drink doumo (millet flour porridge) and eat caijiao (vegetable-filled fried dough pockets). Mashan Doumo Shop was founded in Huayuankou in 1938 and moved to Shuncheng Street in the 1950s. It is the oldest doumo shop in Zhengzhou. Doumo is popular in Henan, Hebei, and Shandong. I have had it before in Kaifeng and Jinan. It is made of millet flour, soybeans, and peanuts, seasoned with various spices.
Then we had breakfast at a nearby shop on Old Shuncheng Street, eating hulatang (spicy pepper soup) with shuijianbao (pan-fried buns). I really liked the lively atmosphere of Shuncheng Street when I visited Zhengzhou before. It has become much quieter after renovations, but the breakfast shops are still as busy as ever. It is said that Zhengzhou's hulatang used to be less spicy, but later some shops followed Fang Zhongshan's style and added more chili powder.
Visiting the Zhengzhou North Mosque. The North Mosque is located on North Street in the old city of Zhengzhou. It is said to have been built in the Ming Dynasty, features the typical architectural style of Central Plains mosques, and is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.
The main gate was built in 1725 (the third year of the Yongzheng reign).
The Moon-Watching Tower also serves as the minaret. The first floor is a hallway. Judging by the architectural structure, it is very likely an original Ming Dynasty piece, but the dougong (bracket sets) and eaves rafters were likely replaced during the Qing Dynasty. According to records, it was renovated in 1887 (the thirteenth year of the Guangxu reign).
The Moon-Watching Tower has three pairs of Chinese couplets:
Observe, listen, and hear the words; to fully understand the essence of the present is to understand all of creation.
Whether in prosperity or decline, honor or disgrace, to realize the subtle turning point is to realize the mystery within.
The hustle and bustle of the world, even if you are proud and happy, is but a fleeting distraction.
Within the body and mind, no matter what you do, when you finally close your eyes, only two things will follow you closely.
Follow the Quran to promote the righteous path.
Follow the Sunnah so the truth lasts forever.
The other side has Arabic couplets.
There are also couplets on the doors on both sides of the Moon-Watching Tower:
The five daily prayers are the key to opening the door.
The holy scripture is the lamp that guides the way.
To recognize the pearl, one must return to the shore.
If you think of the sea, repair your boat early.
Stone inscriptions in the courtyard.
The main prayer hall was renovated twice, in 1802 (the seventh year of the Jiaqing reign) and 1907 (the thirty-third year of the Guangxu reign), and consists of a porch, the main hall, and the rear dome hall. The main hall features a lift-beam wooden frame with exposed rafters. The beams and rafters are covered with cloud and floral patterns, making it unique and elegant. There is a floral screen between the main hall and the dome hall, filled with openwork patterns. Light shines from the bright dome hall through the screen into the main hall, creating a delicate and translucent effect on the screen.
There are two century-old osmanthus trees in front of the main hall.
Couplets inside the main hall:
The painting of the heavens, know that there is no second artist.
The writings across the earth, one must ponder who holds the brush.
Recognize the True Lord, who has no form or shadow, and let all things serve as proof.
To contemplate creation is not to seek the high and distant, but to keep the one truth in your heart.
Behind the main hall, next to the dome hall, there is a Chinese juniper tree over 400 years old.
After visiting the North Mosque, we had youcha (oil tea) and almond tea at Yang's Youcha across the street. I drank youcha at their place last time I visited Zhengzhou and even bought youcha powder to take home. Their almond tea is also very good and includes rose jam.
Bo'ai Xiguan.
At noon, we took a train from Zhengzhou to Jiaozuo, then took a taxi to Bo'ai to visit the famous Bo'ai Xiguan Mosque. The Xiguan Mosque was founded in the Yuan Dynasty, and the main hall was expanded in 1405 (the third year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty). It is currently a national cultural heritage site and is known as the "First Mosque of Northern Henan."
The main hall consists of a porch, a front hall, a dome hall (middle hall), and a rear hall. In 1863 (the second year of the Tongzhi reign), the dome hall was burned down by the Nian Army and later rebuilt to its original appearance. In 1941, a rear hall was added behind the dome hall, making the dome hall the middle hall. The main hall has a lift-beam wooden frame supported by 16 pillars in 4 rows. The middle hall has 4 tall pillars supporting the dome roof. Inside the dome roof is a caisson ceiling, and the exterior is a triple-eave, four-corner cross-ridge roof.
I performed salah in the mosque and also caught the dhikr.
Main gate.
Glazed archway.
Jumu'ah plaque.
After the prayer, many restaurants were closed, so we ate zaban (mixed meat stew) and chicken diced heluo noodles at Linji Kouwan Shaguoju (casserole restaurant). Bo'ai zaban is a specialty dish from traditional Bo'ai water banquets. It is made by braising various ingredients such as wood ear mushrooms, white fungus, bamboo shoots, crispy meatballs, boiled meatballs, white meatballs, and beef slices. It is very satisfying to eat.
On Sunday afternoon, we came back to Bo'ai Xiguan to eat and explore, and had the local specialty, jiangmiantiao (fermented bean paste noodles). It is made by boiling the liquid squeezed out when making tofu into a paste, served with soybeans, peanuts, celery, and crushed sesame sauce. It tastes sour and fragrant, and I feel it would be even better in the summer.
Then we ate the specialty cai-tuanzi (vegetable dumplings). They are made by rolling celery, peanuts, soybeans, carrots, and corn grits into balls, wrapping them in corn flour, and deep-frying them. The texture is very rich, and as a corn lover, I was very satisfied.
We bought Liji crispy chicken. The stewed chicken is fried again and sprinkled with secret seasonings, making it very fragrant. However, it is a bit salty to eat on its own, so it was perfect to eat with the flatbread we bought in Xiguan on the train back to Beijing.
We also bought Xiaoche Beef (cart beef) at the Xiguan intersection. This is a delicacy popular in the Taihang Mountains area at the junction of Henan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Hebei. After the beef is braised, it is wrapped in rich meat broth, cooled, and pressed into meat jelly, then sold from a cart in the market. Because the meat jelly melts when the temperature rises, Xiaoche Beef is traditionally unavailable in the summer.
Some door couplets on Xiguan Street.
Qinyang.
On Saturday afternoon, we took a taxi from Bo'ai to Qinyang to visit the Qinyang North Mosque, which I had been longing to see for a long time. In my mind, it definitely ranks in the top three among historical mosque buildings in Henan. The North Mosque was moved to its current location in 1561 (the fortieth year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty), burned down in 1628 (the first year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty), and rebuilt in 1631. It is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.
The overall layout of the North Mosque is quite classic, consisting mainly of the main gate, a hallway, a lecture hall, and the main prayer hall. Next, I will share it with you bit by bit. Because of the lighting, I took photos twice, on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.
The main gate was built in 1799 (the fourth year of the Jiaqing reign) and uses peacock blue glazed tiles, which are relatively rare in mosque architecture and look very refreshing.
The hallway was built in 1631 (the fourth year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty).
The lecture hall was built in 1909 (the first year of the Xuantong reign). The north and south lecture halls have hard-gabled roofs, with hanging flower columns under the eaves and diamond-patterned doors and windows, simple and elegant.
Scripture boxes in the Imam's office.
The main prayer hall consists of a porch, a front hall, a middle hall, and a dome hall. This style, with a hip-and-gable roof for the front hall, a gabled roof for the middle hall, and a raised dome hall, is unique to the Qinyang area. First, I will share the exterior of the porch and the front hall.
The beautiful Qing Dynasty paintings inside the main hall. Thanks to Imam Ma Hongjie for the wonderful introduction. The main hall of the North Mosque was occupied by a factory in the 1960s and 1970s. The lower paintings all faded, and only the paintings on the top were luckily preserved.
Summary: This travel note introduces Zhengzhou, Bo'ai and Qinyang Spring Halal Travel Guide (Part 1). In mid-March 2021, Beijing lifted travel restrictions, and Zainab and I went to Henan for a trip on the last weekend of March, visiting Zhengzhou, Bo'ai, and Qinyang. It is useful for readers interested in Henan Travel, China Mosques, Halal Food.
In mid-March 2021, Beijing lifted travel restrictions, and Zainab and I went to Henan for a trip on the last weekend of March, visiting Zhengzhou, Bo'ai, and Qinyang.
We took a high-speed train to Zhengzhou on Friday night, got off, transferred to the subway, and headed straight to the North Mosque. We ate Laoshuncheng Xiaolong Guantangbao (steamed soup dumplings) on Mosque Street. The soup dumplings were very fresh and delicious. Zainab was very satisfied with Zhengzhou's cold dish culture, where you can mix and match dishes as you like.
After finishing the soup dumplings, we went to the nearby Lu Laoda Mutton Soup on Shangcheng Road. Their shop is open 24 hours, so you can drink mutton soup even late at night. We ordered mutton soup and Xiaosuru (crispy stir-fried meat). It was Zainab's first time drinking milky-white mutton soup, and she was very surprised. We also ordered bean products and gluten stewed with chicken frames, but it was a bit salty.
Early Saturday morning, we went to Mashan Doumo Shop on Shuncheng Street to drink doumo (millet flour porridge) and eat caijiao (vegetable-filled fried dough pockets). Mashan Doumo Shop was founded in Huayuankou in 1938 and moved to Shuncheng Street in the 1950s. It is the oldest doumo shop in Zhengzhou. Doumo is popular in Henan, Hebei, and Shandong. I have had it before in Kaifeng and Jinan. It is made of millet flour, soybeans, and peanuts, seasoned with various spices.
Then we had breakfast at a nearby shop on Old Shuncheng Street, eating hulatang (spicy pepper soup) with shuijianbao (pan-fried buns). I really liked the lively atmosphere of Shuncheng Street when I visited Zhengzhou before. It has become much quieter after renovations, but the breakfast shops are still as busy as ever. It is said that Zhengzhou's hulatang used to be less spicy, but later some shops followed Fang Zhongshan's style and added more chili powder.
Visiting the Zhengzhou North Mosque. The North Mosque is located on North Street in the old city of Zhengzhou. It is said to have been built in the Ming Dynasty, features the typical architectural style of Central Plains mosques, and is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.
The main gate was built in 1725 (the third year of the Yongzheng reign).
The Moon-Watching Tower also serves as the minaret. The first floor is a hallway. Judging by the architectural structure, it is very likely an original Ming Dynasty piece, but the dougong (bracket sets) and eaves rafters were likely replaced during the Qing Dynasty. According to records, it was renovated in 1887 (the thirteenth year of the Guangxu reign).
The Moon-Watching Tower has three pairs of Chinese couplets:
Observe, listen, and hear the words; to fully understand the essence of the present is to understand all of creation.
Whether in prosperity or decline, honor or disgrace, to realize the subtle turning point is to realize the mystery within.
The hustle and bustle of the world, even if you are proud and happy, is but a fleeting distraction.
Within the body and mind, no matter what you do, when you finally close your eyes, only two things will follow you closely.
Follow the Quran to promote the righteous path.
Follow the Sunnah so the truth lasts forever.
The other side has Arabic couplets.
There are also couplets on the doors on both sides of the Moon-Watching Tower:
The five daily prayers are the key to opening the door.
The holy scripture is the lamp that guides the way.
To recognize the pearl, one must return to the shore.
If you think of the sea, repair your boat early.
Stone inscriptions in the courtyard.
The main prayer hall was renovated twice, in 1802 (the seventh year of the Jiaqing reign) and 1907 (the thirty-third year of the Guangxu reign), and consists of a porch, the main hall, and the rear dome hall. The main hall features a lift-beam wooden frame with exposed rafters. The beams and rafters are covered with cloud and floral patterns, making it unique and elegant. There is a floral screen between the main hall and the dome hall, filled with openwork patterns. Light shines from the bright dome hall through the screen into the main hall, creating a delicate and translucent effect on the screen.
There are two century-old osmanthus trees in front of the main hall.
Couplets inside the main hall:
The painting of the heavens, know that there is no second artist.
The writings across the earth, one must ponder who holds the brush.
Recognize the True Lord, who has no form or shadow, and let all things serve as proof.
To contemplate creation is not to seek the high and distant, but to keep the one truth in your heart.
Behind the main hall, next to the dome hall, there is a Chinese juniper tree over 400 years old.
After visiting the North Mosque, we had youcha (oil tea) and almond tea at Yang's Youcha across the street. I drank youcha at their place last time I visited Zhengzhou and even bought youcha powder to take home. Their almond tea is also very good and includes rose jam.
Bo'ai Xiguan.
At noon, we took a train from Zhengzhou to Jiaozuo, then took a taxi to Bo'ai to visit the famous Bo'ai Xiguan Mosque. The Xiguan Mosque was founded in the Yuan Dynasty, and the main hall was expanded in 1405 (the third year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty). It is currently a national cultural heritage site and is known as the "First Mosque of Northern Henan."
The main hall consists of a porch, a front hall, a dome hall (middle hall), and a rear hall. In 1863 (the second year of the Tongzhi reign), the dome hall was burned down by the Nian Army and later rebuilt to its original appearance. In 1941, a rear hall was added behind the dome hall, making the dome hall the middle hall. The main hall has a lift-beam wooden frame supported by 16 pillars in 4 rows. The middle hall has 4 tall pillars supporting the dome roof. Inside the dome roof is a caisson ceiling, and the exterior is a triple-eave, four-corner cross-ridge roof.
I performed salah in the mosque and also caught the dhikr.
Main gate.
Glazed archway.
Jumu'ah plaque.
After the prayer, many restaurants were closed, so we ate zaban (mixed meat stew) and chicken diced heluo noodles at Linji Kouwan Shaguoju (casserole restaurant). Bo'ai zaban is a specialty dish from traditional Bo'ai water banquets. It is made by braising various ingredients such as wood ear mushrooms, white fungus, bamboo shoots, crispy meatballs, boiled meatballs, white meatballs, and beef slices. It is very satisfying to eat.
On Sunday afternoon, we came back to Bo'ai Xiguan to eat and explore, and had the local specialty, jiangmiantiao (fermented bean paste noodles). It is made by boiling the liquid squeezed out when making tofu into a paste, served with soybeans, peanuts, celery, and crushed sesame sauce. It tastes sour and fragrant, and I feel it would be even better in the summer.
Then we ate the specialty cai-tuanzi (vegetable dumplings). They are made by rolling celery, peanuts, soybeans, carrots, and corn grits into balls, wrapping them in corn flour, and deep-frying them. The texture is very rich, and as a corn lover, I was very satisfied.
We bought Liji crispy chicken. The stewed chicken is fried again and sprinkled with secret seasonings, making it very fragrant. However, it is a bit salty to eat on its own, so it was perfect to eat with the flatbread we bought in Xiguan on the train back to Beijing.
We also bought Xiaoche Beef (cart beef) at the Xiguan intersection. This is a delicacy popular in the Taihang Mountains area at the junction of Henan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Hebei. After the beef is braised, it is wrapped in rich meat broth, cooled, and pressed into meat jelly, then sold from a cart in the market. Because the meat jelly melts when the temperature rises, Xiaoche Beef is traditionally unavailable in the summer.
Some door couplets on Xiguan Street.
Qinyang.
On Saturday afternoon, we took a taxi from Bo'ai to Qinyang to visit the Qinyang North Mosque, which I had been longing to see for a long time. In my mind, it definitely ranks in the top three among historical mosque buildings in Henan. The North Mosque was moved to its current location in 1561 (the fortieth year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty), burned down in 1628 (the first year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty), and rebuilt in 1631. It is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.
The overall layout of the North Mosque is quite classic, consisting mainly of the main gate, a hallway, a lecture hall, and the main prayer hall. Next, I will share it with you bit by bit. Because of the lighting, I took photos twice, on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.
The main gate was built in 1799 (the fourth year of the Jiaqing reign) and uses peacock blue glazed tiles, which are relatively rare in mosque architecture and look very refreshing.
The hallway was built in 1631 (the fourth year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty).
The lecture hall was built in 1909 (the first year of the Xuantong reign). The north and south lecture halls have hard-gabled roofs, with hanging flower columns under the eaves and diamond-patterned doors and windows, simple and elegant.
Scripture boxes in the Imam's office.
The main prayer hall consists of a porch, a front hall, a middle hall, and a dome hall. This style, with a hip-and-gable roof for the front hall, a gabled roof for the middle hall, and a raised dome hall, is unique to the Qinyang area. First, I will share the exterior of the porch and the front hall.
The beautiful Qing Dynasty paintings inside the main hall. Thanks to Imam Ma Hongjie for the wonderful introduction. The main hall of the North Mosque was occupied by a factory in the 1960s and 1970s. The lower paintings all faded, and only the paintings on the top were luckily preserved.
