My Hui and Islamic Collection: Muslim Artifacts from Republican China
Summary: This travel note introduces My Hui and Islamic Collection: Muslim Artifacts from Republican China. Unable to leave Beijing for over a year, I started hunting for old items related to Hui Muslims online, and now I am sharing them with everyone one by one. I will start by posting a few from the Republic of China era. It is useful for readers interested in Islamic Collectibles, Hui Muslims, Republican China.
Unable to leave Beijing for over a year, I started hunting for old items related to Hui Muslims online, and now I am sharing them with everyone one by one. I will start by posting a few from the Republic of China era.
A Zhengxingde tea canister from the Republic of China era; its condition is still decent, and it contains a lot of information. It is written inside that the Zhengxingde headquarters at the time was at Zhugan Lane outside the North Gate of Tianjin, and the branch was on the east side of Lizhan Avenue in the French Concession. At that time, Zhengxingde had branches in Beiping, Baoding, and Cangxian, while its tea-scenting factories were distributed in Fuzhou, Sukou, Hangzhou, Chun'an, Huizhou, Huangshan, Huoshan, and Jieyuan.
It is also written on it that the tea canister was self-made by the Zhengxingde Canister Manufacturing Department and printed by the Zhicheng Flower Iron Printing Paper Factory inside the North Gate of Tianjin.



A "Hui Muslim-made" hurricane lamp. Although I haven't found the origin of this hurricane lamp, it is indeed very unique. German-style hurricane lamps were widely equipped in the military during the Republic of China era; not only the Nationalist army but even the Red Army were equipped with them. My hurricane lamp might have been used by the Hui Muslim Detachment at that time and followed them into battle.
First, you can see that "Meizuishi" and the Meizuishi trademark are written on the glass shade of the hurricane lamp. Meizuishi was a famous German trading firm during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, which distributed a large number of hurricane lamps in China. The hurricane lamp I hunted for is basically the same in shape as the three-hoop Meizuishi hurricane lamp from the same period of the Republic of China, but the characters on the base are completely different.
Generally, the base of a Meizuishi hurricane lamp would have "Meizuishi" or "Meizuishi Made in Germany" written on it, along with the German word "FEUERHAND" and the Firehand trademark. Feuerhand (Firehand) was the world's largest manufacturer of hurricane lamps during the Republic of China era, basically synonymous with hurricane lamps, and on the right, there would be the model of the lamp, generally 201, 252, 270, etc. At the very top, it would say "MADE IN GERMANY" in English, but the one I hunted for is not like this.
The base of the hurricane lamp I hunted for says "Warship Brand, Hui Muslim-made," and the trademark in the middle is unclear; it also seems to be a warship at sea. I searched for a long time but could not find a hurricane lamp brand called "Warship." Further up, it says "HWAHSO," which seems to be a transliteration of the Firehand hurricane lamp, and above that, it says "MADE IN CHINA."





Qingzhen Xiangyicheng Southern-style tribute pastries from "Taolizhuang, West of Zhangbei County Town."
Taolizhuang is located on the Bashang Grassland in Zhangjiakou. It was originally a pasture for the Chahar Mongol tribe. After the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty, Hui Muslims began to move there to reclaim land. The current ancient mosque in Xichengyao, Taolizhuang, was built during the Yongzheng reign.


A postcard of the Changtong Road Mosque in Changchun around 1935. Changchun was the capital of the puppet Manchukuo state, Xinjing, at that time, and the Changtong Road Mosque was also the main mosque of Islam in the puppet Manchukuo state.
During the puppet Manchukuo period, Japan issued many postcards of the Changchun Changtong Road Mosque. The one I hunted for is relatively clear; the words on the door, "Manchuria Islamic Association Xinjing Branch," can be seen clearly, and you can also see the electric wires pulled in the mosque and the horse-tethering posts at the entrance. The Manchuria Islamic Association was established in 1934, with Kawamura Kyodo as president, and it had 146 branches at that time. In 1936, it was renamed the Manchuria Muslim Association, increasing to 182 branches. In 1938, it was reorganized by the Japanese Kwantung Army, the presidency was abolished, and Wang Dianzhong, a Hui Muslim and general in the puppet Manchukuo army from Yingkou, was appointed as the director-general. The puppet Manchukuo government's Ministry of Public Security allocated funds, and by 1942, the number of branches increased to 192.
The postcard was produced in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, and the brand is called "TAISHO." This brand has a pigeon trademark, which is different from the eagle trademark of Taisho Pharmaceutical's "TAISHO," so I haven't found out which brand it actually is.
The Changtong Road Mosque was first built in 1824 and has been expanded many times since; it is a rare Qing Dynasty building in Changchun. The earliest Hui Muslims who moved to Changchun were called the "Shandong Group." The Han and Li families from Hanjiachai, Tai'an, Shandong, were the first to arrive in Changchunpu, where the Changchun government office was located, after 1800 to settle down. After the Changchun government office moved to Kuanchengzi in 1825, the Han and Li families also moved into the city. Since then, Hui Muslims from Shandong and Hebei have continuously moved to Changchun.




A military postcard used by the invading Japanese army. The front shows the main hall of the Hohhot Great Mosque taken by an embedded reporter, with "(Mongolia Hohhot) mosque Islamic Prayer Hall" written on the right, and "Postcard" and "Military Mail" written on the back. In 1937, Prince De established the Mongol United Autonomous Government in Guisui, renaming Guisui City to Hohhot City, abbreviated as Hohhot, until it was changed back to Guisui City after Japan's defeat in 1945.



In the photo I took of the main hall of the Hohhot Mosque, you can see that the couplets and the Tasmiya (the phrase 'In the name of Allah') plaque inside the main hall have not changed today, but the Mihrab (prayer niche) and the doors on both sides no longer exist.




Packaging for Ruixiangge sanitary incense, with the address at No. 27, Xiaoshikou, Northeast of Huashi, outside Chongwenmen, Beijing.