Halal Travel Guide: Beijing - Mawlid Week Three at Nanxiapo and Tongzhou Xiguan
Reposted from the web
Summary: The third week of Beijing Mawlid gatherings covers Nanxiapo Mosque outside Chaoyang Gate and Tongzhou Xiguan Mosque near Tongzhou Beiyuan. The article records Mawlid rituals, Nanxiapo community history, Ma Jun burial memories, Tongzhou mosque rebuilding, and a traditional twelve-dish mosque feast.
Three weeks have passed since the start of the month of Mawlid (Shengji Yue) in Beijing, and it is now coming to an end. In the first two weeks, I attended five Mawlid gatherings in Dongsi, Balizhuang, Yangzha, Sanlihe, and Xihui. This weekend, I went to two more in Nanxiapo and Tongzhou Xiguan. Including the four gatherings I attended in Xi'an during the Spring Festival, I have been to eleven Mawlid gatherings this year.
Mawlid is a key way to pass on traditional faith culture. By learning about the Prophet's teachings on peace, kindness, mutual help, and honesty, and by taking part in traditional ceremonies, we deepen our connection to the roots and values of our faith. This shared cultural memory is the foundation that brings our community together.
During these gatherings, friends (dosti) of all ages and from different families talk to each other, which builds friendships and strengthens our unity. For the younger generation of friends (dosti), taking part in Mawlid activities helps them feel at home in the mosque community, learn traditional culture and morals, and keep strong ties with their elders.
A key part of Mawlid is charity (shesan). This shows the faith's focus on charity and the traditional culture of helping each other through hard times. A bowl of meat porridge and a bag of fried dough (youxiang) help friends (dosti) feel the warmth of the faith, strengthening their sense of belonging and cultural unity.
On Saturday morning, we attended the Mawlid gathering at Nanxiapo, outside Chaoyang Gate. Imams from various mosques in Chaoyang District led the opening prayers, local elders finished the recitations, and the local imam gave a sermon (wa'erzi). Afterward, we had tea and snacks, and received meatballs, shredded beef (songrou), and fried dough (youxiang) given out by the mosque.
The south wing of the Nanxiapo mosque opened an exhibition hall introducing the history of the local mosque community, and many friends (dosti) came to visit.
As a major hub for the Grand Canal grain transport, the area outside Chaoyang Gate once had many mosque communities like Nanzhongjie, Nanxiapo, and Shegutang, but only Nanxiapo remains today. According to the memories of local elders, the Nanxiapo mosque dates back to the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. At that time, a shed builder used bamboo poles and reed mats to build a large shelter in Nanxiapo. An imam named Hu Zhonghe led the local Hui Muslims in prayer inside the mat shed, which was the first Nanxiapo mosque. In the early years of the Kangxi reign, a Hui Muslim surnamed Ma who sold bows and arrows near Chaoyang Gate heard about the situation in Nanxiapo. He had just received payment for a large order of bows and arrows from some Mongols, so he donated the money to officially build the Nanxiapo mosque.
Most of the leaders of the Nanxiapo mosque have been descendants of the first leader, Hu Zhonghe. Hu Zhonghe's 12th-generation descendant, Hu Degui, was born in 1883. After his parents died young, his 15-year-old son Hu Zichen took over his father's work in 1898 as the second leader (haitebu) of the Nanxiapo mosque, and people called him Master Hu the Second. At that time, the imam of the Nanxiapo mosque was Hu Wenzhi, and the third master was Ma Shikuan, known as Master Ma the Third.
In 1900, when Empress Dowager Cixi fled west, bandits appeared everywhere, and many shops on Chaoyangmen Outer Street were robbed. The 17-year-old Imam Hu Zichen organized a local defense group in Nanxiapo. Young Hui Muslims joined eagerly; some were wrestlers, some knew martial arts, some were cart drivers, and the wealthy ones even bought firearms. Every night, everyone gathered at the gate of the Nanxiapo mosque, split into groups, and patrolled the streets to keep watch, finally getting through the crisis safely.
On February 15, 1928, after the martyr Ma Jun died, his body (maiti) was washed at the Nanxiapo mosque by Imam Hu Wenzhi and Imam Hu Zichen. Local elders and friends (dosti) donated burial cloth (kafan), and he was buried in the northwest corner of the Temple of the Sun.
In 1947, when the Nationalist army was rounding up young men for forced labor at the Nanxiapo barracks, the young Hui Muslims were terrified. With the help of the imams and elders, they climbed wooden ladders to the roof of the main hall of the Nanxiapo mosque. After they were hidden, the imams and elders immediately hid the ladders. When the Nationalist troops came to the mosque to grab people, the imams persuaded them to leave. Everyone lay on the roof for the whole day and finally escaped the danger.
On Sunday, I attended a religious gathering at the Tongzhou Xiguan Mosque. The Tongzhou Xiguan Mosque is not far from the Tongzhou Beiyuan subway station on the Batong Line, so it is easy to get to. The Tongzhou Xiguan Mosque was first built in 1766 (the 31st year of the Qianlong reign). The original building was torn down in 1980, rebuilt in 1999 to resume activities, and moved to its current location in 2012.
We went into the main hall to listen to the imams from various mosques in Tongzhou recite scriptures, and then we studied the imam's sermon (wa'ez). The imam talked about the importance of praising the Prophet during the Mawlid (Shengji) celebration. He used a traditional style of scripture teaching that sounded very ancient and meaningful.
After leaving the hall, we ate a traditional twelve-dish feast (nietie xi), which included stir-fried lamb liver, winter melon with dried shrimp, steamed fish, sesame lamb, steamed lamb, beef stew, yam stew, kelp stew, fried tofu puff stew, meatball stew, fried crispy meat (songrou), and candied yam and date rolls (tangjuan guo). It was a very auspicious meal that both the elderly and children enjoyed.
When leaving, the mosque gave out fried dough (youxiang) and meat porridge. Since I had just received some fried dough yesterday, I only took the meat porridge.
Summary: The third week of Beijing Mawlid gatherings covers Nanxiapo Mosque outside Chaoyang Gate and Tongzhou Xiguan Mosque near Tongzhou Beiyuan. The article records Mawlid rituals, Nanxiapo community history, Ma Jun burial memories, Tongzhou mosque rebuilding, and a traditional twelve-dish mosque feast.
Three weeks have passed since the start of the month of Mawlid (Shengji Yue) in Beijing, and it is now coming to an end. In the first two weeks, I attended five Mawlid gatherings in Dongsi, Balizhuang, Yangzha, Sanlihe, and Xihui. This weekend, I went to two more in Nanxiapo and Tongzhou Xiguan. Including the four gatherings I attended in Xi'an during the Spring Festival, I have been to eleven Mawlid gatherings this year.
Mawlid is a key way to pass on traditional faith culture. By learning about the Prophet's teachings on peace, kindness, mutual help, and honesty, and by taking part in traditional ceremonies, we deepen our connection to the roots and values of our faith. This shared cultural memory is the foundation that brings our community together.
During these gatherings, friends (dosti) of all ages and from different families talk to each other, which builds friendships and strengthens our unity. For the younger generation of friends (dosti), taking part in Mawlid activities helps them feel at home in the mosque community, learn traditional culture and morals, and keep strong ties with their elders.
A key part of Mawlid is charity (shesan). This shows the faith's focus on charity and the traditional culture of helping each other through hard times. A bowl of meat porridge and a bag of fried dough (youxiang) help friends (dosti) feel the warmth of the faith, strengthening their sense of belonging and cultural unity.
On Saturday morning, we attended the Mawlid gathering at Nanxiapo, outside Chaoyang Gate. Imams from various mosques in Chaoyang District led the opening prayers, local elders finished the recitations, and the local imam gave a sermon (wa'erzi). Afterward, we had tea and snacks, and received meatballs, shredded beef (songrou), and fried dough (youxiang) given out by the mosque.
The south wing of the Nanxiapo mosque opened an exhibition hall introducing the history of the local mosque community, and many friends (dosti) came to visit.
As a major hub for the Grand Canal grain transport, the area outside Chaoyang Gate once had many mosque communities like Nanzhongjie, Nanxiapo, and Shegutang, but only Nanxiapo remains today. According to the memories of local elders, the Nanxiapo mosque dates back to the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. At that time, a shed builder used bamboo poles and reed mats to build a large shelter in Nanxiapo. An imam named Hu Zhonghe led the local Hui Muslims in prayer inside the mat shed, which was the first Nanxiapo mosque. In the early years of the Kangxi reign, a Hui Muslim surnamed Ma who sold bows and arrows near Chaoyang Gate heard about the situation in Nanxiapo. He had just received payment for a large order of bows and arrows from some Mongols, so he donated the money to officially build the Nanxiapo mosque.
Most of the leaders of the Nanxiapo mosque have been descendants of the first leader, Hu Zhonghe. Hu Zhonghe's 12th-generation descendant, Hu Degui, was born in 1883. After his parents died young, his 15-year-old son Hu Zichen took over his father's work in 1898 as the second leader (haitebu) of the Nanxiapo mosque, and people called him Master Hu the Second. At that time, the imam of the Nanxiapo mosque was Hu Wenzhi, and the third master was Ma Shikuan, known as Master Ma the Third.
In 1900, when Empress Dowager Cixi fled west, bandits appeared everywhere, and many shops on Chaoyangmen Outer Street were robbed. The 17-year-old Imam Hu Zichen organized a local defense group in Nanxiapo. Young Hui Muslims joined eagerly; some were wrestlers, some knew martial arts, some were cart drivers, and the wealthy ones even bought firearms. Every night, everyone gathered at the gate of the Nanxiapo mosque, split into groups, and patrolled the streets to keep watch, finally getting through the crisis safely.
On February 15, 1928, after the martyr Ma Jun died, his body (maiti) was washed at the Nanxiapo mosque by Imam Hu Wenzhi and Imam Hu Zichen. Local elders and friends (dosti) donated burial cloth (kafan), and he was buried in the northwest corner of the Temple of the Sun.
In 1947, when the Nationalist army was rounding up young men for forced labor at the Nanxiapo barracks, the young Hui Muslims were terrified. With the help of the imams and elders, they climbed wooden ladders to the roof of the main hall of the Nanxiapo mosque. After they were hidden, the imams and elders immediately hid the ladders. When the Nationalist troops came to the mosque to grab people, the imams persuaded them to leave. Everyone lay on the roof for the whole day and finally escaped the danger.
On Sunday, I attended a religious gathering at the Tongzhou Xiguan Mosque. The Tongzhou Xiguan Mosque is not far from the Tongzhou Beiyuan subway station on the Batong Line, so it is easy to get to. The Tongzhou Xiguan Mosque was first built in 1766 (the 31st year of the Qianlong reign). The original building was torn down in 1980, rebuilt in 1999 to resume activities, and moved to its current location in 2012.
We went into the main hall to listen to the imams from various mosques in Tongzhou recite scriptures, and then we studied the imam's sermon (wa'ez). The imam talked about the importance of praising the Prophet during the Mawlid (Shengji) celebration. He used a traditional style of scripture teaching that sounded very ancient and meaningful.
After leaving the hall, we ate a traditional twelve-dish feast (nietie xi), which included stir-fried lamb liver, winter melon with dried shrimp, steamed fish, sesame lamb, steamed lamb, beef stew, yam stew, kelp stew, fried tofu puff stew, meatball stew, fried crispy meat (songrou), and candied yam and date rolls (tangjuan guo). It was a very auspicious meal that both the elderly and children enjoyed.
When leaving, the mosque gave out fried dough (youxiang) and meat porridge. Since I had just received some fried dough yesterday, I only took the meat porridge.
