China Mosque Travel Guide: Eight Historic Mosque Complexes in Longhui, Shaoyang, Hunan
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Summary: This China mosque travel guide covers eight historic mosque complexes in Longhui, Shaoyang, Hunan, with local Hui Muslim heritage and mosque travel details kept in clear English.
This article summarizes the key points about the eight mosques (sifang) in Longhui County, Shaoyang, Hunan. It keeps the original paragraph and image order. It is for readers interested in Muslim life, Islamic culture, and Chinese Islamic writing. It also helps people search for content like Chinese halal food.
Longhui County in Shaoyang City, Hunan, has a large population of Hui Muslims. I visited eight mosques there: Taohuaping Mosque, Shanjie Ancient Mosque, East Mosque, West Mosque, South Mosque, North Mosque, Luobai Mosque, and Niejiaoting Mosque. I will share them with you below.
Shanjie Ancient Mosque in Longhui County, Shaoyang, Hunan, is located in Laowuli, Shanjie Township. It was first built in 1444 (the ninth year of the Zhengtong reign of the Ming Dynasty) and is the oldest mosque in Longhui. During the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, Ma Zhi, the third son of Ma Cheng, the ancestor of the Ma family Hui Muslims in Shaoyang, moved from Shaoyang to Majia Ferry in Longhui to settle down. He was the first Hui Muslim in Longhui, and Shanjie Ancient Mosque was built by the Ma family.
Shanjie Ancient Mosque was renovated in 1919 and rebuilt into its current appearance in 2018.
Shanjie Ancient Mosque has a long tradition of teaching Islamic scripture. The head imams who have taught there include Ma Yulang, Ma Fujiu, Ma Fucheng, Ma Yucheng, Ma Yaochi, and Ding Zhenyi. They also hired imams from other places like Huang Xingxiang and Li Desheng. Ma Fucheng, an imam from this mosque, taught there for the longest time. In 1945, Imam Ma Yucheng taught at the ancient mosque and recruited many students (hailifan), marking the peak of the mosque's religious activities. To this day, the mosque continues its educational work and has trained many excellent young people.
On September 2, 1939, the Wugang County, Hunan branch of the China Islamic National Salvation Association was officially established at the mosque. The mosque's imam, Ma Fucheng, was elected as an officer. Inspired by the call to resist Japanese aggression and save the country, young Hui Muslims from the mosque, including Ma Qiyun, Ma Wuyang from the North Mosque, and Su Xingmin from Beishan, signed up for the army, took up arms, and headed to the front lines in East China.
Relics at Shanjie Ancient Mosque include stone pillar bases, wood carvings, and calligraphy of the mihrab in the kiln niche.
The stone couplet on the main gate reads: Clear the murky and promote the pure to follow the great path; preserve the truth and remove the false so that every generation has successors. The calligraphy was written by Ma Linyi, a Hui Muslim educator and Minister of Education in Shaoyang during the Republic of China. He is known as the Father of Northwest Education and the founder of modern Chinese Hui Muslim education.
Ma Linyi was born in Shaoyang, Hunan, in 1865. He passed the imperial examinations in 1902 and went to Japan on a government scholarship in 1904 to study teacher training. During that time, he met Sun Yat-sen, joined the Tongmenghui in 1905, and returned home to work on new government policies and modern education. In 1906, he founded Xiejin Primary School in Shaoyang, which was the first modern school for Hui Muslims in Hunan.
In 1908, he was transferred to the Qing government's Ministry of Education as a director. That same year, he helped establish the Beijing First Islamic Primary School inside the Niujie Mosque and later helped found the Islamic Education Association. While serving as Vice Minister of Education in 1912, Ma Linyi founded the Chinese Islamic Progressive Association with the support of Sun Yat-sen and served as its president.
While in charge of education in Gansu, Ma Linyi founded 277 schools of various types and set up the Gansu Islamic Education Promotion Office, spreading over a hundred Islamic primary schools across Gansu, Ningxia, and Qinghai. He selected over a hundred young people from the Northwest for government-funded study abroad, laying the foundation for modern basic education in the Northwest.
In 1928, Ma Linyi helped found the Islamic Middle School in Niujie and served as its vice chairman. In 1929, Ma Linyi became a board member of the Beiping Chengda Teachers' College. He actively updated the curriculum and improved teaching methods, helping Chengda develop into a modern school. In his later years, Ma Linyi devoted himself to the faith and served as an advisor to Wang Jingzhai for his translation of Islamic classics.
Shanjie East Mosque was first built in 1728 (the fifth year of the Yongzheng reign). The mosque has hired many imams over the years, including Su Yuebo, Ma Yulang, Ma Baochu, Zheng Liansheng, Ma Yuechi, Ma Yucheng, Tang Yuanqi, Hai Shiquan, Ma Chengyong, Ding Baohua, Ma Gen'ao, Ma Xiang'ao, and Ma Wuquan. Students from as far as Hainan and Guangxi came to study under the great imam Ma Yucheng in Gansu, and the local religious community was very prosperous.
It is a pity that the mosque was locked when I visited, so I could not go inside.
Shanjie West Mosque, also known as Jiajian Village Mosque, was first built in 1836 (the 16th year of the Daoguang reign). It was expanded during the Guangxu and Republic of China periods, and the local Hui Muslims there are surnamed Ma, Huang, and Zheng. The imams who have served at the mosque include Ma Chaoxin, Zheng Liansheng, Ma Daocheng, Ma Fucheng, and Ma Liangxu. The main hall of the West Mosque collapsed in 1991. It was being rebuilt when a flood destroyed it in 1996. After raising funds again, it was officially completed at the end of 1996 and renovated again in 2013.
The mosque houses a stone tablet from the 11th year of the Guangxu reign titled 'Record of Continued Mosque Repairs,' which lists the names of the donors at that time and serves as a precious historical record.
Shanjie North Mosque, also called Sifangjing Mosque, was first built in 1824 (the 4th year of the Daoguang reign), and the local Hui Muslims there are surnamed Ma. The main hall was destroyed after 1966. It was rebuilt in 1991 and again in 2000, with only the original stone gate pillars remaining. The pillars are carved with a couplet by the Republic of China educator Ma Linyi: 'To study the Way, one must seek the source; why ask about Jesus, Buddha, or the Greeks? To unite with Heaven is to enter the path of the sages; ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign, all share the same principle.'
Regrettably, the Shanjie North Mosque was also locked when I visited, and I could not enter.
Shanjie South Mosque was first built in 1768 (the 33rd year of the Qianlong reign). The local Hui Muslims are surnamed Ma, and the imams who have taught there include Ma Baochu, Zheng Liansheng, Li Bashan, Ma Fucheng, Ma Daocheng, and Ma Fu'en.
Ma Yingdong, a local resident, went to study in Japan in 1905 and joined the Tongmenghui. In 1907, he helped organize the 'Eastern Islamic Education Association' and founded its journal, 'Awakening the Hui' (Xing Hui Pian). After returning home from his studies, Ma Yingdong dedicated himself to Hui Muslim education and founded the modern Gongjin Primary School at Shanjie South Mosque, where he served as principal.
It is a pity that the Shanjie South Mosque was locked when I visited, so I could not go inside.
Luobai Mosque was first built in 1933, and the local community members are of the Ding surname. Hui Muslims moved to Luobai in the early Qing Dynasty. For a long time, they were affiliated with the Shanjie South Mosque, but the distance made it very inconvenient. In 1933, Imam Ding Zhenyi, a Luobai Hui Muslim who taught at the Gansu Hui Language Institute, resigned from his teaching position to return home and organize the construction of a mosque. Imam Ding traveled everywhere to raise funds and finally built Luobai Mosque at the top of the Yaolong residential area in Luobai.
Imam Ding Zhenyi taught at the Luobai village primary school in 1939, and during that time, he started an introductory class for Islamic studies at Luobai Mosque. Later, he served as the imam of Hetian Mosque in Shaoyang and Liutang Mosque in Guilin, Guangxi. He also worked as a teacher at the primary school attached to Guilin Chengda Normal School, dean and professor at the Guilin Hui Language Institute, and professor at the Hainan Hui Language School. He helped organize the Wugang Branch of the Hunan Chapter of the China Islamic National Salvation Association and served as its general secretary.
Luobai Mosque was torn down in 1970, rebuilt in 1985, and rebuilt again in 2000 into the building that stands today. The mosque still has the original door plaque reading "Islamic Mosque" (Qingzhen Jiaotang) and a pair of couplets by the Republican-era educator Ma Linyi: "When seeking the source of the truth, why ask about Jesus, Buddha, or others? To unite with Heaven is to enter the path of the sages; ancient and modern, East and West, the principle is the same."
Niejiaoting Mosque was first built in 1926, and the community members are of the Ma, Hai, and Su surnames. Most of the Hui Muslims in Beishan Township, where Niejiaoting is located, moved there from other places in the late Qing Dynasty. Because it was inconvenient to perform namaz, Ma Youde, Ma Daofeng, Hai Liancheng, and others raised funds to build the mosque. The imams at the mosque include Ma Chunming, Ma Youlin, Imam Bu, Imam Zhang, Hai Siquan, and Deng Mengjun. Niejia Pavilion Mosque was destroyed after 1966, rebuilt later, and then rebuilt again in 2008.
The mosque houses the 1948 "Zhaoxiu Mosque Stele," which serves as a precious historical witness.
Taohuaping Mosque is in the center of the county. It was first built in 1820 (the 25th year of the Jiaqing reign). In 1827 (the 7th year of the Daoguang reign), it was expanded after buying shops owned by the Su and Ma families on the front street. In 1834 (the 14th year of the Daoguang reign), it bought three more shops in front of the mosque. In 1841 (the 21st year of the Daoguang reign), the rear hall was renovated, and in 1850 (the 30th year of the Daoguang reign), the front gate archway, garden, and second gate were built.
In 1941, the Taohuaping branch of the China Islamic National Salvation Association was established inside Taohuaping Mosque. It did a lot of work for anti-Japanese propaganda, provided housing for refugees from other areas, raised money for winter clothes for soldiers, and helped with evacuations. In 1941, Bai Chongxi performed worship at Taohuaping Mosque and issued a plaque stating, "Troops are forbidden from stationing inside the mosque."
Taohuaping Mosque was expanded again in 1953 and was finally rebuilt into its current structure in 2019. Currently, Taohuaping Mosque is the mosque with the second-highest number of visitors in Longhui County, after the ancient Shanjie Mosque.
Taohuaping Mosque preserves a large number of stone tablets from the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, which are precious historical records:
The 1859 "Stele for Renovating the Front Gate"
The 1846 "Restoring the School" stele
The 1841 "Renovating the Rear Hall" stele
The 1834 "Righteous School Stele Record"
The 1822 "Everlasting Innovation, Building and Repairing the Everlasting, Immortal Names of Public Donors" stele
The 1928 "School Construction and Repair Stele"
The 1910 "Jingxin Hall" stele
The 1875 stele
Summary: This China mosque travel guide covers eight historic mosque complexes in Longhui, Shaoyang, Hunan, with local Hui Muslim heritage and mosque travel details kept in clear English.
This article summarizes the key points about the eight mosques (sifang) in Longhui County, Shaoyang, Hunan. It keeps the original paragraph and image order. It is for readers interested in Muslim life, Islamic culture, and Chinese Islamic writing. It also helps people search for content like Chinese halal food.
Longhui County in Shaoyang City, Hunan, has a large population of Hui Muslims. I visited eight mosques there: Taohuaping Mosque, Shanjie Ancient Mosque, East Mosque, West Mosque, South Mosque, North Mosque, Luobai Mosque, and Niejiaoting Mosque. I will share them with you below.
Shanjie Ancient Mosque in Longhui County, Shaoyang, Hunan, is located in Laowuli, Shanjie Township. It was first built in 1444 (the ninth year of the Zhengtong reign of the Ming Dynasty) and is the oldest mosque in Longhui. During the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, Ma Zhi, the third son of Ma Cheng, the ancestor of the Ma family Hui Muslims in Shaoyang, moved from Shaoyang to Majia Ferry in Longhui to settle down. He was the first Hui Muslim in Longhui, and Shanjie Ancient Mosque was built by the Ma family.
Shanjie Ancient Mosque was renovated in 1919 and rebuilt into its current appearance in 2018.
Shanjie Ancient Mosque has a long tradition of teaching Islamic scripture. The head imams who have taught there include Ma Yulang, Ma Fujiu, Ma Fucheng, Ma Yucheng, Ma Yaochi, and Ding Zhenyi. They also hired imams from other places like Huang Xingxiang and Li Desheng. Ma Fucheng, an imam from this mosque, taught there for the longest time. In 1945, Imam Ma Yucheng taught at the ancient mosque and recruited many students (hailifan), marking the peak of the mosque's religious activities. To this day, the mosque continues its educational work and has trained many excellent young people.
On September 2, 1939, the Wugang County, Hunan branch of the China Islamic National Salvation Association was officially established at the mosque. The mosque's imam, Ma Fucheng, was elected as an officer. Inspired by the call to resist Japanese aggression and save the country, young Hui Muslims from the mosque, including Ma Qiyun, Ma Wuyang from the North Mosque, and Su Xingmin from Beishan, signed up for the army, took up arms, and headed to the front lines in East China.
Relics at Shanjie Ancient Mosque include stone pillar bases, wood carvings, and calligraphy of the mihrab in the kiln niche.
The stone couplet on the main gate reads: Clear the murky and promote the pure to follow the great path; preserve the truth and remove the false so that every generation has successors. The calligraphy was written by Ma Linyi, a Hui Muslim educator and Minister of Education in Shaoyang during the Republic of China. He is known as the Father of Northwest Education and the founder of modern Chinese Hui Muslim education.
Ma Linyi was born in Shaoyang, Hunan, in 1865. He passed the imperial examinations in 1902 and went to Japan on a government scholarship in 1904 to study teacher training. During that time, he met Sun Yat-sen, joined the Tongmenghui in 1905, and returned home to work on new government policies and modern education. In 1906, he founded Xiejin Primary School in Shaoyang, which was the first modern school for Hui Muslims in Hunan.
In 1908, he was transferred to the Qing government's Ministry of Education as a director. That same year, he helped establish the Beijing First Islamic Primary School inside the Niujie Mosque and later helped found the Islamic Education Association. While serving as Vice Minister of Education in 1912, Ma Linyi founded the Chinese Islamic Progressive Association with the support of Sun Yat-sen and served as its president.
While in charge of education in Gansu, Ma Linyi founded 277 schools of various types and set up the Gansu Islamic Education Promotion Office, spreading over a hundred Islamic primary schools across Gansu, Ningxia, and Qinghai. He selected over a hundred young people from the Northwest for government-funded study abroad, laying the foundation for modern basic education in the Northwest.
In 1928, Ma Linyi helped found the Islamic Middle School in Niujie and served as its vice chairman. In 1929, Ma Linyi became a board member of the Beiping Chengda Teachers' College. He actively updated the curriculum and improved teaching methods, helping Chengda develop into a modern school. In his later years, Ma Linyi devoted himself to the faith and served as an advisor to Wang Jingzhai for his translation of Islamic classics.
Shanjie East Mosque was first built in 1728 (the fifth year of the Yongzheng reign). The mosque has hired many imams over the years, including Su Yuebo, Ma Yulang, Ma Baochu, Zheng Liansheng, Ma Yuechi, Ma Yucheng, Tang Yuanqi, Hai Shiquan, Ma Chengyong, Ding Baohua, Ma Gen'ao, Ma Xiang'ao, and Ma Wuquan. Students from as far as Hainan and Guangxi came to study under the great imam Ma Yucheng in Gansu, and the local religious community was very prosperous.
It is a pity that the mosque was locked when I visited, so I could not go inside.
Shanjie West Mosque, also known as Jiajian Village Mosque, was first built in 1836 (the 16th year of the Daoguang reign). It was expanded during the Guangxu and Republic of China periods, and the local Hui Muslims there are surnamed Ma, Huang, and Zheng. The imams who have served at the mosque include Ma Chaoxin, Zheng Liansheng, Ma Daocheng, Ma Fucheng, and Ma Liangxu. The main hall of the West Mosque collapsed in 1991. It was being rebuilt when a flood destroyed it in 1996. After raising funds again, it was officially completed at the end of 1996 and renovated again in 2013.
The mosque houses a stone tablet from the 11th year of the Guangxu reign titled 'Record of Continued Mosque Repairs,' which lists the names of the donors at that time and serves as a precious historical record.
Shanjie North Mosque, also called Sifangjing Mosque, was first built in 1824 (the 4th year of the Daoguang reign), and the local Hui Muslims there are surnamed Ma. The main hall was destroyed after 1966. It was rebuilt in 1991 and again in 2000, with only the original stone gate pillars remaining. The pillars are carved with a couplet by the Republic of China educator Ma Linyi: 'To study the Way, one must seek the source; why ask about Jesus, Buddha, or the Greeks? To unite with Heaven is to enter the path of the sages; ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign, all share the same principle.'
Regrettably, the Shanjie North Mosque was also locked when I visited, and I could not enter.
Shanjie South Mosque was first built in 1768 (the 33rd year of the Qianlong reign). The local Hui Muslims are surnamed Ma, and the imams who have taught there include Ma Baochu, Zheng Liansheng, Li Bashan, Ma Fucheng, Ma Daocheng, and Ma Fu'en.
Ma Yingdong, a local resident, went to study in Japan in 1905 and joined the Tongmenghui. In 1907, he helped organize the 'Eastern Islamic Education Association' and founded its journal, 'Awakening the Hui' (Xing Hui Pian). After returning home from his studies, Ma Yingdong dedicated himself to Hui Muslim education and founded the modern Gongjin Primary School at Shanjie South Mosque, where he served as principal.
It is a pity that the Shanjie South Mosque was locked when I visited, so I could not go inside.
Luobai Mosque was first built in 1933, and the local community members are of the Ding surname. Hui Muslims moved to Luobai in the early Qing Dynasty. For a long time, they were affiliated with the Shanjie South Mosque, but the distance made it very inconvenient. In 1933, Imam Ding Zhenyi, a Luobai Hui Muslim who taught at the Gansu Hui Language Institute, resigned from his teaching position to return home and organize the construction of a mosque. Imam Ding traveled everywhere to raise funds and finally built Luobai Mosque at the top of the Yaolong residential area in Luobai.
Imam Ding Zhenyi taught at the Luobai village primary school in 1939, and during that time, he started an introductory class for Islamic studies at Luobai Mosque. Later, he served as the imam of Hetian Mosque in Shaoyang and Liutang Mosque in Guilin, Guangxi. He also worked as a teacher at the primary school attached to Guilin Chengda Normal School, dean and professor at the Guilin Hui Language Institute, and professor at the Hainan Hui Language School. He helped organize the Wugang Branch of the Hunan Chapter of the China Islamic National Salvation Association and served as its general secretary.
Luobai Mosque was torn down in 1970, rebuilt in 1985, and rebuilt again in 2000 into the building that stands today. The mosque still has the original door plaque reading "Islamic Mosque" (Qingzhen Jiaotang) and a pair of couplets by the Republican-era educator Ma Linyi: "When seeking the source of the truth, why ask about Jesus, Buddha, or others? To unite with Heaven is to enter the path of the sages; ancient and modern, East and West, the principle is the same."
Niejiaoting Mosque was first built in 1926, and the community members are of the Ma, Hai, and Su surnames. Most of the Hui Muslims in Beishan Township, where Niejiaoting is located, moved there from other places in the late Qing Dynasty. Because it was inconvenient to perform namaz, Ma Youde, Ma Daofeng, Hai Liancheng, and others raised funds to build the mosque. The imams at the mosque include Ma Chunming, Ma Youlin, Imam Bu, Imam Zhang, Hai Siquan, and Deng Mengjun. Niejia Pavilion Mosque was destroyed after 1966, rebuilt later, and then rebuilt again in 2008.
The mosque houses the 1948 "Zhaoxiu Mosque Stele," which serves as a precious historical witness.
Taohuaping Mosque is in the center of the county. It was first built in 1820 (the 25th year of the Jiaqing reign). In 1827 (the 7th year of the Daoguang reign), it was expanded after buying shops owned by the Su and Ma families on the front street. In 1834 (the 14th year of the Daoguang reign), it bought three more shops in front of the mosque. In 1841 (the 21st year of the Daoguang reign), the rear hall was renovated, and in 1850 (the 30th year of the Daoguang reign), the front gate archway, garden, and second gate were built.
In 1941, the Taohuaping branch of the China Islamic National Salvation Association was established inside Taohuaping Mosque. It did a lot of work for anti-Japanese propaganda, provided housing for refugees from other areas, raised money for winter clothes for soldiers, and helped with evacuations. In 1941, Bai Chongxi performed worship at Taohuaping Mosque and issued a plaque stating, "Troops are forbidden from stationing inside the mosque."
Taohuaping Mosque was expanded again in 1953 and was finally rebuilt into its current structure in 2019. Currently, Taohuaping Mosque is the mosque with the second-highest number of visitors in Longhui County, after the ancient Shanjie Mosque.
Taohuaping Mosque preserves a large number of stone tablets from the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, which are precious historical records:
The 1859 "Stele for Renovating the Front Gate"
The 1846 "Restoring the School" stele
The 1841 "Renovating the Rear Hall" stele
The 1834 "Righteous School Stele Record"
The 1822 "Everlasting Innovation, Building and Repairing the Everlasting, Immortal Names of Public Donors" stele
The 1928 "School Construction and Repair Stele"
The 1910 "Jingxin Hall" stele
The 1875 stele
