Reposted from the web

Summary: This Kuala Lumpur halal food guide issue 3 maps Malay, Chinese, and international halal restaurants, including Arabic grilled meat, laksa, Hakka cuisine, Cantonese-style tea food, seafood, French food, Japanese ramen, hot pot, Chinese dishes, and Paris Baguette.

Kuala Lumpur has a surprising number of halal restaurants. If you do not know where to start, you can choose from the three categories I have divided them into. The first category is Malay food, or Southeast Asian cuisine, which includes Thai food. Malay people are spread widely across Southeast Asia; they live not only in Malaysia but also in Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, and Thailand. The second category is Chinese food, or Chinese cuisine. This is mainly halal food made by Chinese people who moved south to Southeast Asia, based on Fujian and Guangdong styles with some improvements. The third category is foreign restaurants. The most common ones here are Japanese and Korean food, followed by Western food, South Asian restaurants, and Middle Eastern restaurants. There might be some niche halal restaurants, but they basically fall into these three categories. The number of halal restaurants here definitely exceeds that of Beijing, but in terms of variety, it is still not as diverse as Beijing. Beijing's halal Chinese food and foreign restaurant categories still lead the world.

The restaurant information for this issue is as follows:

1. WRAP'NROLL (Arabian grilled meat)

2. AH CHENG LAKSA (Malay food)

3. Maifenju (Hakka cuisine)

4. FRIDAYS (North American style food)

5. Samtai Yamch'a (Cantonese-style tea restaurant)

6. TWO SONS (seafood, afternoon tea)

7. BACHA COFFEE (coffee shop)

8. TEA ROASTERY (Japanese matcha)

9. Arte 66 Restaurant & Bar (French food)

10. Teppanyaki (tieban shao)

11. Shrimp Noodle Bar (Japanese ramen)

12. The Fish Bowl (light meals)

13. Cili Kampung (Malay cuisine)

14. Fresh (airport light meal fast food)

15. Tengyu (Chinese food, hot pot)

16. Paris Baguette (Western pastries and bread)

1. Wrap'nroll



This is an Arabic fast food restaurant on the B1 floor of Avenue K mall. People call this mall AK. It sits just across the street from the north side of the Petronas Twin Towers. The B1 floor has many halal fast food shops.





You can eat Arabic specialty desserts like kunafa and baklava here.



Address: By the elevator on the B1 floor of AK mall

2. Ah Cheng Laksa



Laksa is a specialty of Malaysia. It is a type of noodle soup that comes in many varieties and flavors. Because many Malay people live in Singapore and Indonesia, you can find laksa there too.



The broth for this noodle soup has many ingredients and a wide range of flavors. I did not quite understand the taste, so I just ordered the signature laksa. I could not finish it after two bites. If you have a conservative palate, be careful when ordering.



Address: AK Mall, B1

3. Ma Fen Ju



This is a small Hakka restaurant. You can probably only find halal Hakka food in Southeast Asia, and this was my first time trying it.









The menu says no pork. In Malaysia, getting an official halal certification costs over 50,000 Malaysian ringgit. Small shops cannot afford that, so they just write no pork instead of paying the fee.





Sambal okra (yangjiaodou) is just okra.



Dried shrimp tofu with minced meat rice, which is a little spicy.



Address: AK Mall, B1

4. FRIDAYS



This is an American-style halal restaurant. You can tell by the decor that it has a Western cowboy vibe.



American restaurants are known for large portions and high calories. I chose this place because my son cannot eat spicy food, but the black pepper in the American dishes still has a bit of a kick.





Fahim took one bite of the salmon and stopped, so I ordered him a kids' meal instead.



Tomato pasta is his absolute favorite.

Address: 4th Floor, KLCC

5. Samtai Yamch'a



This is a halal-certified Cantonese dim sum restaurant.



They have freshly made dim sum available for takeout.



The restaurant is in the newly opened TRX Mall and is very busy with many Malay customers, but I don't think it is as refined as the dim sum in KLCC.



Spicy wontons in chili oil (hongyou chaoshou) and their signature hand-pulled noodles (lamian).





Fresh shrimp rice noodle rolls (changfen).





Custard buns (liushabao).



Chicken barbecue pork buns (chashaobao). I still think the ones from the Hui Muslim restaurant in Guangzhou that split open at the top are better.

Address: Concourse Level, TRX Mall

6. TWO SONS



Two Sons is a seafood afternoon tea restaurant on the third floor of TRX.





You order by scanning a QR code here, and they serve tea and coffee.



The main meals focus on seafood, which tastes fresh and delicious. You often have to queue for a table, but waiting in line to eat is very common in Kuala Lumpur.

Address: 3rd Floor, TRX Mall.

7. BACHA COFFEE



This is a very popular cafe that also has locations in Hong Kong. It is known as the Hermes of the coffee world, but the prices are not actually that high. A pot of coffee costs about 30 to 60 Malaysian Ringgit.



We visited the branch on the ground floor of KLCC, and I also saw one in the TRX mall.



They have hundreds of coffee varieties, and the menu is as thick as a book. I do not have any specific recommendations, but keep in mind that one order is a whole pot, which is enough for two people. We accidentally ordered two pots, but luckily they were not filled to the brim, so we managed to finish them.



You can pair the coffee with cream and desserts, which are of excellent quality.







Address: Ground Floor, KLCC, near the entrance by the musical fountain.

8. TEA ROASTERY CHA-BA-SHI-RA



A new Japanese matcha shop just opened at the entrance of the B1 supermarket in Isetan Department Store.



The owner is Malaysian. He went to Japan to learn the art of matcha, and because he loves it himself, he came back home to open this shop.



I have tasted matcha in Hokkaido, where it was smooth and rich, and the quality at this shop is also very good.



Address: Exit of the B1 supermarket in Isetan Department Store.

9. Arte 66 Restaurant & Bar



This is a very luxurious French restaurant located just a few hundred meters from the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.



You can only find this kind of halal French dining in Kuala Lumpur. I saw one in Dubai, but it was ridiculously expensive at 3,000 yuan per person. This place is about 500 RMB per person.







The restaurant is on the 66th floor of the building, offering a panoramic view of Kuala Lumpur with the Petronas Twin Towers visible in the distance.







They charge per person, and you choose your items from the menu. The dishes are served in order, and the whole meal takes about an hour.



They serve TWG brand tea bags, which cost over a hundred yuan online.



The first dish was raw oyster sashimi. The taste was very average and a bit fishy; I still don't like eating raw oysters.



The two of us chose different set menus, and the other one was salmon sashimi.



Seafood soup with scallop meat, large shrimp, and mussels.



Creamy vegetable soup.



This is a French-style duck dish. The meat is quite tender and very lean.



The French-style pan-seared lamb chops taste good. It is a pity I did not get to eat French escargot here; I will have to wait until I am back in Tianjin to eat snails.



The coffee and desserts are high quality, but the main dishes taste very ordinary and a bit rough. They do not seem to match the decor.





Address: Level 66, Jalan Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

10. Teppanyaki



A Japanese teppanyaki restaurant. I remember the last time I had halal teppanyaki was in Hokkaido.





A chef cooks the meat for you, then you eat it with vegetables and rice. The meal comes with jelly and edamame.



Address: 52100, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Taman Kepong, Jalan Metro Prima, F28, L1, AEON Mall, Metro Prima

11. Shrimp Noodle Bar



This is a Japanese-style shrimp broth ramen shop.







Their shrimp soup is incredibly rich and authentic, made with real, quality ingredients. The shrimp tails are already peeled, which is a perfect touch.



12. THE FISH BOWL



This is a light meal shop on the fourth floor of KLCC. After living in Malaysia for a while, you will really crave this kind of light, healthy food. This shop is also halal certified.



Their drinks are all fresh-pressed fruit and vegetable juices.



You order by selecting your ingredients on a piece of paper.



If you cannot read the menu, you can also choose a set meal by looking at the pictures.

13. cili kampung



This is a Malay restaurant on the fourth floor of KLCC. It is a chain store that is very popular, so you will need to wait in line.





The large shrimp and squid are delicious. The salty and spicy flavors go perfectly with rice; the two of us ate a whole bucket of it.











Address: 4th Floor, KLCC

14. FRESH



This is a fast-food restaurant located after the international security checkpoint at Kuala Lumpur Airport.



There are not many good food options after security. Besides McDonald's, KFC, and Pizza Hut, this is the only healthy restaurant worth visiting.



Address: After international security, Terminal 2, Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

15. Tengyu Chinese Hot Pot Restaurant



Tengyu is a hot pot restaurant in Kuala Lumpur opened by Hui Muslims from Xi'an. They also serve stir-fried dishes.





The restaurant has a nice, spacious environment and even includes a prayer room.



They use traditional copper pots with charcoal fire, and the taste is very good.





Their stir-fried dishes are prepared in the Sichuan style and go very well with rice.



Fermented glutinous rice soup (laozao tang)



Shredded pork in sweet bean sauce (jingjiang rousi)



Fish with pickled mustard greens (suancai yu)



Address: 83-G PLATINUM WALK NO 2 JALAN LANGKAWI SETAPAK, KUALA LUMPUR. (Next to the side entrance of Setapak Central)

16. PARIS BAGUETTE



A halal Paris Baguette store in Kuala Lumpur.



They have bread, light meals, and coffee.



Address: Level C, The Exchange TRX mall Collapse Read »

Reposted from the web

Summary: This China mosque travel guide records the author's mosque footprint map as of August 2024, including 709 mosques across 16 countries and regions, more than 200 cities, a long Beijing mosque list, reflections on memory, travel, friendship, and the goal of visiting 1,000 mosques.

In 2017, I counted the mosques I had visited, and the number was 200. A Muslim community website in the UK even reported on it. By 2022, that number reached 454, which you can see in my list of 454 mosques visited. As of August this year, I have visited a total of 709 mosques across 16 countries and regions, spanning over 200 cities. I am getting closer to my goal of 1,000 mosques.



Traveling over these years has given me so much insight. It has broadened my horizons so much that I am no longer surprised by strange or unusual things. When you adopt a solar system perspective, you realize that the issues back home are really not a big deal. You stop looking at any authority with a halo. Of course, the prerequisite for improving your understanding is to have a certain amount of reading, otherwise, travel just becomes a superficial glance.



I think it is very necessary to record my travel experiences. I have found that as I get older, my memory gets worse. To put it nicely, I have a broad mind and do not take things to heart, but the truth is that if I do not write down many people and events, I might forget them after a while. I look back at articles I wrote in the past from time to time. Some content actually feels strange to me, and I cannot seem to remember how I recorded those words and photos at the time.

My number of WeChat friends has also expanded 10 times, but the vast majority can only be considered as stranger-friends. Even for people I have met offline, after a while, if I did not add a note, I might not remember where I met them. After all, a person's social capacity is limited. If any friends feel that I am cold because of this, please forgive me. I just have limited brain capacity, but I prefer to make friends with people who resonate with me. I am not the Chinese currency (renminbi), so I cannot make everyone like me.

1. Dongsi Mosque, Dongcheng District, Beijing; 2. Andingmen (Daguan) Mosque; 3. Nandouya Mosque; 4. Dongzhimenwai Mosque; 5. Hua'ershi Mosque; 6. Shazikou Mosque; 7. Qingzhen Pushou Mosque, Xicheng District; 8. Dewai Fayuan Mosque; 9. Sanlihe Qingzhen Yongshou Mosque; 10. Zhengyuan (Beigouyan) Mosque; 11. Niujie Mosque; 12. Houheyan Mosque; 13. Huihuiying Mosque; 14. Qianmen Mosque; 15. Nanhxiapo Mosque, Chaoyang District; 16. Changying Mosque; 17. Kangying Mosque; 18. Yangzha Mosque; 19. Xihui Mosque; 20. Wanziying Mosque; 21. Guanzhuang Mosque; 22. Balizhuang Mosque; 23. Songyu Mosque; 24. Haidian Mosque, Haidian District; 25. Madian Mosque; 26. Qinghezhen Mosque; 27. Landianchang Mosque; 28. Anheqiao Mosque; 29. Shucun Mosque; 30. Siwangfu Mosque; 31. Nanyuan Mosque, Fengtai District; 32. Fengtaizhen Mosque; 33. Changxindian Mosque; 34. Huangcun Mosque, Daxing District; 35. Cuizhihuiying Mosque; 36. Liushizhuang Mosque; 37. Xueying Mosque; 38. Dongbaita Mosque; 39. Qingyundian Mosque; 40. Tongying Mosque; 41. Xihongmen Mosque; 42. Langgezhuang Old Mosque; 43. Langgezhuang New Mosque; 44. Tianying Mosque; 45. Lixian Old Mosque; 46. Lixian New Mosque; 47. Xin'anzhuang Mosque; 48. Caiyu Mosque; 49. Yufa Mosque; 50. Nanyanfa Mosque; 51. Majuqiao Mosque, Tongzhou District; 52. Fatoucun Mosque; 53. Tongzhou Town (Nandasi) Mosque; 54. Xiguan Mosque; 55. Yujiawu Mosque; 56. Zaolinzhuang Mosque; 57. Zhangjiawan Mosque; 58. Yongledian Mosque; 59. Beiguan Mosque; 60. Xiguanshi Mosque, Changping District; 61. Nanyicun Mosque; 62. Xiaoxinzhuang Mosque; 63. Changping Town Mosque; 64. Heying Mosque; 65. Nankou Town Mosque; 66. Nankoucun Mosque; 67. Doudian Mosque, Fangshan District; 68. Changzhuang Old Mosque; 69. Changzhuang New Mosque; 70. Xinjie Mosque; 71. Chengguan Mosque, Miyun District; 72. Mujiayu Mosque; 73. Gubeikou Mosque; 74. Chengzi Mosque, Mentougou District; 75. Huiminying Old Mosque, Shunyi District; 76. Huiminying New Mosque; 77. Niulanshan Mosque; 78. Gaoliying Old Mosque; 79. Gaoliying New Mosque; 80. Yangzhen Mosque; 81. Chadao Mosque, Yanqing District; 82. Moshi Kou Mosque, Shijingshan; 83. Hongqiao Mosque, Tianjin; 84. Jinjiayao Mosque; 85. Chenjiagou Mosque; 86. Gexindao Mosque; 87. Yuchang Mosque; 88. Wanxin Mosque; 89. Dazhigu Mosque; 90. Hexi Mosque; 91. Great Mosque; 92. Tianmu Liuhe Mosque; 93. Xiningdao Mosque; 94. Shijiazhuang Mosque, Shijiazhuang, Hebei; 95. Zhengding Mosque; 96. Chengde East Mosque, Chengde; 97. Chengde West Mosque; 98. Baoding North Mosque, Baoding; 99. Dingzhou Mosque; 100. Cangzhou North Great Mosque, Cangzhou; 101. Cangzhou East Great Mosque; 102. Botou Great Mosque; 103. Botou East Mosque; 104. Tangshan Lunan Mosque, Tangshan; 105. Xingtai Mosque, Xingtai; 106. Handan Mosque, Handan; 107. Qinhuangdao Haigang Mosque, Qinhuangdao; 108. Yanjiao Mosque, Langfang; 109. Dachang Mosque; 110. Dachang Beiwu Mosque; 111. Damazhuang Mosque; 112. Luzhuang Mosque; 113. Huogezhuang Mosque; 114. Xiaochang Mosque; 115. Liangzhuang Mosque; 116. Yangxinzhuang Mosque; 117. Nanwangzhuang Mosque; 118. Nansitou Mosque; 119. Xiadian Mosque; 120. Xiadiancun Mosque; 121. Chenxinzhuang Mosque; 122. Weizizhuang Mosque; 123. Manxingying Mosque; 124. Dongchang Mosque; 125. Xinhua Street Mosque, Zhangjiakou; 126. Xiguan Mosque; 127. Xuanhua Middle Mosque; 128. Xuanhua South Great Mosque; 129. Dongguan Mosque; 130. Tu'ergou Mosque; 131. Zhulu Mosque, Zhulu County; 132. Taiyuan Old Mosque, Taiyuan, Shanxi; 133. Datong Mosque, Datong; 134. Shuozhou Mosque, Shuozhou; 135. Yuanqu County Mosque, Yuncheng; 136. Changzhi North Mosque, Changzhi; 137. South Mosque; 138. Middle Mosque; 139. Luze Mosque; 140. Huanan Mosque; 141. Southwest City Mosque; 142. Wuyi Road Mosque; 143. Hohhot Great Mosque, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia; 144. Hohhot Small Mosque; 145. Hohhot East Mosque; 146. Hohhot Northeast Mosque; 147. Hohhot South Mosque; 148. Hohhot West Mosque; 149. Hohhot Xianghe Mosque; 150. Hohhot Tuanjie Mosque; 151. Jining Mosque, Ulanqab; 152. Baotou Qingkun Mosque, Baotou; 153. Baotou Great Mosque; 154. Baotou Middle Mosque; 155. Baotou West Mosque; 156. Chifeng Jingpeng Mosque, Chifeng; 157. Chifeng South Great Mosque; 158. Chifeng North Great Mosque; 159. Ordos Dongsheng Mosque, Ordos; 160. Haibowan Mosque, Wuhai; 161. Huajue Lane Mosque, Xi'an, Shaanxi; 162. Xiaopiyuan North Great Mosque; 163. Sajinqiao Old Mosque; 164. Daxuexi Lane Mosque; 165. Dapiyuan Mosque; 166. Beiguangji Street Mosque, Xi'an; 167. Qingzhen Yingli Mosque; 168. Middle Mosque; 169. Xicang Mosque; 170. Lvshan Mosque; 171. Hongbu Street New Mosque; 172. West Mosque; 173. Dongxin Street Mosque; 174. Jianguo Lane Mosque; 175. Yuanjiacun Mosque, Xianyang; 176.

Hanzhong Mosque, Hanzhong 177

Luling Mosque, Xixiang County 178

Xixiang County South Mosque 179

Xixiang County North Mosque 180

Dingbian Mosque, Yulin 181

Ankang North Mosque, Ankang 182

Ankang West Mosque 183

Nansi Mosque in Ankang, Ningning, 184

Xingwen Mosque in Ankang 185, Huayuan Street Mosque in Zhengzhou, Henan 186, Yuyuanli Mosque in Zhengzhou 187, Xiaolou Mosque at Erqi Square in Zhengzhou 188, Beixia Street Mosque in Zhengzhou 189, Qingpingli Mosque in Zhengzhou 190, Wuyingli Mosque in Zhengzhou 191, Fuminli Mosque in Zhengzhou 192, Beida Mosque in Zhengzhou 193, Jiaozuo Mosque in Jiaozuo 194, Beida Mosque in Qinyang 195, Shuinanguan Mosque in Qinyang 196, Qingzhen Laonan Mosque in Qinyang 197, Xiguan Mosque in Bo'ai County 198, Erjie Mosque in Bo'ai County 199, Huaiqing Mosque in Jiaozuo 200, Sangpo Qingzhen Dongsi Mosque 201, Sangpo Qingzhen Zhangsi Mosque 202, Sangpo Xida Mosque 203, Sangpo Qingzhen Shangsi Mosque 204, Xiajie Mosque in Jiyuan 205, Qingzhen Nansi Mosque in Jiyuan 206, Dongda Mosque in Kaifeng 207, Zhuxian Town Mosque in Kaifeng 208, Chaoyangmen Mosque in Yuzhou, Xuchang 209, Pingdingshan Mosque in Pingdingshan 210, Nanyang Mosque in Nanyang 211, Nanguan Mosque in Xinyang 212, Dongguan Mosque in Xinxiang 213, Dengzhou Mosque in Dengzhou 214, Nanguan Grand Mosque in Yinchuan, Ningxia 215, Najiahu Grand Mosque 216, Yuehai Mosque 217, Yongning Mosque 218, Minning Mosque 219, Mingxin Mosque 220, Pingluo Mosque in Shizuishan 221, Zhongjie Mosque 222, Shizuishan Mosque 223, Dawukou Mosque 224, Zhongwei Dongguan Grand Mosque 225, Zhongwei Grand Mosque 226, Xingren Grand Mosque 227, Hongganggangzi Gongbei 228, Tongxin Grand Mosque in Wuzhong 229, Siqiliangzi Gongbei 230, Honglefu Gongbei 231, Shagou Gongbei in Guyuan 232, Jingyuan Chengguan Grand Mosque 233, Yejiacun Mosque 234, Guyuan Xiyuan Mosque 235, Guyuan Jiulong Road Mosque 236, Xiguan Grand Mosque in Lanzhou, Gansu 237, Wulipu Mosque in Lanzhou 238, Gengjiazhuang Mosque in Lanzhou 239, Yuzhong Street Mosque in Lanzhou 240, Nanguan Grand Mosque in Lanzhou 241, Wuxingping Lingmingtang Gongbei 242, Xinguan Mosque 243, Lanzhou Qiaomen Mosque 244, Lanzhou Dongchuan Grand Gongbei 245, Lanzhou Wenzquantang 246, Lanzhou Water Mosque 247, Tiejiazhuang Mosque in Linxia 248, Linxia Laohua Mosque 249, Linxia Xinhua Mosque 250, Linxia Nanguan Grand Mosque 251, Linxia Qianheyan Mosque 252, Linxia Grand Gongbei 253, Linxia Zheqiaowan Mosque 254, Chuimatian Qianzhuang Mosque 255, Linxia Grand Gongbei 256, Beiguan Mosque in Tianshui 257, Houjie Mosque 258, Zhangjiachuan Nanchuan Daotang 259, Zhangjiachuan Xuanhuagang Grand Gongbei 260, Zhaochuan Mosque 261, Labuleng Mosque in Gannan 262, Hezuo Grand Mosque 263, Hezuo Qingzhen Xisi Mosque 264, Lintan Qingzhen Shangsi Mosque 265, Lintan Qingzhen Hua Grand Mosque 266, Galutian Big House 267, Lintan Xidaotang 268, Longnan Wudu Grand Mosque in Longnan 269, Yumen Mosque in Yumen 270, Wuaisi Gongbei 271, Jiayuguan Mosque in Jiayuguan 272, Jiuquan Qingzhen Dongsi Mosque 273, Wuwei Mosque in Wuwei 274, Dongguan Grand Mosque in Xining, Qinghai 275, Xining Nanguan Grand Mosque 276, Xining Yudaiqiao Mosque 277, Xining Jianguo Road Mosque 278, Xining Xiadu Avenue Mosque 279, Beimo'eryuan Mosque 280, Nanshan Gongbei 281, Guangdemen Gongbei Mosque 282, Xianmen Gongbei 283, Xining Beiguan Mosque 284, Hualong Kangyang Mosque in Haidong 285, Hualong Shangjiahe Mosque 286, Xunhua Jiezi Mosque 287, Xunhua Caotanba Mosque 288, Mengdashan Village Mosque 289, Quhuxiang Village Mosque 290, Hongshuiquan Mosque 291, Xunhua Zanbuhu Mosque 292, Qunke Grand Mosque 293, Hualong Yisha'er Mosque 294, Imam Mosque 295, Guoshitan Mosque 296, Qingshuihe East Qingzhen Nansi Mosque 297, Qingshuihe East Mosque 298, Mengda Mosque 299, Kewa Mosque 300, Zhangga Mosque 301, Suzhi Mosque 302, Ahetan Mosque 303, Tashapo Mosque 304, Chengguan Mosque 305, Jiezi Gongbei 306, Ladongtai Village Mosque in Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture 307, Jianzha Maketang Mosque in Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture 308, Hexi Mosque in Delingha 309, Delingha Grand Mosque 310, Jinfeng Middle Road Mosque in Golmud 311, Shimen Mosque 312, Hedong Grand Mosque 313, Hexi Grand Mosque 314, Huatugou Mosque in Mangya 315, Guangyuan Mosque in Guangyuan, Sichuan 316, Langzhong Baba Mosque in Nanchong 317, Langzhong Qingzhen Ancient Mosque 318, Mianyang Mosque in Mianyang 319, Jiangyou Mosque 320, Xiaoquan Mosque in Deyang 321, Tangjia Mosque in Chengdu 322, Tuqiao Mosque in Chengdu 323, Gulou Mosque in Chengdu 324, Huangcheng Mosque in Chengdu 325, Dujiangyan Mao'gong Mosque 326, Dujiangyan Nanjie Mosque 327, Songzhou Qingzhen Beisi Mosque in Aba 328, Songpan Chengguan Mosque 329, Guangzhaoting Gongbei Mosque 330, Xichang Qingzhen Dongsi Mosque in Xichang 331, Xichang Qingzhen Xisi Mosque 332, Hetaocun Mosque in Panzhihua 333, Huihuicun Mosque 334, Heying Mosque 335, Miyi Guabang Mosque 336, Chongqing Qingzhen Xisi Mosque 337, Chongqing Grand Mosque 338, Chongqing Fengjie Mosque 339, Hechuan Mosque 340, Urumqi Tatar Mosque in Xinjiang 341, Urumqi Shaanxi Grand Mosque 342, Urumqi Erdaoqiao Mosque 343, Urumqi White Mosque 344, Urumqi Guyuan Grand Mosque 345, Urumqi Nanda Mosque 346, Urumqi Shanxi Lane Mosque 347, Urumqi Shaanxi Laofang Mosque 348, Turpan Sugong Pagoda Mosque 349, Yining Shaanxi Grand Mosque 350, Liuxing Street Mosque 351, Khanaka and Saitikamale Mosque 352, Kashgar Id Kah Mosque 353, Abakh Khoja Mausoleum 354, Fragrant Concubine Garden Jiaman Mosque 355, Saheya Community Youbazha Mosque 356, Yusuf Khass Hajib Tomb 357, Wuerdasike Mosque 358, Taxkorgan Xiabazha Mosque 359, Shache Jiaman Grand Mosque 360, Altun Mosque 361, Azini Micheti Mosque 362, Kuqa Grand Mosque 363, Mulan Eshidong Mausoleum 364, Yutian Id Kah Mosque 365, Ruoqiang Mosque 366, Hotan Jiaman Mosque 367, Atushi Wusitang West Road Mosque 368, Zhanqian Mosque 369, Aksu Gulebage Mosque 370, Turpan Tuyugou Mausoleum 371, Hami Gaise Tomb 372, Shaanxi Grand Mosque 373, Zhongshan South Road Mosque 374, Huicheng Town Jianguo Village Tuguluk Buzuerrega Mosque 375, Hami Lingmingtang Branch Hall 376, Shenyang Sujiatun Mosque in Liaoning 377, Shenyang South Mosque 378, Dalian Mosque 379, Changchun Songjia Mosque in Jilin 380, Changchun Shuangyang Mosque 381, Changchun Changtong Road Mosque 382, Jilin City Qingzhen Xisi Mosque 383, Jilin East Mosque 384, Jilin Shipyard Gongbei 385, Jilin Qingzhen Beisi Mosque 386, Harbin Daowai Mosque in Heilongjiang 387, Harbin Tatar Mosque 388, Harbin Acheng Mosque 389, Harbin Qingzhen Xisi Mosque 390, Qiqihar Bukui West Mosque 391, Bukui East Mosque 392, Taicheng Mosque in Tai'an, Shandong 393, Taicheng Qingzhen Dongsi Mosque 394, Xijie Mosque 395, Xijie Qingzhen Xisi Mosque 396, Beidaquan Mosque 397, Xihuangcun Mosque 398, Fajialing Mosque 399, Xiawang Mosque 400, Shangwang Mosque 401, Ershilibu Mosque 402, Changjiazhuang Mosque 403, Daxinzhuang Mosque 404, Dasuozhuang Mosque 405, Zhoujiapo Qingzhen Dongsi Mosque 406, Zhoujiapo Qingzhen Xisi Mosque 407, Jiajiagang Village Mosque 408, Majiayuan Mosque 409, Nigou Village Mosque 410, Longshan Guanzhuang Mosque 411, Fanjia Anfu Mosque 412, Dawenkou Xinghua Street Mosque 413, Dongshen East Village Mosque 414, Dongshen West Village Mosque 415, Dongjie Village Mosque 416, Houhuangcun Mosque 417, Qianhuangcun Mosque 418, Shengjiazhuang Mosque 419, Beiqiu Mosque 420, Songzhuang Mosque 421, Chahedian Mosque 422, Fenghuangcun Mosque 423, Dawangzhuang Mosque 424, Chenjiabu Mosque 425, Xiaojiabu Mosque 426, Xitaili Mosque 427, Liujiazhuang Mosque 428, Nanyicun Mosque 429, Houlvguan Mosque 430, Zhoucheng Mosque 431, Xicun Mosque 432, Lisuocun Mosque 433, Jinan Luokou Mosque 434, Jinan Xiaojinzhuang Mosque 435, Jinan Qingzhen Nanda Mosque 436, Jinan Beida Mosque 437, Jinan Nanguan Mosque 438, Qingzhou Zhenjiao Mosque in Weifang 439, Qingzhou City Mosque 440, Weifang Mosque 441, Jining Dongda Mosque 442, Jining Liuhang East Mosque 443, Heze Xiguan Mosque 444, Heze Nanguan Mosque 445, Cao County Dongguan Xida Mosque 446, Cao County Dongmenli Mosque 447, Cao County Dongguan Mosque 448, Liaocheng Linqing Mosque 449, Linqing Qingzhen Dongsi Mosque 450, Liaocheng Qingzhen Xisi Mosque 451, Dezhou Beiying Mosque 452, Dezhou Nanying Mosque 453, Nanjing Jingjue Mosque in Jiangsu 454, Nanjing Caoqiao Mosque 455, Jizhaoying Mosque 456, Hushu Mosque 457, Zhenjiang Shanxiang Mosque 458, Lianyungang Mosque 459, Huai'an Qingjiang Ancient Mosque 460, Taizhou Mosque 461, Nantong Mosque 462, Yangzhou Lingtang Mosque Ancient Mosque 463, Lingtang Grand Mosque 464, Yangzhou Xianhe Mosque 465, Xuzhou Mosque 466, Wuxi Mosque 467, Suzhou Mosque 468, Hefei Mosque in Anhui 469, Huainan Shou County Mosque 470, Anqing Nanguan Mosque 471, Chuzhou Mosque 472, Wuhan Qiyi Street Mosque in Hubei 473, Minquan Road Mosque 474, Ma Si Baba Gongbei 475, Wuhan Jiang'an Mosque 476, Xiangyang Mosque 477, Laohekou Mosque 478, Shiyan Mosque 479, Yichang Mosque 480, Shanghai Huxi Mosque 481, Xiaotaoyuan Mosque 482, Pudong Mosque 483, Songjiang Mosque 484, Jinshan Mosque 485, Jiangwan Mosque 486, Fuyou Road Mosque 487, Hangzhou Phoenix Mosque in Zhejiang 488, Hangzhou Mosque 489, Jiaxing Mosque 490, Ningbo 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Reposted from the web

Summary: This Muslim knowledge guide revisits a paper on Islamic banking, focusing on Islamic subsidiaries of conventional banks in Malaysia, Sharia compliance, profit maximization, murabaha, riba, manager incentives, banking structure, and whether Islamic banks are truly Islamic in practice.

This is another article I translated that critiques Islamic finance. The previous ones got a good response and made many readers think. If you read those, you will see that the contradictions and struggles of so-called Islamic finance were already discussed by scholars decades ago. Solutions exist, but we know very little about them. This has a lot to do with the stance of the people who control the narrative.



Original title: HOW ‘ISLAMIC’ IS ISLAMIC BANKING? A REVISIT

Authors: Eliza Nor, Anwar Allah Pitchi, and Muhammad Usman. It was originally published in the International Journal of Accounting, Finance and Business. All three are from the Universiti Sains Malaysia, and the paper was published in 2020.
Main text: Literature widely suggests that Islamic banks and conventional banks do not differ much in terms of regulation, operational expectations, operational dynamics, and organizational structure (Asutay, 2007; Siddiqi, 1999). Considering this argument, this paper tries to discuss these issues by focusing specifically on the Islamic subsidiaries of conventional banks in Malaysia. The establishment of Islamic subsidiaries by conventional parent banks has raised many unresolved questions.

Based on an extensive review of theoretical and empirical literature related to Islamic banking and Islamic economics, this study identifies three major challenges facing Islamic banks. These challenges may cause the implementation of Sharia to be limited to a minimum scope.

The first challenge is the different goals between the conventional parent bank and its Islamic subsidiary. The main goal of a conventional parent bank is profit maximization (maximizing shareholder wealth), while the main goal of an Islamic subsidiary (in theory) is to comply with Sharia regulations (profit maximization is only secondary). Managers who are supposed to execute and follow Sharia rulings still need to follow instructions from the senior management of the conventional parent bank.

The second challenge is the profit-maximization motive of Islamic banks. Since an Islamic subsidiary is a subset of a traditional parent bank, its goals must align with those of the parent company.

Finally, if managers lack a deep background in Sharia law, their background can become an obstacle during the Sharia compliance process.

Islamic finance and banking started nearly forty years ago. Even today, despite many ways for Sharia scholars and practitioners to discuss ongoing issues, many unresolved questions and controversies remain around the industry, along with new problems that emerge alongside the development of Islamic banking and finance. One main reason why issues remain unresolved is that there is no clear distinction between Islamic banks and traditional banks, as both systems coexist in the same economy. Although Islamic finance was founded back in the time of the Prophet Muhammad, it has developed much more slowly than traditional finance. Traditional banking and finance have been accepted and practiced by most countries in the world for centuries, so the development of Islamic finance is to some extent benchmarked against traditional banking. In countries like Malaysia where Islamic banks exist, coexistence with traditional banks is almost unavoidable because these banks were originally established as traditional banks. Islamic banking windows were opened to meet the growing public demand and interest in Islamic banking products.

The successful implementation of the Islamic banking system in the Middle East encouraged local consortiums to establish Islamic banking in Malaysia. Therefore, in 1983, Malaysia enacted the Islamic Banking Act and established the first full-fledged Islamic bank, Bank Islam Malaysia. In 1999, the second Islamic bank, Bank Muamalat, was established. To this day, these are the only full-fledged local Islamic banks in Malaysia. Other local Islamic banks operate as subsidiaries of traditional parent companies, including Affin Islamic Bank Berhad; Alliance Islamic Bank Berhad; AmBank Islamic Berhad; CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad; Maybank Islamic Berhad, Public Islamic Bank Berhad; and RHB Islamic Bank Berhad.

In 1993, the Central Bank of Malaysia (Bank Negara Malaysia) gave traditional banks the option to open Islamic windows. These windows offered customers banking products that follow Sharia law through their existing traditional branches. As a result, 21 Islamic banking windows were set up by their traditional bank parent companies. In 2002, the Central Bank of Malaysia allowed traditional banks to open Islamic subsidiaries to replace their existing Islamic windows. These subsidiaries are governed by the Islamic Banking Act of 1983 (Mohamed Ariff, 2017).

Over time, issues related to Islamic banking operations have grown because of conflicts between Sharia goals and commercial goals. The former is built around Islamic concepts, while the latter is built on a capitalist economy. The task of Sharia scholars is to ensure that Islamic banks follow the goals of Sharia law. On the other hand, managers are the people responsible for carrying out Sharia rulings. At the same time, managers also have a duty to meet the business goals set by the board of directors. Because of this, managers are stuck in the middle between reaching Sharia goals and business goals. This conflict can lead to Islamic banks failing to follow Sharia. Beyond the differences between business goals and Sharia goals, the backgrounds of managers and staff also play a big role in making sure Islamic banks follow Sharia.

Since Islamic banking and finance began, the issues and challenges facing the industry have been widely debated by scholars, professionals, and regulators around the world. Many documents discuss how Islamic banking products are similar to traditional banking products (for example, see Dusuki & Abozaid (2007); Kuran (2004); Siddiqi (2006); Yousef (2004)). On the other hand, issues regarding Islamic banking operations have received very little attention in the literature. Some argue that there is not much difference between Islamic banks and traditional banks when it comes to regulation, operational expectations, operational dynamics, and organizational structure (Asutay, 2007); Siddiqi, 1999). To fill this gap in the literature, this article focuses on the operations of Islamic subsidiaries of conventional banks based on a newly developed conceptual framework.

There are two reasons for choosing Islamic subsidiaries of conventional banks. First, setting up Islamic subsidiaries by conventional banks has become a popular practice not only in Malaysia but also worldwide. Since the birth of Islamic finance nearly forty years ago, Islamic banking has become a profitable business. Many conventional banks have tried to seize this opportunity by establishing their own Islamic subsidiaries. As mentioned above, most Islamic banks in Malaysia exist as subsidiaries of conventional banks. Second, issues and controversies surrounding Islamic subsidiaries are expected to be more severe compared to established Islamic banks, because the former are under the control of non-Islamic conventional banks. On the other hand, for established Islamic banks, issues or conflicts related to Sharia may be less obvious because these banks exist independently and their decision-making processes are not influenced by a conventional parent bank.

Islamic Economics and Capitalist Economics

Before discussing issues related to Islamic banking, it is important to emphasize the differences between capitalist economics and Islamic economics, because Islamic economics and finance are only a small part of the larger capitalist economy.

Therefore, the influence of the former on Islamic economic and financial activities is almost inevitable, as the entire world is governed by capitalist economics. The difference between the two is only clear in theory. In reality, daily activities in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries are influenced by the capitalist economy.

The capitalist economy is built on a neoclassical framework that focuses on individual self-maximization while ignoring the maximization of social welfare (Asutay, 2007, p. 168). This approach contradicts the teachings of Islamic economics, which emphasize a balance between self-interest and social welfare.

Muhammad Zahid (2015) argues that the Muslim world has become a supporter of interest (riba) and secularism, which is the separation of daily life, activities, and education from religion. Muslims have also consistently supported the fiat currency and fractional reserve systems introduced by the Western world, which resulted from the fall of the Ottoman Caliphate in Turkey in 1923, the rise of the Western world, and the spread of secular ideologies.

The differences between capitalist economics and Islamic economics are obvious; the former emphasizes individualism, while the latter focuses on the welfare of both the individual and the entire society. Islamic economics also considers life in the afterlife, whereas capitalist economics only focuses on worldly life.

Similarities between Islamic banks and traditional banks: Islamic banks have two main goals: profitability and social objectives. However, profitability should not be the only goal, because Islamic banks must meet the social objectives set by the goals of Islamic law (Maqasid al Shariah), which is the fair distribution and circulation of wealth. Wealth circulation means that funds in society should flow from the rich (surplus sector) to the poor (deficit sector). Warde (2000, pp. 174-175) summarizes the functions and roles of Islamic banks in society as follows (based on the Islamic Banking Handbook, Vol. 6, p. 293):

(1) Broad social and economic benefits: Investment policies must focus on these sectors: agriculture, housing, and health services.

(2) Create job opportunities, focusing on promising economic sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, and technology-intensive activities.

(3) Promote and encourage entrepreneurship: Banks must prioritize small businesses through profit and loss sharing (PLS) mechanisms like mudarabah and musharakah.

(4) Promote social justice, equality, and poverty alleviation.

(5) Regional distribution of investments: (a) Direct funds to areas that lack investment. (b) Invest savings primarily in areas where savings were mobilized, so that people benefit from their own savings.

Based on the functions and roles of Islamic banks mentioned above, it is clear that Islamic banks should provide financing to entrepreneurs starting new businesses in sectors that use new technologies, such as information technology, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. However, these entrepreneurs may lack experience and a track record because their businesses are small and new. They may need a lot of capital to expand, so they might seek funding from Islamic banks. However, due to the nature of these businesses, these entrepreneurs may lack the collateral to offer banks. Entrepreneurs with new businesses, lacking a track record and collateral, are likely to be excluded from getting financing because their businesses are risky and have a high chance of failure. Therefore, their applications might be rejected. This leads to the problem of financial discrimination by Islamic banks. According to Asutay (2007, p. 177), financial discrimination in personal banking has become a major issue. When comparing debt financing in both types of banking, entrepreneurs rejected by traditional banks may receive the same treatment from Islamic banks.

In theory, Islamic banks should provide equity-based financing, such as profit-sharing partnership (mudarabah) and joint venture (musharakah) (M&M). Both mudarabah and musharakah are based on profit and loss sharing (PLS), where both the financier and the entrepreneur share profits and losses according to a pre-agreed ratio. These types of financing are suitable for entrepreneurs with new businesses. However, in practice, Islamic banks have been avoiding M&M financing. Evidence provided by Aggarwal and Yousef (2000), Iqbal and Molyneux (2005), Hasan (2007), and Nagaoke (2007) shows that Islamic banks rarely provide long-term financing to entrepreneurs seeking funds. Asutay (2007) argues that equity financing contributes more to economic growth than debt financing because the former is long-term. The fact that Islamic banks avoid equity financing suggests they are not particularly interested in economic development and social welfare. Islamic banks are more interested in providing financing with fixed returns, such as cost-plus financing (murabaha), deferred payment sale (bay bithaman ajil), and leasing (ijarah), rather than offering PLS-type products.

On the other hand, Islamic banks often operate in ways that mimic traditional banks, where (1) both avoid providing financing to entrepreneurs with risky businesses, and (2) both rely heavily on debt financing to ensure fixed returns (Warde, 2000, p. 22). Therefore, the goal of reaching deep into rural areas to serve them has not been achieved. Most evidence highlights that Islamic banks prefer to invest in short-term commercial deals rather than the manufacturing or agricultural sectors (Warde, 2000, p. 175). As Asutay (2007) and Warde (2000) point out, the main sectors Islamic banks should focus on are agriculture, manufacturing, and technology-intensive industries. Traditional banks are built on a fractional reserve system, which expands the money supply by multiplying loans. In this system, commercial banks use excess reserves from money deposited by savers to make a profit by charging interest to borrowers (for example, see Mishkin, 2016). This system goes against Islamic teachings because the profit comes from riba, and the bank uses other people's money—the money of the savers—to earn that profit.

Islamic banks, just like traditional banks, create money through debt financing (Zaman, 2020). The effects caused by credit expansion in traditional banks and Islamic banks are almost the same. This credit expansion can be linked to artificial scarcity (due to greed and self-interest), trade distortions (due to wealth accumulation, inflation, and the financialization of capital), and inherent boom-and-bust cycles (business cycles); ecological destruction (deforestation) and wealth polarization (wealth concentrated in the hands of a few); income inequality. Because of the nature of the money supply, as global debt increases, the business interests served by that debt allow the rich to become even wealthier. Over the past decade, more and more wealth has been concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer people (Jha, 2013, pp. 356-359). Sabirzyanov and Hashim (2015) argue that Islamic banking and finance create bubble economies through debt financing under a fractional reserve system. Like traditional banks, Islamic banks support the expansion of the money supply, which leads to economic inflation. Even though price levels rise, the GDP growth rate does not change because the actual production in the economy likely stays the same.

Empirical evidence supports the argument that there is no major difference between Islamic banks and traditional banks. Chong and Liu (2009) empirically studied the differences between Islamic and traditional banks and found that Islamic banks do not differ much from traditional banking operations. In terms of assets in the Islamic banking industry, only a small portion of financing is based on profit and loss sharing (PLS) principles. In Malaysia, the vast majority of Islamic bank financing is still based on non-PLS models allowed by Sharia, but these ignore the spirit of prohibiting usury. Their research shows that in practice, Islamic deposits are not interest-free. One possible explanation for why Islamic deposits are not interest-free is that depositors' funds are mainly invested in non-PLS financing in practice. Due to increased competition from the traditional banking industry, the return rates on Islamic deposit accounts are linked to the return rates of traditional bank deposits. They concluded that the Islamic banking practiced in Malaysia today is similar to traditional banking, so the benefits of Islamic banking only exist in theory.

In Pakistan, research has also been conducted on the similarities between Islamic banks and traditional banks. Hanif (2016) chose five contracts or products to analyze: deposits, cost-plus financing (Murabaha), leasing (Ijarah), diminishing partnership (Reducing Musharaka), and Islamic bonds (Sukuk). The results show that even though these financial contracts look at legal forms, their economic substance matches traditional banking more closely. The study found that despite philosophical differences, the financial results of the Islamic finance system match traditional banking. This happens mainly because pricing is linked to the interbank offered rate (Islamic Bank OR), which ignores market mechanisms or the actual price of goods and services provided. Some also argue that putting Sharia-based financial contracts into practice is more demanding than what the contracts themselves require. Islamic banks prefer Sharia-compliant financial contracts because they are similar to traditional financial products (Hanif, 2018). A recent study on how customers perceive Islamic banks in Malaysia found that most people surveyed do not think Islamic banking is fully compliant with Sharia. This shows how important it is to implement a profit-and-loss sharing (PLS) system in the current financial setup. The results also show there is not much difference between Islamic banks and traditional banks, as both focus on efficiency and keeping their current services running (Rahmi, Azma, Obad, Zaim, and Rahman, 2020).

Evidence shows that Islamic banks currently fail to meet all the requirements set by the El Hawary four-part classification (El Hawary, Grais, and Iqbal, 2004: 5): (1) risk sharing (financial deals must reflect a balanced risk and reward distribution for everyone involved); (2) materiality (financial deals must be linked, directly or indirectly, to real economic transactions); (3) no exploitation (financial deals should not lead to any party involved being exploited); (4) no funding for sinful activities (such as producing alcoholic drinks). Therefore, the argument that Islamic banks offer a different alternative to traditional financing is not supported, because there is no real difference between Islamic banks and traditional banks (Khan, 2010). If Islamic banks do not operate much differently from traditional banks in reality, they will fail to reach their original goals of promoting social justice and equality or reducing poverty if they do not direct funds to the people who need them.

In terms of financing, Islamic banks limit their social role to zakat and other charitable activities like religious endowments (waqaf) and voluntary charity (sadaqah), which overlooks economic development and social justice. Even though the Islamic banking industry has been growing worldwide, the lives of Muslim people have not improved much. From the early days, it was clear that Islamic banks should not be driven by profit maximization, but should instead provide socio-economic benefits to their communities (Warde, 2000, p. 153). In practice, Islamic banks tend to make profit maximization their main goal, which is the same as the goal of traditional banks. In theory, the purpose and foundation for establishing Islamic financial institutions are completely different from those of traditional financial institutions. Islamic banks should follow the goals of Islamic law (maqasid al-shariah) regarding the protection of wealth. According to Islamic law rulings, five dimensions of public welfare (maslahah) must be protected in Muslim society: faith, life, intellect, prosperity, and property (Khairul Mukminin, 2018).

Laldin and Furqani (2012:4) define the goals of Islamic law (maqasid al-shariah) as follows: '...as a way of life, Islam forms standards, guidelines, values, and directions based on divine revelation (wahi) to be applied in daily life to solve human problems and guide the direction of human life.' The principles of goals (maqasid) and public welfare (maslahah) cannot and must not contradict the Quran and the Hadith, as both are the core of all other principles and rules. However, in the current situation, the interpretation of public welfare (maslahah) comes only from practical methods and reasoning, rather than from the Quran and the Hadith. Therefore, some international financial institutions manipulate the interpretation of public welfare (maslahah) and goals (maqasid) to justify their actions and norms (Sabirzyanov and Hashim, 2015). When it comes to mal (wealth), the main goal of Sharia is the legal protection of funds. How funds should be invested is only a secondary goal. However, Islamic banks put profit maximization first. Despite various profitable investments, Islamic banks should prioritize protecting the wealth of depositors instead of investing just to get higher profits. Islamic banks are advised not to engage in normal profit-seeking or maximize their funding sources as financial gains. Some also argue that Islamic banks pay less attention to the overall well-being of society (Khairul Mukminin, 2019). A critical study on the performance of international financial institutions shows a gap between the reality of these institutions and the goals of Islamic economics. Instead of bringing benefits to society, the Islamic banking and finance industry has achieved high profit margins (Sabirzyanov and Hashim, 2015).

From the perspective of Sharia, regarding interests, the rights of Allah must be given supreme status, and human rights will come after all other commitments are fulfilled. In the long run, Islamic banks can protect the value of wealth and other higher values by upholding Sharia, so they should put protection first, followed by establishment and cultivation (Khairul Mukminin, 2018).

Sharia compliance

In the case of Islamic financial transactions, all deals must follow and comply with Islamic law and business transaction rules. Sources of Islamic law include the Quran and Sunnah, along with secondary sources like ijma' and qiyas (Engku Rabiah Adawiah, 2013). The concept of Shariah compliance is often misunderstood as just meeting the minimum legal requirements set by Islamic jurisprudence. Instead, Shariah compliance means growing Islamic finance within the spirit and value system of Islam, and achieving the ideals and goals of Shariah in the financial sector (Laldin and Furqani, 2013a). Maqasid al Shariah is seen as a grand framework that provides guidelines and direction to ensure maslahah (benefit) is achieved and mafsadah (harm) is prevented in all financial contracts (Laldin and Furqani, 2012).

For branch managers, achieving both profit maximization and Shariah compliance is not easy, because in Malaysia, both Islamic and conventional products are offered at the same branch. When this happens, it is clear that there is a mix of lawful and unlawful practices. Although some banks separate the branches that offer Islamic products from those offering conventional ones, it is still questionable whether their daily operations follow Islamic rules. This is not a major issue because the products they offer are Shariah-compliant; it is a micro-level issue. Islamic banks have focused on Shariah-compliant products since they started, rather than products based on Shariah, so the problem is whether daily practices follow Shariah. In other words, do the daily operations of Islamic subsidiaries follow Shariah? In reality, achieving Shariah compliance at a macro level is much harder than at a micro level.

The idea of wealth circulation is a macro goal of Shariah, while the ideas of fair and transparent financial practices relate to the micro goals of Shariah regarding transaction tools and mechanisms. As mentioned before, the role of Islamic banks is to move wealth from the rich (surplus sector) to the poor or those in society who need funds (deficit sector), so that effective wealth circulation can be achieved in society. However, if Islamic banks do not practice what they should and instead act like conventional banks, this goal is hard to reach. If Islamic banks are not much different from conventional banks, the main goal of setting up Islamic banks will remain just a theory.

Islamic Banking: Theory and Reality

In theory, Islamic banking is a subset of the Islamic economic system, aimed at achieving a just, fair, and balanced society, which is written in Sharia (for example, see Ahmed, 1972; Chapra, 1985, 2000; and Siddiqi, 1981). The ban on interest, gambling, and excessive risk is meant to create a fair playing field to protect social interests and promote social harmony (Dusuki and Bouheraoua, 2011).

However, in reality, Islamic banks are a subset of conventional parent banks, and those parent banks are a subset of the capitalist economic system. This conceptual framework was developed based on the arguments presented in the previous sections. This is common in Malaysia and Pakistan, where Islamic banks are often subsidiaries of conventional parent banks. Both the conventional parent bank and the Islamic subsidiary are part (subsets) of the capitalist economy. The CEO, chairman, and board of directors of the conventional parent bank are the parties who may influence the decisions of the CEO, chairman, and board of directors of the Islamic subsidiary. Sharia board members provide advice on Sharia issues and may communicate directly with the boards of Islamic subsidiaries. On the other hand, the Sharia committee may not have direct contact with the general managers and branch managers of Islamic subsidiaries. Because they act as advisors to the boards of Islamic subsidiaries, Sharia board members may not have authority in the decision-making process. Managers may have more power than the Sharia committee during the decision-making process (for example, see Ullah et al. (2016)).

Challenges in implementing Sharia in Islamic banks. The main motivation for choosing Islamic banks is to avoid interest and follow Sharia (Bley and Kuehn, 2004; Haque et al., 2009; Hanif et al., 2012). However, following Sharia has been one of the biggest obstacles for Islamic banks. This section discusses the challenges of implementing Sharia. The main challenges include a lack of understanding among staff and managers of Islamic banks regarding the primary goals of establishing these banks. Customers are willing to pay high prices for products and services that follow Sharia, which helps the high profitability of Islamic banking (Lee and Ullah, 2008, 2011). However, achieving Sharia goals has become one of the biggest challenges for Islamic banks. Ullah (2014) found that Islamic banks in Bangladesh do not follow Sharia well, especially in investment activities, where there are serious Sharia violations. This happens because of a lack of knowledge and seriousness about following Sharia, a lack of proper care in Sharia audits, and a lack of skill and experience among members of Sharia supervisory boards.

Islamic banks face tough competition from traditional banks when creating new products. A simple solution is to rely on a loose interpretation of Sharia, which helps Islamic banks compete faster in profitable markets. The difficult way is to improve management and introduce different products based on profit and loss sharing (PLS) (Warde, 2000, p. 153). The literature shows that many Islamic banks choose the first solution. Because of this, Sharia compliance, which is the pillar of Islamic banking, has to take a backseat.

The main challenges Islamic banks face in following Sharia include: (1) the different goals of Islamic subsidiaries and their traditional parent banks; (2) the goal of Islamic banks to maximize profit; (3) the role of branch managers.

Different goals between Islamic subsidiaries and their parent companies

As Adam Smith proposed in his book The Wealth of Nations, business goals are based on a capitalist economy. Under a capitalist system, individuals are not limited by profit and are allowed to pursue their own interests. Built on Adam Smith's capitalist economy, a company's main goal is to maximize profit and increase market share. In other words, the main goal of a company is to maximize the wealth of the shareholders who contribute to the company and expect to make a profit from their investment. Shareholders appoint managers, who act as agents, to ensure the company's daily operations align with its goals.

The goals of traditional banks align with the economic theory proposed by Friedman (1970). As Friedman (1970) pointed out, company executives or managers are hired by the business owners and have a direct responsibility to those owners, who are their employers. They have a responsibility to run the business to maximize the company's profit while following the basic rules of society, whether required by law or ethics. According to Friedman's (1970) theory, the main goal of a traditional bank's parent company is to maximize shareholder wealth.

On the other hand, the main goal of establishing an Islamic bank is to follow the rules of Sharia, provide benefits to society as a whole (Warde, 2000), and protect the public interest (achieving maslahah). In other words, Islamic banks are built on a religious foundation, and making a profit is only a secondary goal for them. The business side of an Islamic bank works hand-in-hand with religion and the core content of Sharia (Engku Rabiah Adawiah, 2013). Therefore, there are different goals between a traditional parent bank and its Islamic subsidiary.

In an Islamic bank, the goals of the managers and the Sharia board are expected to be the same. In other words, the main goal for both sides is to meet the requirements set out in the Sharia amendment. However, evidence from experience shows this is not the case. For example, in a 2016 study by Ullah and others, these areas were used to check if managers and the Sharia board had the same goals: social welfare, ethical investment, fairness and justice, charity, solidarity, profiteering, secured investment, and traditional mutual benefit. Based on interviews, they found that managers only placed a moderate amount of importance on social welfare, fairness and justice, charity, and solidarity. On the other hand, the Sharia board places high importance on these areas because their main goal is to earn the pleasure of Allah. Regarding profits, managers believe maximizing profit is the main reason for starting an Islamic bank, and they are willing to sacrifice fairness and justice to get high returns. For secured investment, managers prefer financial tools that are convenient, safe, and offer a fixed return. Managers do not like profit-sharing tools like mudarabah and musharakah because these tools are risky and make investment returns uncertain. To compete with traditional banks, managers at Islamic banks choose to offer products similar to those of traditional banks to meet customer needs. Sharia scholars say that managers even ask them to find ways to make all traditional products comply with Sharia. Since managers have more power in decision-making than Sharia scholars, the managers use several pressure tactics to get the scholars to accept the lowest level of Sharia compliance in matters related to Sharia.

For subsidiaries of traditional parent banks, the boards of the Islamic subsidiaries are not independent because they must follow instructions set by the board of the traditional parent bank (see Figure 1). Then, these instructions are passed to the branch managers of the Islamic subsidiary. At the same time, branch managers must follow Sharia rulings passed by Sharia authorities and upheld by the Islamic subsidiary's Sharia board. As mentioned, the parent bank and the Islamic subsidiary have different goals because the former is based on a capitalist economy, which is non-Islamic, while the latter is based on Sharia. To make sure the goals of the parent bank and the Islamic subsidiary align, the Islamic subsidiary only achieves the minimum level of Sharia compliance.

If the parent bank is a conventional bank and the subsidiary is an Islamic bank, how can competition between the two types of banks be achieved when the Islamic bank is just a subsidiary of a conventional parent company? Of course, these subsidiaries do not compete with their parent banks. Instead of competing with or being different from conventional banks, Islamic banks end up imitating the products and practices of conventional banks. This goes against what Dusuki and Abdullah (2014) argued, which is that Islamic banks should compete with conventional banks. Therefore, Islamic banks must realign their goals with the goals of Sharia.

The main challenge for conventional banks transitioning to Islamic banks is the goal of profit maximization while complying with Sharia principles (Shafii, Shahimi, and Said, 2016). Some argue that the operations of Islamic banks are similar to those of conventional banks, except that the former must follow Sharia rulings (Haniff, 2011; 2014). In the current context, Islamic finance tries to gain profitability and efficiency from traditional finance by changing its external structure. Making these changes without altering any substance is not enough, because the goals of the capitalist system are still maintained. For example, current Islamic finance products are modified from traditional counterparts to meet Islamic law requirements (Laldin & Furqani, 2013b, pp. 32-33).

According to Al-Atyat (2007) and Al-Atyat and Hakeem (2010), as cited by Ahmed and Hussainey (2015), the main reason for switching from traditional banking to Islamic banking is to use the profitability of Islamic banks. Many studies prove that Islamic banks are more profitable than traditional banks (for example, see the research by Khediri, Charfeddine, and Youssef (2015), and Ramlan and Adnan (2016)). This also relates to the motivation of managers entering the Islamic banking industry to use the industry's profitability, rather than achieving Sharia goals from the overall business model (Ullah et al., 2016). A study on Islamic banking practices shows that wealth maximization, Sharia rulings (fatwa), the competitive environment, and minimal risk management approaches in the Islamic banking industry push Islamic banks to adopt debt-based financing. Islamic banks defend their practices by adopting Sharia rulings from Sharia scholars to make them comply with Sharia, but they are not based on Sharia. The study concludes that the policies and practices of Islamic banks have deviated from Islamic banking theory and Islamic principles. The focus of Islamic banks has always been on profit maximization rather than social welfare (Ahmed, Akhtar, Ahmed, and Aziz, 2017).

Al-Omar and Iqbal (1999) raised questions about the authenticity of large multinational banks operating in the Islamic banking industry. Their participation in the Islamic banking industry is purely a business activity to use the profitability of Islamic banking operations. Another worrying issue is whether traditional banks strictly follow Sharia regulations and comply with the rules of the Islamic banking industry. Some people think the main factors affecting the shift from traditional banks to Islamic banks are risk and profitability (Al-Alani and Yaacob, 2012).

As previous studies cited by Shafii, Shahimi, and Saaid (2016) show, an environment where Islamic banks operate alongside traditional banks does not fully support Islamic banks in following Sharia principles, because these banks are based on traditional economic systems (for example, see the study by Al-Oqool (2011); Al-Atyat (2007); Al-Martan (2005); Al-Omar & Iqbal (1999); and al-Rabiaa (1989)).

Research in the literature highlights many challenges and obstacles to successfully converting traditional banks to an Islamic banking model. Most studies (for example, Alani & Yaacob, 2012; Al-Oqool, 2011; Al-Atyat, 2007; Al-Martan, 1999) prove that human resources, regulations and legislation, Sharia compliance, and Islamic banking products are the main obstacles affecting the shift of central banking institutions to Islamic banking.

The role of managers

According to Azid, Asutay, and Burki (2007), company managers have two main duties. These are (1) maximizing profit for shareholders and (2) protecting the interests of stakeholders. Stakeholders include not only employees, customers, and suppliers, but also society and the environment. The second role aligns with the goals of Sharia (maqasid), where activities should benefit the entire Ummah, covering human life and well-being. Since Islamic banks often operate as subsidiaries of larger conventional entities, managers are caught between following instructions from top management or the board, and following Sharia rulings passed by the Sharia board, which is a primary requirement for an Islamic entity. In an Islamic subsidiary of a conventional bank, the branch manager is responsible for carrying out instructions set by the board. At the same time, he or she must also follow Sharia rulings passed by the Sharia board. The parent conventional bank aims for profit maximization, which fits a capitalist economic system, while the Islamic subsidiary aims to achieve Sharia goals. This puts the manager in the middle of these two objectives. Because the Islamic bank is just a subsidiary of a conventional parent bank, the goals of both entities must align. Therefore, the goal must be profit maximization.

Another major issue is the background of the managers themselves. Literature widely suggests that managers in Islamic banks lack Sharia knowledge and exposure because they often come from conventional backgrounds. If people who should follow Sharia rules do not clearly understand Sharia principles, then carrying out Sharia rulings will be difficult.

Conclusion and suggestions

The Islamic banking and finance industry started nearly forty years ago. However, many issues remain unsolved today, and new problems keep appearing alongside the growth of Islamic finance. One main reason why issues remain unresolved is that there is no clear distinction between Islamic banks and traditional banks, as both systems coexist in the same economy. Even though Malaysia is known as a center for Islamic banking and finance, there are only two full-fledged Islamic banks; Bank Islam and Bank Muammalat. All other Islamic banks are just Islamic subsidiaries of large conventional banks.

Setting up Islamic subsidiaries for conventional parent banks has caused many unsolved problems. This is likely because the conventional parent banks and their Islamic subsidiaries have different goals. The main goal of a conventional parent bank is to maximize profit for shareholders, while the main goal of an Islamic subsidiary is to follow Sharia rules, with profit being only a secondary goal. Managers who should carry out and follow Sharia rulings still have to follow orders from the top management at the conventional parent bank. The Islamic subsidiary and the traditional parent bank operate out of the same branch. Staff members who work for the traditional parent company also have to handle duties for the Islamic subsidiary. In this situation, conflicts of interest are almost impossible to avoid.

Since most Islamic banks in Malaysia are subsidiaries of traditional banks, and staff often face conflicts of interest between traditional and Islamic banking tasks, the best solution may be to train staff and managers to deeply understand Islamic banking and Islamic teachings. This knowledge helps staff realize why it is important to keep Islamic and traditional banking tasks separate, as there should be a clear distinction between the two.

In short, following Sharia at a minimum level is not enough to truly fulfill Sharia. To reach the goals of Islamic banking, the Islamic spirit of sincerity and honesty should be rooted in the hearts of the managers and staff. If managers and staff have a strong Islamic spirit and always aim for maximum Sharia compliance, then the goals of Islamic banking—such as social justice, poverty relief, and preventing exploitation—can finally be achieved. Collapse Read »

Reposted from the web

Summary: This London, Oxford, and Cambridge Muslim travel guide continues through Cambridge colleges, campus scenes, Palestine support gatherings, historic sites, airport details, Heathrow prayer rooms, and the author's reflections after traveling through Italy, the UK, and Canada.



Cambridge is a city in Cambridgeshire. It is famous for the University of Cambridge and functions like a university town.



The University of Cambridge has produced 88 Nobel Prize winners. While this number is impressive, we do not need to be overly surprised. The Nobel Prize originated in Europe, and academic connections like mentorships and professional networks are closer here, so it is normal for the number of winners to be high.





I happened upon a Malaysian Chinese restaurant in Cambridge. There are a lot of Chinese people in this area.



The Polar Museum

At the Polar Museum in Cambridge, the owner even built a statue for a dog.



Europeans treat their dogs like people. The Christian world likes to keep dogs, while the Muslim world prefers cats.



The Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge was named after its main donor, Sir Paul Judge. It was founded in 1990 and is a place for MBA training.



















Lawns are for people to sit on, not just for decoration. You can walk on them, not just look at them.



The country paths in Cambridge are quiet. The weather was nice, and I took a walk there at sunset.





Corpus Clock

The Corpus Clock, also called the Grasshopper Clock, is a popular spot for photos. It is set into the outer wall of the library at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge. It consists of a metallic gold disc and a metal grasshopper sculpture. It is called the Chronophage, which comes from the Greek words for time and eating, meaning the time eater. It reportedly cost 1 million pounds, but it is full of craftsmanship. Stephen Hawking attended the unveiling ceremony.

I do not like Hawking because his comments outside of physics were too shallow and felt like publicity stunts. He was basically an internet celebrity. Besides, many in the field think his physics achievements are overrated. In December 1999, Physics World magazine polled top physicists. Out of 130 people asked, they chose five top physicists. Einstein got the most votes (119), followed by Newton (96), Maxwell (67), Bohr (47), Heisenberg (30), Galileo (27), Feynman (23), Dirac (22), and Schrödinger (22). Only one person out of those 130 mentioned Hawking anywhere on their list.



Supporters of Palestine gathered on campus, with someone speaking in the middle.



It happens to be the graduation ceremony at Cambridge today, and many students are wearing their gowns to attend.









Thuluth College is the most powerful college at Cambridge. Both Newton and Bacon came from here. Russell was there too, but I think his influence is far less than the other two. Even Russell's student, Wittgenstein, had more influence than him.





The apple tree in front of Thuluth College is said to be a transplant of the one that hit Newton, but there is no sign on site to prove it. I recommend reading a biography of Newton called The Last Sorcerer. It talks about the origins of his ideas. Newton studied theology his whole life and was a true theologian. His scientific achievements were just a byproduct of his theological research. It is not like some cheap books claim, where he only turned to religion because he was confused in his old age. Newton was a total heretic who denied the Thuluth and insisted the Bible had been tampered with. Because he held such a high position at the Royal Society, the church did not dare to do anything to him.



A miniature sand table model of Cambridge.









Cambridge still keeps its medieval architectural style. I thought universities abroad were completely open to the public, but at least Cambridge and Oxford are not. You need to book tickets in advance to enter some colleges, and some areas are not open to visitors at all.





The Mathematical Bridge designed by Newton.

This bridge and the monument for Xu Zhimo's poem 'Second Farewell to Cambridge' (Zai Bie Kang Qiao) are both closed. You can only look from a distance. Kang Qiao is just another way to translate Cambridge.







The biological garden at Cambridge.

I said goodbye to Cambridge and returned to London that evening to enjoy the night view of Big Ben.





London nights in June are still a bit chilly, and it is windy by the River Thames.



London Eye





I crossed the bridge from Big Ben to find a restaurant on another street. It was already 11 p.m. and not many places were open, but I found this kebab shop.





Two white brothers were grilling meat inside. They spoke Arabic, and when I asked, they said they were from Algeria.









I had a platter of grilled lamb chops and chicken pieces with a side salad and a cola. It cost nearly 200 yuan, but it was delicious.



I set off again the next day, taking a train to Oxford. The one-way trip takes about an hour and a half.



A symbol of the UK: the double-decker sightseeing bus.



Oxford University has an even longer history than Cambridge, dating back over 900 years. Oxford was founded 100 years before Cambridge, which actually split off from Oxford.



However, if you can only choose one, I suggest visiting Cambridge because the scenery is a bit more beautiful.









Christ Church College, Oxford University

Oxford University is the prototype for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Harry Potter and served as a filming location. It is a must-visit spot for Harry Potter fans.



You can see all of Oxford on foot in just one day, and you can finish visiting all the popular spots in half a day.







Oxford Museum





Universities were first built to serve the church, so every college has its own chapel. Even though these chapels are now just places for tourists to take photos, the beauty of their religious art is something secular art can never match.





Radcliffe Camera

This area has also become a place where supporters of Palestine set up tents.





It happened to be Oxford's graduation day. Supporters of Gaza handed out flyers where students and teachers walked, and many police officers arrived to prevent any conflict.



The protesters accused Google of being an accomplice.







It was rare to see an East Asian supporter at the scene. She held flyers to hand out to students and teachers, but I did not see anyone take one, and the police did not stop her.





Bridge of Sighs

This is a popular Oxford spot on Xiaohongshu, but I walked past it and did not see anything special.



I was more interested in the flowers in front of people's homes. I noticed they really love planting flowers at their front doors.



Oxford University Museum of Natural History

The Oxford University Museum of Natural History is great fun. You do not need a reservation, and it is free to visit.





Natural science was my favorite subject as a child. I loved these huge ancient creatures, though I did not become a scientist when I grew up.









They put insect specimens of the same color together. I believe every child is interested in these creatures during their childhood.





















Thuluth College, Oxford

Both Oxford and Cambridge have a Thuluth College, but the one in Cambridge is more famous.



My two-day trip to Cambridge and Oxford moved me deeply. I have to admit, this is exactly what a university looks like in my mind.



I walked around Oxford University from morning until noon and basically finished seeing it. Then I went to town for lunch and saw a market here. It opens every Wednesday and Saturday. It turns out British people also go to big markets.



There are several halal stalls at the market. This young man saw me filming him and cooperated by making a gesture.



I also found a halal Northeast Chinese dumpling shop, but I was too full to eat anymore. Otherwise, I would have definitely tried some.



For lunch, I had a standard halal meal at the kebab shop by the market entrance. They really gave a lot of meat.



Back in London, I went to the London Central Mosque and saw this halal Paris Cafe nearby.



They have breakfast, afternoon tea, coffee, and desserts, so I invited my friend from Linxia who lives in London to sit here.





My friend told me that all KFCs in London are now halal. Even if some stores don't have a sign outside, Londoners know it, so you can eat there without worry.



These muffin cakes are also basically all halal, so you can eat them without asking.



We sat by the road and I put my phone on the table. My friend warned me that leaving it there risked it being snatched. Although I wasn't robbed or pickpocketed during this trip to Europe and America, I still couldn't let my guard down because many friends around me have had things stolen or snatched in Europe.



London Central Mosque

This mosque is located in Regent's Park, London. It is one of the most iconic mosques in London and was built in 1978. The land was donated by King George VI of Great Britain in return for King Farouk of Egypt donating land for an Anglican church in Cairo.



As early as the 1920s, Great Britain wanted to build an iconic mosque in London. At that time, British colonies were spread all over the world with large populations. The Churchill government also wanted to use the construction of the mosque to promote British prestige and commemorate the tens of thousands of Muslim soldiers who served under British rule, but it was opposed by many people at the time and construction was delayed.



It wasn't until after World War II, when various colonies gained independence and broke away from Great Britain, that the British government finally decided to start building the mosque to stabilize public sentiment. So, don't be surprised to see so many Muslims in the UK today. This is the immigrant life their ancestors earned through blood and struggle; immigration from colonies to the mother country is an internal family matter.





















I flew back home on Tianjin Airlines, which is part of HNA Group. I saw a lady wearing a hijab at the check-in counter and decided to queue at her line.



There are prayer rooms at London Heathrow Airport, one before security and one after. However, I didn't see any halal restaurants in Terminal 3.



This side is for Christians, and the other side is for Muslims.



Although it is shared by six major religions, it is mainly used by Muslims. I haven't seen any other believers use it. After performing my travel namaz, I boarded the flight back home. This 15-day trip to Europe and America took me through Italy, the UK, and Canada. I took a total of 10 flights. It was safe and sound, and I am grateful to Allah. Collapse Read »

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Beijing halal food guide maps issue 40 of the series, featuring a Ghanaian halal restaurant in Sanlitun, Stone Hearth Grill and Tea, Arabic food, tomato beef flatbread, luosifen hot pot, sturgeon feast, and Saddam Lanzhou Beef Noodles.

Beijing Halal Food Map (40) is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Ramadan has just ended, so we can get back to checking out all kinds of halal food. The account keeps its focus on Beijing Halal Food, Muslim Travel, Middle Eastern Food while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

Ramadan has just ended, so we can get back to checking out all kinds of halal food. The restaurants in this guide are all new, and they each have something special. The first one is a West African Ghanaian halal restaurant, which is very rare in China. It is a big step for Beijing as it works to become a global capital for halal food.

Here is the list of halal restaurants for this guide:

1. Tribe Garden African Restaurant

2. Stone Hearth Grill and Tea (Shishangweilu)

3. Ma Bei'er Bistro

4. Carthage Arabic Restaurant

5. Fan Manyu Tomato Beef Flatbread (Paobing)

6. Stinky Star Snail Rice Noodle (Luosifen) Hot Pot

7. Mulaixuan Sturgeon Feast

8. Saddam Lanzhou Beef Noodles

1. Tribe Garden African Restaurant



A new halal restaurant featuring West African flavors recently opened on the first basement level of Sanlitun SOHO. They specialize in Ghanaian cuisine. The staff are all Black Muslims who speak fluent Chinese, and one young lady from Kenya is especially cute.



Ghana is a country in West Africa where about 15% of the population is Muslim, yet the national banknote features a mosque with a unique style.



Larabanga Mosque

The Larabanga Mosque on the banknote was built between the 14th and 15th centuries. It is the oldest mosque in Ghana. Its architectural style is unique to West Africa, built from yellow mud and wood, making it very iconic.



The restaurant decor also has a strong African vibe, including the wall hangings.







African goat meat mixed rice

African goat meat is a bit tough, but it has no gamey smell. The mixed rice is salty and spicy.



Non-alcoholic mojito and fruit punch



African specialty egusi (egusi)

You eat this dish mixed with the cassava flour paste shown below. Eating the cassava flour paste is just like eating rice cake.





Fufu (fufu)

The white dish is called fufu, which translates to rice flour paste in Chinese. It is a staple food for Ghanaians.



Friday special dish

They have a special dish every day. This Friday special is made with beans and rice, served with some noodles and dipping sauce. It tastes sour, salty, and spicy all at once.



Grilled tilapia

This is an African-style grilled fish. It tastes great. Even though the skin looks charred, the meat inside is white.



A young lady from Kenya recommended this milkshake to us. It is very creamy and delicious. The whole meal cost 530 yuan for four people, which is 130 yuan per person.

2. Stone Hearth Grill and Tea (Shishangweilu)



This is a newly opened light meal and coffee shop on the ground floor of the West District of Changying Paradise Walk. The owner is a Hui Muslim from Beijing, and we chose to have a small gathering here for Eid al-Fitr.



Thirty of us ate every single item on the menu twice.



They serve light meals during the day. Besides these pretty salads, they also have burgers and pasta.





The M3 beef burger uses a patty hand-pressed by the owner, and all the meat is sourced from Li Wei's shop in Changying.





This is an Italian-style sandwich, listed on the menu as a panini.



Barbecue is served in the evening. If you want a simple Western-style meal at night, you can call ahead to book. Everyone gave the simple meals and barbecue great reviews. The average cost per person is about 130 yuan.



3. Ma Bei'er Bistro



Ma Bei'er is a new brand started by the original management team of Jubao Yuan after they split up. Next to the main Ma Bei'er hot pot (shuanrou) restaurant on Nanheng West Street, there is also a small Ma Bei'er bistro that specializes in Beijing-style stir-fry dishes.



This stir-fry bistro is just as busy as the hot pot restaurant. We tried a few signature dishes and had a good experience. Everything was delicious and worth recommending. The average cost per person is about 100 yuan.



Stir-fried mixed vegetables (chaohecai)



Quick-fried beef tripe with coriander (yanbaosandan)



Deep-fried meatballs (ganzhawanzi)



Braised yellow croaker in northern style (kuadunhuangyu)



Slow-cooked beef (weiniurou)



Scallion pancake (conghuabing)

4. Carthage Restaurant



This is a Tunisian restaurant. It is owned by the same people as La Medina Tunisian restaurant in Sanlitun. You can find it on the first floor of the Atour X Hotel in Sanlitun.



During Ramadan, they offer an iftar buffet for 120 yuan per person. It includes all the signature dishes you would expect, plus drinks and desserts.



Tunisia is a North African country. Its food habits are a bit different from West Africa, and North African flavors are usually easier for most people to enjoy.

















5. Fan Manyu Tomato Beef Flatbread (Paobing)



A new specialty shop just opened on the basement level of the West Zone at Tongzhou Wanda Plaza. They focus on tomato beef brisket with flatbread (paobing) and various other tomato-based dishes.



The staff uniforms are covered in tomato drawings.









Vinegar-stir-fried egg and meat (culiu muxu)



Lychee-flavored cherry tomatoes



Mapo tofu





Their food is prepared very delicately and tastes great. The environment is clean, the prices are affordable, and the average cost is under 80 yuan per person.

6. Stinky Star Snail Rice Noodle (Luosifen) Hot Pot



There is a halal snail rice noodle (luosifen) shop on the ground floor of the Golden Street in the West District of Tongzhou Wanda Plaza. The owner is a Hui Muslim from Changchun who used to work at iQIYI before opening this physical shop. The small shop has two floors and mainly serves halal snail rice noodles and clam rice noodles (huaji fen) in small hot pots.



The snail rice noodle hot pot comes with a wide variety of toppings that you can add to the pot to cook together.







This set meal for two costs 78 yuan and is enough for two or three people to eat.



The set includes Guangxi cassava sweet soup (mushu tangshui).



Add all the side dishes to the pot and cook for one minute before you start eating. The taste is quite authentic.

7. Mulaixuan Sturgeon Feast



Across from the Doudian Mosque in Fangshan, there is a restaurant that specializes in sturgeon (xunlongyu). This place is unique because it has no menu and you cannot order dishes. The owner decides the size of the fish based on how many people are in your group, and all the dishes are made from the fish you choose.





You pick the sturgeon from this fish tank, and they are all quite large. The sturgeon costs 58 yuan per jin, and the smallest fish weigh over five jin, making it perfect for groups.



After picking the fish, you just wait for the owner to serve the food. This is actually nice because it saves you the trouble of ordering.





The standard dishes include salt and pepper fish skin, sweet and sour fish bones, fish offal, fish and radish soup, and stir-fried fish fillets. The main course is sturgeon dumplings. The fish is very fresh, and every dish tastes great.















8. Saddam Lanzhou Beef Noodles



The long-standing Lanzhou brand Saddam Beef Noodles has expanded into Beijing's Fengtai District. Known as the Eastern Heretic of the Lanzhou beef noodle world, the shop opened in eastern Lanzhou in the 1990s. It got its name because the owner looked just like Saddam. Other famous shops include the Western Poison Ma Anjun, the Southern Emperor Guobao, the Northern Beggar Cangying, and the Central Master Ma Zilu.





You can tell the beef noodles will be good just by looking at the chili oil, which is fragrant but not too spicy. I tried it and found it very authentic. My friends from Lanzhou would not be disappointed if they came here to eat.



Collapse Read »

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Malaysia mosque travel guide visits eight Kuala Lumpur-area mosques, including the Federal Territory Mosque, Tabung Haji Mosque, Selangor Royal Mosque, Blue Mosque, Pink Mosque, KLCC Mosque, Jamek Mosque, and National Mosque.

8 Beautiful Mosques in Kuala Lumpur is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Kuala Lumpur has many beautiful mosques that are great spots for tourists to take photos. The account keeps its focus on Halal Travel, Yiwu Food, Mosque Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

Kuala Lumpur has many beautiful mosques that are great spots for tourists to take photos. These mosques are open to the public, and you can visit for free as long as you are dressed modestly. Some popular mosques even provide robes, headscarves, and guided tours. I did not think much of this when I first visited Kuala Lumpur, but after visiting mosques in Egypt where I was frequently charged entry fees, asked for tips, and even found mosques closed, I realized how lovely Malaysia is by comparison.

1. Federal Territory Mosque

(Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan)



Built next to the federal government buildings and completed in 2000, this was the 44th mosque funded by the government. It uses Ottoman-style architecture and can hold 17,000 people for namaz.





























2. Pilgrimage Fund Board Mosque (Tabung Haji Surau TH)



I discovered this mosque by chance next to the Pilgrimage Fund Board building. It is actually a prayer room, but it looks very delicate from the outside and even has a minaret, making it look like a miniature model of the Tabung Haji building next door, which was built in 1984.



Inside the entrance, there are two floors. The air conditioning is very strong, and some people were taking a nap in the main prayer hall.







3. Selangor Royal Mosque

(Masjid Tengku Ampuan Jemaah)



This is the second state mosque of Selangor. It was built in 2013 and named after the late Queen, Almarhumah Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, who was the second Queen of Malaysia.





























4. Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque

(Masjid Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah)



This is the Selangor State Mosque, the largest mosque in Malaysia. It was built in 1988 and is commonly known as the Blue Mosque.



The mosque's minaret stands 142.3 meters tall. It once held a Guinness World Record before being surpassed by the 210-meter minaret of the Hassan II Mosque in Morocco.



































5. Putra Mosque

(Masjid Putra)



Putra Mosque is commonly known as the Pink Mosque because its dome is made of rose-colored granite. Built in 1997, it can hold 15,000 people for namaz, which is about the same capacity as the National Mosque.







































6. Asy-Syakirin Mosque

(Masjid Asy-Syakirin KLCC)



Asy-Syakirin Mosque is also called the KLCC Mosque. It is the closest mosque to the Petronas Twin Towers and the one nearest to our home in Kuala Lumpur. It is only a 200-meter walk from Musa Lanzhou Beef Noodles, and I usually go there for namaz.

This mosque was built in 2009 and can hold 12,000 people for namaz. Asy-Syakirin means "the grateful people."





The mosque has an open plaza without walls. People often rest or sleep there, and no one bothers them.



7. Jamek Mosque

(Jamek Mosque)



Built in 1909, this was the first large mosque in Kuala Lumpur's history. It was designed by a British man named Arthur Benison. Part of the funding came from the British government, and the rest was donated by the Malay community. The building mixes Moorish and Indian Mughal styles. Before the National Mosque was built, this was the most important mosque in Kuala Lumpur. The word Jamek means a place for congregational prayer in Malay, and it sounds similar to the Arabic word.













8. National Mosque

(Masjid Negara)



The National Mosque was built in 1965 on the former site of the Brethren Gospel Hall, which the government bought in 1961. That church is now called the Imbi Chapel. The mosque was originally going to be named after Malaysia's first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, but he declined. It was named the National Mosque instead to celebrate Malaysia gaining independence from Britain without bloodshed.



From a distance, the main building of the National Mosque looks like an open umbrella. It was designed by a team of three: British architect Howard Ashley, and Malaysians Ikmal Hisham Albakri and Baharuddin Kassim.



Next to the National Mosque is the Heroes' Mausoleum (Makam Pahlawan), which is the burial site for several Malaysian Muslim leaders.











That covers the eight mosques in Kuala Lumpur. I have saved many other beautiful mosques on Google Maps, but it takes a lot of time to visit them all because they are far apart. Since I will be traveling to Kuala Lumpur often, I am not in a rush to see every single one. If you have the chance, you can rent a car. You can drive in Malaysia using a translated copy of your Chinese driver's license and go on a tour of Kuala Lumpur's mosques. Collapse Read »

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Kuala Lumpur halal food guide introduces local Muslim dining, Musa Lanzhou Beef Noodles, Arabic barbecue, mamak food, MOZA, Nyonya flavors, street dining, Japanese, Korean, Thai options, and Cantonese-style dim sum.

A Guide to Halal Food in Kuala Lumpur is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: This is my third time visiting Malaysia. I spent a long time in Kuala Lumpur, totaling 15 days, plus three days on Redang Island and one day in Malacca. The account keeps its focus on Halal Travel, Yiwu Food, Muslim Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

This is my third time visiting Malaysia. I spent a long time in Kuala Lumpur, totaling 15 days, plus three days on Redang Island and one day in Malacca. I ate at 16 restaurants in Kuala Lumpur and tried 16 different flavors. The food in Kuala Lumpur is so rich, delicious, and affordable that my love for Malaysia has grown even more.

The list of Kuala Lumpur restaurants featured in this post is as follows:

1. Musa Lanzhou Beef Noodles (Musa Lanzhou niurou lamian)

2. HABIBI SURIA Arabic BBQ

3. SELERA AMPANG Indian Mamak stall

4. Islamic Arts Museum MOZA Restaurant

5. KENNY HILLS BISTRO Four Seasons Hotel Afternoon Tea

6. RasaNya Nyonya Restaurant

7. Tapak Urban Street Dining night market

8. DOZO Japanese Cuisine

9. Hong Kong Xuan Chuan Cantonese Restaurant

10. KUNG JUNG Korean BBQ

11. Absolute Thai restaurant

12. PEONY CANTON BOY Cantonese dim sum

13. DOLLY DIM SUM Cantonese dim sum

14. Taco Bell Mexican fast food

15. Din Tai Fung Taiwanese food

16. MAKAN Malaysian buffet

1. Musa Lanzhou Ramen



Musa Lanzhou Ramen is located on the ground floor of Wisma Central, right along the street. It is the first ramen shop my mother-in-law opened in Kuala Lumpur. The shop is right next to the Petronas Twin Towers (KLCC), so it is very easy to find. The restaurant is smoke-free and alcohol-free, and it is clean and hygienic.



I know many friends struggle with Southeast Asian food, so you can choose to come here for a bowl of ramen.



Besides ramen, they also serve mixed noodles, big plate chicken (dapanji), dumplings, and kebabs. The restaurant has been open for over a year and is doing great business, with most customers being Malay.



I have hosted many friends from Kuala Lumpur at the shop, and the most popular dishes are the ramen and the kebabs.



A fresh pot of big plate chicken (dapanji) with wide belt noodles (pidaimian) is also very satisfying, though Malay people prefer mixed noodles (banmian).



2. Habibi Suria



Next door to Musalan Beef Ramen is an Arab-owned grilled meat and pizza shop. Their signature grilled meat wrap (shawarma) isn't as good as their pizza, so when I've had too much ramen, I occasionally go there to order a pizza.





Their pizza is definitely much better than their shawarma. It is always freshly baked and very cheap.



3. SELERA AMPANG Indian Stall



This shop is on the ground floor at the front of the Wisma Central building, while the ramen shop is on the side. This is an Indian fast-food spot. We all like their flatbread wraps (roti). A wrap with a side of grilled chicken makes a great lunch for many office workers, and with a drink, it costs around 20 ringgit.



4. Islamic Arts Museum MOZA Restaurant



There is an Islamic Arts Museum next to the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur. This is my second time visiting. My friend from Beijing had an event there, so we met up. After touring the museum, he recommended the MOZA restaurant inside.



The design of MOZA restaurant incorporates many Islamic historical elements. It is full of style and is the biggest highlight of the restaurant.



My friend told me that this museum is actually private and houses many precious Islamic artifacts.



The restaurant serves mostly Southeast Asian fusion food along with some Arab-style dishes. The prices are quite affordable, with an average cost of no more than 50 Malaysian ringgit, which is less than 80 Chinese yuan. If you visit the Islamic Arts Museum, remember to eat at the restaurant. The museum entrance fee is only 20 ringgit.









5. KENNY HILLS BISTRO Four Seasons Hotel breakfast and afternoon tea



My wife and sister-in-law brought me to this local trendy restaurant on the ground floor of the Four Seasons Hotel. It has a Western style and is famous for its afternoon tea desserts. This shop is near our home in Kuala Lumpur, just a 5-minute walk from KLCC, and they have other chain locations too.



You can see many beautiful Malay ladies taking photos here. The desserts and coffee taste good, and they serve breakfast starting at 8:00 AM.







6. RasaNya Nyonya restaurant



This Nyonya restaurant is on the 8th floor of the Pavilion shopping center. Nyonya people are the descendants of mixed Malay and Chinese heritage, and they have a unique food culture. If you travel to Malaysia, you must try halal Nyonya food, as most Nyonya dishes are not halal. I once ate at one in Malacca, but this Kuala Lumpur location is more upscale and worth a try.



The restaurant's decor caught my eye; it has the elegant vibe of a Nanyang noblewoman.













The menu says Muslim Friendly, which means it is a pork-free restaurant. Some restaurants write Pork Free, which also means no pork. In Malaysia, as long as a restaurant has no pork, you can eat there because other meats like chicken, beef, and lamb are halal.



You might wonder why they don't just display a halal certification label. Applying for a Malaysian halal label involves a complicated process and high certification fees. Once certified, restaurants face regular and surprise inspections. Inspectors check that every ingredient has a halal certificate. Even additives without non-halal ingredients are not allowed if they lack certification. Businesses face penalties for non-compliance. That is why you will notice that most restaurants with official halal labels are large chains. Many small and medium-sized restaurants do not display the label and instead hang a dua in the shop. This does not stop Malay people from eating there. You can feel safe eating there if you see Malay people wearing headscarves dining in the shop.



This Nyonya restaurant serves Nanyang-style hot pot with very fresh ingredients, and the dipping sauce bowls come in different colors.







We chose a split pot with tomato broth and black truffle broth. I was surprised when we asked for a refill; the server brought two different pitchers to add broth separately instead of just adding water. It was very thoughtful.



Wagyu beef is expensive in Malaysia, and this was the most expensive meal I had in Kuala Lumpur, costing about 250 yuan per person.













The restaurant adds a 10% service charge. If you skip the hot pot and just order Nyonya cuisine (niangre cai), you won't actually spend that much. The rice and seasonings in the Nyonya cuisine are quite delicious.

7. Tapak Urban Street Dining night market



We stayed near KLCC, so our activities were mostly within a one-kilometer radius. You will notice that the restaurants I recommend are all near KLCC, including this night market. You can see the lit-up Petronas Twin Towers not far from the market.



This night market opens at 18:00. It is entirely halal and stays open until the early morning every day. There is even a live band performing, mostly singing Chinese pop songs.











I tried many snacks at this night market myself, and they were all delicious with no bad surprises. Just be sure to bring some small change, as some stalls do not accept Alipay.





What attracted me most was the fruit juice at the night market. I accidentally bought a cup of apple juice at this stall and it was incredibly good. Since then, I have wandered over here every few days to buy juice. In Malaysia, I love drinking juice the most because it is all freshly squeezed from real fruit with no artificial additives.

One day, while I was holding a cup of juice downstairs at KLCC, a Chinese girl stopped me to ask where I bought the drink.



I bought the fried rice shown in the picture below. Paired with the apple juice I bought earlier, this meal only cost 10 yuan.



8. DOZO Japanese Restaurant



Don't miss the halal Japanese food that is common in Malaysia but rare back home. Since Malaysia was once a Japanese colony, it was influenced by Japanese culture, and the Japanese food here is very close to the quality you find in Japan. The name of this shop means 'please come in' in Japanese. It has high ratings and reasonable prices.



You can eat a full range of famous Japanese dishes here, including grilled meat, sushi, sashimi, udon noodles, tempura, and more.







I have to praise the texture of this salmon sashimi; it is excellent. One bite and you know it is not rainbow trout.





I really love the drinks in Malaysia. This peach juice was buy-one-get-one-free, so both cups are mine.





9. Hong Kong Xuan Chuan Cantonese Restaurant



This Hong Kong Xuan restaurant is right across the street from where we are staying. I pass by every day and see it packed with people, mostly Malay locals.



This shop serves dim sum (zaocha) after 11:00 a.m. I do not know why it starts so late; maybe people in Kuala Lumpur are not used to waking up early. Where I live, the earliest you can get breakfast is after 8:00 a.m.



I must say the dim sum at Hong Kong Xuan tastes very authentic. Even the restaurant atmosphere feels like a Hong Kong tea house, and the staff look like traditional Cantonese people. Each dim sum dish only costs a few ringgit. The three of us spent about 100 ringgit for this meal. I have tried three dim sum places in Kuala Lumpur, and every one of them is better than the Hui Muslim restaurant in Guangzhou.















10. KUNG JUNG Korean BBQ



There is a Korean barbecue restaurant upstairs from Hong Kong Xuan that is incredibly busy. You need to book in advance, or you will have to wait in line. We are lucky to stay in this area. We just walk downstairs for 5 to 10 minutes to find all kinds of delicious restaurants.



The contact information and address are on the business card.



Malay people really like eating Korean barbecue. It seems like they are not very picky about what they eat.





The barbecue at this shop tastes great, but I didn't really like the cold noodles. Compared to barbecue back home, I still prefer eating in Beijing, where you get better value for your money. The average cost per person at this shop is over 150 yuan. If the price were a bit lower, I would feel it was a great deal.











11. Absolute Thai restaurant



I want to make up for the halal Thai food I can't get in Beijing while I'm in Kuala Lumpur. Thai food in Kuala Lumpur is basically all halal.



This refined Thai restaurant inside the TRX mall suits my taste perfectly. The pineapple fried rice and the seasoning of the desserts were also amazing.











12. PEONY CANTON BOY



One of my biggest joys in Kuala Lumpur is trying out different styles of morning tea (yum cha). I love eating a rich meal in the morning, which is something I can't enjoy in Beijing. This newly opened Canton Boy is an authentic Cantonese restaurant. Besides morning tea, they also serve main courses. We ate here twice, and I have to say the morning tea satisfied me more.



The shop is at the entrance on the first floor of the AK mall. The huge floor-to-ceiling windows and fresh decor are a delight to the eyes. Some staff are Chinese and can speak Chinese, and every server in the restaurant wears a headscarf, which means this is a halal restaurant.



Morning tea starts at 9:00, but that's a bit too late for me. I've already been up for 3 hours by then and am starving, but you don't see many people on the streets here at 9 o'clock.

















Besides morning tea, I also hosted my brother-in-law's family here. They are second-generation Pakistani immigrants from the UK. They didn't seem used to this Cantonese food; they preferred the mixed noodles at Musa Lanzhou Ramen.













13. DOLLY DIM SUM



There are so many choices for morning tea in Kuala Lumpur that you could eat something different every day. Nearly half the people here are Chinese, mostly with roots in Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian, so you can trust the quality of their morning tea. Dolly Dim Sum (Duo Li) is a chain restaurant. This location is on the fourth floor of KLCC, and you will need to wait in line during peak hours.



















Collapse Read »

Reposted from the web

Summary: This China mosque travel guide continues the Tai'an seventy mosques project, covering Xintai and Feicheng mosques, village mosque architecture, stone tablets, imam records, Hui Muslim communities, and anti-Japanese resistance history.

The Seventy Mosques of Tai'an is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Xigaoping Mosque in Guli Town sits in the northwest part of the old Xigaoping village. The account keeps its focus on Mosque Travel, Islamic Heritage, Muslim Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.



Xigaoping Mosque



Xigaoping Mosque in Guli Town sits in the northwest part of the old Xigaoping village. It was first built in the early Qing Dynasty and has been expanded and repaired many times since. When the mosque was first established, it had a main prayer hall with five rooms and two lecture halls to the north and south with three rooms each. An ancient cypress tree once stood inside the mosque, but it was cut down during the Cultural Revolution. The mosque was re-established in 1981. It underwent large-scale renovations in 1995 and 2005.

The mosque features a typical traditional Chinese courtyard style with a single-entry layout. It is 45 meters long and 35 meters wide. The prayer hall is 15 meters long and 6.5 meters wide. The rear hall is 4 meters long and 3.5 meters wide. The north lecture hall is 16 meters long and 8 meters wide. The south lecture hall is 18 meters long and 4.5 meters wide. Two stone tablets remain today: the 2005 Renovation Record and the List of Donors for the Mosque Construction on March 16, 1994, which was also set up in 2005.

Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, Imam Bai Anfu led the religious affairs at this mosque. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Imams Yang Yuejun, Bai Anfu, Liu Qingyuan, Wang Xiuming, and Yu Guangwei served as leaders of religious affairs in succession. The mosque is currently managed by a mosque management committee, with Liu Guitian serving as the current director.

In 2008, the mosque was named a Model Mosque by Tai'an City. In 2009, it was awarded the title of Civilized Religious Activity Venue by Xintai City. In 2010, it was once again named a Model Mosque by Tai'an City.







Feicheng City

Houhuang Village Mosque



Houhuang Village Mosque in Bianyuan Town sits in the southwest corner of the village. It was built during the Ming Dynasty and has been repaired continuously since then. The mosque underwent seven large-scale renovations in 1747 (the 12th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty), 1809 (the 14th year of the Jiaqing reign), 1903 (the 30th year of the Guangxu reign), 1937 (the 26th year of the Republic of China), 1944 (the 33rd year of the Republic of China), 1984, and 2010.

The mosque features a Chinese palace-style architectural design and measures 45 meters long and 28 meters wide. The prayer hall has two sections, front and back, standing 9 meters high with two side rooms and a moon platform (yuetai) in front. The main hall is 17.2 meters long and 12.45 meters wide. The north lecture hall is 10 meters long and 8 meters wide. The south lecture hall is 15.2 meters long and 5.7 meters wide. The ablution room (shuiwu) is divided into separate areas for men and women. The men's room is 15 meters long and 6.2 meters wide. The women's room is 8.8 meters long and 5.8 meters wide. There are four stone tablets here: the 1747 Record of Rebuilding the Mosque Moon Platform Railing Rooms from the Qianlong era, the 1809 Record of Rebuilding the North and South Lecture Halls from the Jiaqing era, the 1910 Record of Rebuilding the Huangjiazhuang Mosque from the Xuantong era, and the 2011 Record of Rebuilding the Main Prayer Hall.

The mosque's religious affairs have been led by imams including Zhang, Zhang Baotai, Ma Yonghui, Tang Qinglin, Wang Changshun, Ma Tongyun, Yang Fulian, Xu Changcun, Yang Baojun, Zhang Shugang, and Ma Gang. The mosque has trained many religious scholars, including imams Zhang Xuan, Xu Shihe, Xu Jiben, Xu Jiwen, Xu Changchun, Xu Changzhi, Xu Jiwu, Xu Changshan, Zhang Baotai, Ma Wenli, Yang Guotai, Yang Maodou, Xu Changzeng, Yang Suo, Xu Bin, Ding Jian, Bai Yanbing, Ding Junjian, Ding Rongfu, Ding Jianhua, Yang Libiao, Xu Yongqiang, and Yang Chaoxuan. It is currently managed by the mosque's democratic management committee, with Ding Junqian, Xu Weihua, Ding Junfu, Ding Ruqing, and Yang Wei serving as directors. Religious activities are carried out according to the law. The mosque keeps a white porcelain incense burner from the Qing Dynasty. The mosque values education, and every imam has held classes to train many students (hailifan).

In 2008, the mosque was named a Model Mosque by Tai'an City. It was named a Model Mosque by Tai'an City again in 2014.









Qianhuang Village Mosque



Qianhuang Village Mosque in Bianyuan Town sits at the west end of the village. It was first built during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1875-1906) and has been repaired many times since. In the third year of the Xuantong reign (1911), elder Zhang Shi'en donated over 3.6 mu of land, which became the current site. In 1924, four rooms were built for the south lecture hall. In 1946, elder Wang Yuduo from the Taihe firm in Qianhuang Village led a fundraising effort, and the five-room main prayer hall was finished in 1947. Large-scale repairs took place in 1991, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2014.

The mosque is a single-courtyard building in the classic Chinese palace style. The main prayer hall has front and back sections and covers 250 square meters. The north lecture hall covers 107 square meters, the south lecture hall covers 98 square meters, and the water room covers 88 square meters. There are four stone tablets here: the Huangjiazhuang Ding Family Genealogy Tablet from 1741 (Qianlong year 6), the New Ablution Room Tablet from 2000, the Mosque Inscription from 2003, and the South Lecture Hall Reconstruction Tablet from 2004.

The mosque's religious affairs have been led by imams including Yang Guotai, Yang Chaoxuan, Mi Shuting, Ma Yongcai, Zhao Rongsheng, Zhan Qinggui, Dong Zhongqing, Mi Shuangzhong, Mi Shuangliang, Li Huaiguo, Wang Xiuming, Chen Xingwu, Wang Huaiyu, Jin Haixue, Wang Jingdou, Wang Xiuming, and Ma Jundong. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, the mosque was managed by village elders including Ding Yuxi, Wang Wensheng, Wang Guanxi, Wang Guanxing, Wang Jixian, Bai Yuhe, Zhang Juntang, Wang Jichen, Ding Yang, Wang Guanqi, Zhang Baoshan, Zhang Baodang, and Wang Jixin. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, it was managed by village elders including Ding Yanzheng, Ding Yanyang, Wang Guanjiang, Ding Huaixin, Zhang Yongquan, Wang Xiuzhong, Ma Hongzhang, Wang Xiucai, Bai Tangyou, Zhang Yanlong, Wang Xiutong, Wang Jingshui, Ding Huaikui, Wang Jingtao, Wang Jingliang, Ma Xianmin, and Wang Zhongmin. It is now managed by the mosque's democratic management committee, with Ding Yanzheng, Ma Hongzhang, Wang Jingshui, and Ding Huaikui serving as directors.

The mosque once held cultural relics like celadon incense burners and vases, along with thirty handwritten copies of the Quran, but these were destroyed or lost during the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution.

In 2008, the mosque was named a Model Mosque by Tai'an City. In 2010, it was named a provincial-level Harmonious Religious Activity Site. In 2011, it was designated as a Feicheng City Cultural Relic Protection Unit.









Shengjiazhuang Mosque.



Shengjiazhuang Mosque in Anjiazhuang Town is located in the northwest corner of the village. It was first built in the early Qing Dynasty and has been renovated many times since. The mosque is built in the style of a Chinese palace, measuring 34 meters long and 30 meters wide. The prayer hall consists of a front and back section, and the main hall features a raised platform (yuetai) that is 8 meters high, 14 meters long, and 10 meters wide. The north lecture hall is 21 meters long and 7 meters wide. The south lecture hall is 11 meters long and 5 meters wide. The water room is 11 meters long and 5 meters wide. There are 7 stone tablets remaining, including the 1929 (the 18th year of the Republic of China) Tablet for the Reconstruction of the Mosque and 4 newer tablets honoring donors. An ancient stone tablet stands in front of the main hall, but the inscription is badly damaged and hard to read.

The mosque's religious affairs have been led by imams including Yang Maoxiu, Wu Mingcai, Li Jigui, and Wang Hualei. It is currently managed by the Mosque Democratic Management Committee, with Li Zhaoji, Mi Qingguo, and Yang Dengfa serving as directors.

In 2009, the mosque was named a provincial-level Harmonious Religious Activity Site. It won the title of Model Mosque of Tai'an City in 2010 and again in 2014.







Beiqiu Mosque



Located in the eastern half of Beiqiu Village in Bianyuan Town, the mosque was first built between the late Ming and early Qing dynasties and has been expanded several times since. The main hall was restored in the 12th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1747). The north lecture hall was rebuilt in 1991. In 2015, the south lecture hall, the water room, and the courtyard were built.

The mosque is built in the style of a Chinese palace, measuring 37.3 meters long and 26.8 meters wide. The prayer hall is a double-layered structure divided into a front hall and a back hall, with side rooms attached to the main hall and a moon terrace (yuetai) in front that is 8.5 meters long and 23.5 meters wide. The north lecture hall is 5 meters long and 17.8 meters wide. The south lecture hall is 5 meters long and 8 meters wide. The water room is 5 meters long and 19 meters wide. The mosque includes a living area for the imam. There are five stone tablets remaining, including the "Stele Record of the Mosque Restoration" from the 12th year of the Qianlong reign (1747), the "Mosque Prohibition Stele" from the Xuantong reign (1909-1911), the "Stele Record of the North Lecture Hall Reconstruction" from 1991, and the "Stele Record of the South Lecture Hall and Water Room Reconstruction" from 2015.

Imam Ding Ruhu currently oversees the religious affairs. In the past, village elders worked with the mosque's imam to manage affairs, with Xu Huali from the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1820-1850) serving as a representative example. The mosque is now managed by a democratic management committee, with Liu Yuyuan, Ding Yongchang, Ding Yongdui, and Ding Xianquan serving as directors in succession. The mosque currently houses a copper water pitcher (tangping) dating back to the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.







Songzhuang Mosque



The Songzhuang Village Mosque in Bianyuan Town is located at the west end of the village. It is said to have been built in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties and has been renovated continuously since then. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, there were four major renovations, with the most significant ones occurring in the tenth year of the Jiaqing reign (1805), the seventeenth year of the Daoguang reign (1837), the twenty-sixth year of the Guangxu reign (1900), and the fifteenth year of the Republic of China (1926). Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, it has been repaired many times, including the 2013 reconstruction of four ablution rooms (shuifang), two warehouses, and three southern lecture halls.

The mosque is built in the style of a Chinese palace, measuring 36 meters long and 36 meters wide. The prayer hall is 15.6 meters long and 11.3 meters wide, and the northern lecture hall is 18.3 meters long and 5.4 meters wide. The southern lecture hall is 15.7 meters long and 5 meters wide. The water room is 12 meters long and 5 meters wide. There are five stone tablets remaining, including the Stele for the Reconstruction of the Mosque from the nineteenth year of the Daoguang reign (1839), the Stele Record for the Reconstruction of the Mosque from the twenty-sixth year of the Guangxu reign (1900), the Preface Stele for the Reconstruction of the Mosque from the fifteenth year of the Republic of China (1926), and the Preface to the Reconstruction of the Songzhuang Ancient Mosque.

Historically, the mosque trained imams such as Ma Huanwen and Sha Xianzhang. Over the past twenty years or so, imams including Li Zhongguo and Wang Huarong have led the religious affairs. The mosque is currently managed by a democratic management committee, with Zuo Guangwen, Ma Yumin, Bai Youting, Ma Yujun, and Yang Changgang serving as directors in succession.

In 2009, the mosque was awarded the provincial title of Harmonious Religious Activity Venue. In 2010, it received the title of Model Mosque from Tai'an City. In 2016, it was designated as a Cultural Relic Protection Unit of Tai'an City.









Chahedian Mosque



Chahedian Mosque in Bianyuan Town is located in the middle of the village. It was first built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1735-1796) and has been expanded and repaired ever since. In 2014, the mosque underwent a large-scale renovation.

The mosque features a Chinese palace-style architectural design, measuring 45 meters long and 30 meters wide. The prayer hall is 15 meters long and 15 meters wide, and the north lecture hall is 27 meters long and 7 meters wide. The south lecture hall is 20 meters long and 7 meters wide. The ablution room (shuiwu) is 6 meters long and 7 meters wide.

The mosque's religious affairs were led by imams including Xu Changzhi, Zhang Yanzhai, Wang Huarong, Ma Wenli, Wang Hualei, and Yang Shunchang. It is now managed by the mosque's democratic management committee, with Han Hongbin, Liu Yuantai, and Wang Jihe serving as directors. In 2012, it was named a provincial-level Harmonious Religious Activity Venue.











Fenghuang Village Mosque



Fenghuang Village Mosque in Bianyuan Town sits at the west end of the village. It was built in the 11th year of the Republic of China (1922). When the mosque was first established, it included a main prayer hall, a lecture hall, an ablution room, a main gate, and courtyard walls. It underwent large-scale renovations in 1994.

The mosque features a Chinese palace-style architectural design and is 35 meters long and 30 meters wide. The prayer hall is 12 meters long and 10 meters wide. The north lecture hall is 13 meters long and 6 meters wide. The south lecture hall is 13 meters long and 6 meters wide. There are two existing stone tablets: the Mosque Founding Tablet from 1940 and the Mosque Reconstruction Record Tablet from 1995.

The mosque's religious affairs were led by imams including Wang Yongqing, Ma Xingchang, Ding Hu, Wang Changming, Yang Xingwang, Wang Changgui, and Yang Baojun. It is currently managed by the mosque's democratic management committee, with Wu Maowen, Wu Baoshu, Mi Kuan, Wu Yuanfa, Wu Mingkun, Wu Mingxiang, Wu Jinzhong, and Mi Zhaoying serving as directors.







Dawangzhuang Mosque



Dawangzhuang Mosque in Bianyuan Town is located at the east end of the village. It was built in 1953 and has been repaired many times since. Large-scale renovations took place in 2005, 2007, and 2011.

The mosque is in a modern architectural style, measuring 35 meters long and 40.5 meters wide. The prayer hall is a single-level structure with a rear hall, standing 5.2 meters high, 11 meters long, and 7.5 meters wide. The north lecture hall is 15 meters long and 7.6 meters wide. The south lecture hall is 3 meters long and 7.6 meters wide. The water room is 7.6 meters wide.

The mosque's religious affairs were led by imams including Bai Anfu, Imam Yang, Yang Baojun, Jin Haizeng, Wang Zengli, Ma Chuanxiang, Yang Dong, and Ding Jianhua. It is now managed by the mosque's democratic management committee, with Yang Baojin, Yang Shunping, and Yang Shuncang serving as directors. The mosque houses an incense burner.





Chenjiabu Mosque



Chenjiabu Mosque in Anjiazhuang Town sits at the west end of the village. It was first built between the late Ming and early Qing dynasties and has been expanded and repaired ever since. The mosque underwent two large-scale reconstructions in 1996 and 2007.

The mosque features a Chinese palace-style architectural design and measures 46 meters long and 24 meters wide. The prayer hall is a double-layered structure consisting of a front porch, a front hall, a gutter, and a rear hall, creating a connected architectural layout. Both the front and rear halls follow a four-beam and eight-pillar design, with a brick and lime gutter installed at the junction of the two halls for drainage. There are side doors on both sides and a raised platform (yuetai) in front. The main prayer hall is now a dangerous building. The main prayer hall is 9 meters high, 16 meters long, and 10 meters wide. The north lecture hall is 16 meters long and 6.5 meters wide. The south lecture hall is 13 meters long and 5 meters wide. The water room is 6.5 meters long and 5 meters wide. The mosque was once awarded the provincial title of Harmonious Religious Activity Venue.









Xiaojiabu Mosque



Xiaojiabu Mosque in Anjiazhuang Town is located at the west end of the village. The founding date is unknown, and it was destroyed by fire in 1973 when machines inside the building caught fire. The new mosque was built in 1999.

The mosque features Chinese palace-style architecture and is 56 meters long and 50 meters wide. The prayer hall is 9.9 meters high, and the moon terrace in front of the main hall is 26 meters long and 15 meters wide. The north lecture hall has 5 rooms, measuring 15 meters long and 8 meters wide. The south lecture hall has 5 rooms, measuring 15 meters long and 5 meters wide. There is 1 kitchen, measuring 3 meters long and 4 meters wide. More than 250 trees are planted inside and outside the mosque, and the mosque is fully equipped with all necessary utensils. A stone tablet erected in 2000 still exists today.

The mosque's religious affairs have been led by imams including Bai Maoxiang, Imam Xu, Imam Yang, Imam Wang, and Bai Yanbing. It is currently managed by the mosque's democratic management committee, with Ma Wenhuan serving as the director.

A handwritten copy of the Quran from the 17th year of the Republic of China (1928) is preserved here. In 2008, the mosque was named a Model Mosque by Tai'an City.









Ningyang County

Xitaili Mosque



Xitaili Mosque in Gangcheng Town sits in the western half of the village. Wang Xiong founded the mosque in 1398, the 31st year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, and it has been expanded and repaired ever since. The mosque underwent repairs in 1411, 1460, 1698, 1719, 1738, 1819, 1900, 1945-1946, 2005, 2008, and 2012.

The mosque features Chinese palace-style architecture. It is 41.5 meters long and 34.1 meters wide, with two courtyards. The main prayer hall is a double-layered structure, 13 meters high, 13.1 meters long, and 7.1 meters wide. The north lecture hall is 17.1 meters long and 7 meters wide. The south lecture hall is 10.5 meters long and 7 meters wide. The water room is 10.6 meters long and 5.5 meters wide.

The mosque entrance has a main gate and a second gate. Past the second gate is the main courtyard. The main prayer hall sits on the west side, facing east. It is the primary building of the mosque and can hold hundreds of people for namaz at the same time. The main prayer hall uses a three-arch design with a connected roof structure, consisting of a front porch, a middle hall, and a back hall. The front porch is three bays wide with a curved roof and a wooden frame covered in small gray tiles. A stone tablet from 1719 titled Mosque Inscription is embedded in the inner north wall of the porch. The middle hall is three bays wide with a hard mountain-style roof. The front eaves connect to the back eaves of the middle hall, with water drainage channels left on both side walls. The rear hall is three bays wide, extending 0.62 meters beyond the sides of the middle hall's front porch. The front and rear eaves connect, the main roof ridge features animal ornaments, the brick walls have delicate carvings, and the mihrab is set in the center of the west wall.

The floor plan of the main hall looks like the Chinese character 'zhu' (master), and the roof has a varied, undulating shape. The platform in front of the main hall has stone railings and panels. On the north side of the platform stand stone tablets from the 11th year of the Guangxu reign (1885) and 2005 documenting repairs to the mosque. In front of the platform, the north and south lecture halls each have three rooms. They feature a single-eave, hard-mountain style roof covered with grey tiles and a front porch. North of the second gate is the room for students (hailifan). To the south is the bathing room, which can accommodate dozens of people for major and minor ablutions. Between the east gable of the north lecture hall and the courtyard wall is the east side room. To the west of the west gable are the west side room, the covered room (zhaozifang), and the tableware room. There are six existing stone tablets: the 'Mosque Tablet Record' from the 58th year of the Kangxi reign (1719), the 'Mosque Land Donation Tablet' from the 11th year of the Guangxu reign (1885), the 'Eternal Tablet' from 2005, the 'Second Batch of Municipal Key Cultural Relics Unit Tablet' from 2007, the 'Eternal Tablet' from 2008, and the 'Xitaili Mosque Reconstruction Record Tablet' from 2012.

Throughout its history, the mosque has trained many imams, including Yang Peicheng, Wang Minqing, Wang Minyi, Xu Menglan, Xu Shanfang, Li Chuanzheng, Li Hongbin, Wang Anyi, Li Anchen, Li Qingjun, Ma Xiangfa, Yang Zhenfa, Yang Cunguo, Yang Wei, Wang Antang, Wang Zifa, Xu Shouguo, Huang Zhongqing, Li Qingyun, Ma Xingcheng, Tang Wenhai, Wang Zhongzhen, Zhang Hongyi, Xu Shanfang, Li Zhaokun, Han Yuhai, and Xia Qianguo. The mosque is currently managed by a democratic management committee. Past directors include Wang Zishang, Wang Enshang, Wang Anxiang, Wang Anwen, Li Anshan, Li Baojin, Wang Anpo, and Ma Yongfu.

In 2009, the mosque received the provincial title of 'Harmonious Religious Activity Venue.' It was also named a 'Model Mosque' by Tai'an City in 2008, 2010, and 2014.





Liujiazhuang Mosque



Liujiazhuang Mosque in Geshi Town is located in the southwest corner of the village. It was first built during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1398) and has been expanded and repaired many times since. The mosque underwent three large-scale renovations in 1984, 1997, and 2008.

The mosque follows the Chinese palace architectural style, measuring 26 meters long and 19 meters wide. The prayer hall is 7.9 meters high, 10 meters long, and 8.5 meters wide. The north lecture hall is 13.5 meters long and 7 meters wide. The water room is 5 meters long and 7 meters wide. There is one stone tablet currently on site, which is the 2008 Tablet Record of Mosque Renovation.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the religious affairs have been led by imams including Xu Menglan, Shi Xianbao, Wang Minqing, Xu Shanfang, Bai Anmeng, Han Tongwen, Xu Lingzhi, Wang Antang, Li Anchen, and Ma Ning. The mosque is currently managed by a democratic management committee, and past directors include Li Huaiqing, Li Lanting, and Sha Xingdong.

It has received the title of Model Mosque from Tai'an City.









Baima Mosque Mosque



Baimamiao Mosque in Fushan Town sits at the southwest corner of South Baimamiao Street in Taipingzhuang Village. It was first built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty (1403-1424) and has been expanded and repaired ever since. The mosque has undergone four major renovations, including those during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty (1522-1566), in the 16th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1890), and in 2001 and 2010.

The mosque features Chinese palace-style architecture, measuring 72.7 meters long, 21.1 meters wide at the front, and 27.5 meters wide at the back. The prayer hall is a double-eaved structure measuring 15.9 meters long and 13.2 meters wide. The north lecture hall is 10.2 meters long and 7 meters wide. The south lecture hall is 10.2 meters long and 6.4 meters wide. The ablution room (shuiwu) is 13.8 meters long and 6.6 meters wide. There are three stone tablets currently on site: the 1890 'Record of the Mosque Renovation' from the Qing Dynasty, the 2001 'Everlasting Renewal Tablet,' and the 2010 'Preface Tablet.'

The mosque's religious affairs have been led by imams including Zhao Wenjie, Yang Yueqing, Zhu Yuepo, Ma Guang, Han Yunting, Zhu Guanglai, Zhao Xinzheng, Zhao Guangfu, Zhu Yuehou, Yang Zhanji, Wang Ai, Zhang Yanzhai, and Yang Dawei. It is currently managed by the mosque's democratic management committee, with past directors including Mi Kuancheng, Hong Qingfang, and Zhao Anren.

A plaque from the 19th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1893) is still preserved today. In recent years, Zhu Zhaoxin donated a pair of wooden couplets that read, "The only true Allah of the universe is Allah, the only greatest sage in the world is Muhammad," which now hang on both sides of the mosque (libaidian) door.

In 2003, the county government designated the mosque as a county-level cultural relic protection site. It received the provincial title of "Harmonious Religious Activity Venue" in 2011 and was named a "Model Mosque" by Tai'an City in 2014.





Hongqi Village Mosque



Hongqi Village Mosque in Huafeng Town sits in the center of the village. It was first built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1573-1620) and has been expanded and repaired ever since. The mosque underwent two large-scale renovations in 1932 and 2011.

The mosque features Chinese palace-style architecture and measures 30 meters long and 25 meters wide. The prayer hall is a double-layered structure that is 6 meters high, 13 meters long, and 10 meters wide. The north lecture hall is 15 meters long and 7 meters wide. The south lecture hall is 14 meters long and 4.5 meters wide. The water room is 6 meters long and 4 meters wide. There are two stone tablets here: the 2012 Tablet of Rebuilding the Main Hall and the Tablet of Eternal Memory.

Since the late 1940s, the mosque's religious affairs have been led by imams including Chen Junfang, Shi Xianxing, Liu Qingyuan, Gao Guo, and Ma Yingshang. The mosque is currently managed by a democratic management committee. Past directors include Chen Jinmei, Zhu Xiangxun, Bai Yushun, Zhu Xuyin, Wang Ansheng, Shi Junyou, Zhu Xutian, and Chen Weimin.

In 2008, the mosque was named a Model Mosque by Tai'an City, and in 2012, it received the provincial title of Harmonious Religious Activity Venue.





Jingquan Village Mosque



Jingquan Village Mosque in Huafeng Town is located in the northwest part of the village. It was first built in the 14th year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1834). It was originally located in the eastern part of Jingquan Village and has been expanded and repaired many times since. Large-scale renovations took place in the 24th year of the Daoguang reign (1844), 1988, and 2001.

The mosque is 47 meters long and 35 meters wide. It includes a main hall, a north lecture hall, a south lecture hall, and a water room. There are three stone tablets: the Tablet of Founding the Mosque from the 14th year of the Daoguang reign (1834), the Tablet of Rebuilding the Mosque from 1998, and the Tablet Record of Repairing the Mosque from 2003.

Since the 1950s, the mosque's religious affairs have been led by imams including Jin Haixue, Ma Maoquan, Xu Changchun, Zhang Changshi, and Ma Shengchao. The mosque is now managed by a democratic management committee, with past directors including Huang Yuxiang, Huang Ruichang, Huang Qingfa, and Yang Yanhua.

The mosque houses a set of handwritten Quran manuscripts (volumes 15, 16, 29, and 30 are missing) and one copper water pitcher (tangping), which was originally part of a pair.





Sidian Village Mosque



Sidian Village Mosque in Sidian Town is located in the northern part of the village. It was built in the 11th year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1733) and has been expanded and repaired many times since. In the first year of the Jiaqing reign (1796), a fire at a neighbor's house spread to the mosque, which was later rebuilt. In October 1926, a fire destroyed the main prayer hall. The main hall, lecture hall, and gate wall were rebuilt in 1935. The main prayer hall was torn down in the early 1950s. In the 1980s, the Sidian village brigade arranged for members to build houses on the site, but the south lecture hall remains standing today. The mosque was rebuilt between 2012 and 2015.

The mosque is built in the style of a Chinese palace, measuring 22 meters long and 21 meters wide. A white marble plaque inscribed with the words "Mosque" is embedded above the main gate. There are side doors on both sides, each with a five-step entrance platform. About 10 meters inside the main gate is a second gate, and a path leads straight from there to the main prayer hall. The main prayer hall is a single-story building with a three-bay porch-style design, standing 15 meters high with a bronze vase ornament on the roof. On each side of the main prayer hall, there is a carved openwork lattice window featuring Arabic calligraphy. Inside the hall, four round plaques hang on the front sides, and a plaque with gold lettering hangs in the center. There are four large painted pillars, each over 40 centimeters in diameter, decorated with large gold-painted lotus flowers. The ceiling is inscribed with the holy names of Allah. The floor of the main prayer hall is covered with felt carpets. The front of the main prayer hall is a wooden structure with a simple, ancient style, built in the Chinese hip-roof (wudian) architectural form. The north lecture hall has three rooms and covers an area of about 60 square meters. Inside the hall, there is antique porcelain printed with Arabic scripture. The south lecture hall has three rooms and covers an area of about 50 square meters.

There are two stone tablets remaining: the Imperial Edict Tablet (Shengyu Bei) from the seventh year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1729) and the Tablet Record of the Reconstruction of Sizhuangdian Mosque (Chongxiu Sizhuangdian Qingzhensi Beiji) from the twenty-eighth year of the Republic of China (1939). The former is the only one of its kind in Tai'an and holds significant historical and cultural value. There are several cypress trees inside the mosque.

The mosque was once led by imams including Mi Baogui, Zhao Defu, and Zhao Furun. It is now managed by the mosque's democratic management committee, with past directors including Shi Guanli, Li Xiangqian, and Li Hong'an. The mosque also serves the communities of Qianwang Village and Houwang Village in Caohe Town, Yanzhou City.



Nanyi Village Mosque



Nanyi Village Mosque in Ciyao Town is located in the southwest part of the village. The original mosque in Nanyi Village fell into disrepair and was severely damaged. In May 2015, the dangerous structures were demolished according to plan, and a new mosque was built at a different site.

The mosque covers an area of 1,600 square meters, measuring 40 meters long and 40 meters wide. The prayer hall is 15 meters long and 11 meters wide. The north lecture hall is 10 meters long and 8 meters wide. The south lecture hall is 10 meters long and 8 meters wide. The water house is 10 meters long and 11 meters wide. There is one stone tablet here, the 2016 Tablet of Loving the Country, Loving the Faith, and Recognizing the Oneness of Allah.

The mosque has trained imams like Zhu Zhili, and Imam Yang Zhi currently manages religious affairs. The mosque is managed by a mosque management committee, with Zhang Weimin and Zhu Zhiming serving as past directors.



Houlyuguan Mosque



Houlyuguan Mosque in Huafeng Town sits in the middle of the village. It was likely built in the early days of Lyuguan Village and has been expanded and repaired ever since. In the second year of the Daoguang reign (1822), the old mosque was falling apart, so it moved to the north end of the village, which is its current location. The new mosque added three lecture rooms and a moon terrace (yuetai). In the 27th year of the Guangxu reign (1901), three large tiled rooms were added, and pine and bamboo were planted. The mosque was repaired in the ninth year of the Republic of China (1920). It was severely damaged during the Cultural Revolution.

When the mosque was first built, it was made of grass huts and covered seven and a half mu of land, with eight farming families from the north and south villages providing money and grain. After moving to the north of the village, it was rebuilt with brick, wood, earth, and stone, measuring 62 meters long and 52 meters wide. An old plaque hangs in the prayer hall, but the three characters on it are no longer readable. The main hall is 11 meters long and 11 meters wide. The north lecture hall is 11 meters long and 5 meters wide. The south lecture hall is 11 meters long and 5 meters wide. The water room is 4 meters long and 3.5 meters wide. There are three existing stone tablets: the Record of Rebuilding the Mosque from the second year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1822), the Record of Rebuilding the Mosque from the 27th year of the Guangxu reign (1901), and the Record of Rebuilding the Mosque from the ninth year of the Republic of China (1920). Several stone tablets buried during the Cultural Revolution are inside the water pool.

The mosque's religious affairs were successively led by imams including Ma, Liu Yulin, and Xu Yongtong. Xiluoshan Mosque.

Xiluoshan Mosque in Heshan Township. Built in 2013, it covers 500 square meters with a building area of 300 square meters. It includes a main prayer hall, north and south lecture halls, and a main gate.

Xiluoshan Mosque.



Xiluoshan Mosque in Heshan Township. Built in 2013, it covers 500 square meters with a building area of 300 square meters. It includes a main prayer hall, north and south lecture halls, and a main gate.



Dongping County

Zhoucheng Mosque



Zhoucheng Mosque is located in the middle of the ten-mile Song Street in Zhoucheng Subdistrict. It was first built in 1575 during the third year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty and has been expanded several times since. Large-scale renovations took place in 1819 (the 24th year of the Jiaqing reign), 1828 (the 8th year of the Daoguang reign), 1840 (the 20th year of the Daoguang reign), 1911 (the 3rd year of the Xuantong reign), and 1926 (the 15th year of the Republic of China). After the founding of the People's Republic of China, it was repaired many times, with major renovations in 1990 and 2004.

The mosque features a classic Chinese palace-style architectural design, measuring 91 meters long and 51 meters wide. The prayer hall is a ridge-roof building that stands 12 meters high, 31 meters long, and 29 meters wide. The north lecture hall is 17.5 meters long and 6 meters wide. The south lecture hall is 17.5 meters long and 6 meters wide. The water house is 10.5 meters long and 6 meters wide. There are five stone tablets remaining: the Donation of Land Tablet and the Record of Rebuilding the Mosque Tablet from the 12th year of the Daoguang reign (1832), the Record of Rebuilding the Mosque Tablet from the 20th year of the Daoguang reign (1840), the Preface to the Tablet for Rebuilding the Mosque from the 3rd year of the Xuantong reign (1911), and the Tablet for Rebuilding the Mosque from the 15th year of the Republic of China (1926).

Since modern times, the mosque's religious affairs have been led by imams including Zhan Huiyuan, Zhan Shikai, Zhan Hongru, Zhan Faxin, Xu Changzheng, Xu Changzhi, Yang Maoxiu, Yang Baojun, Zhan Hongda, Imam Guo, Ding Shanzhen, Ma Xiangfa, Li Anchen, Zhan Qiang, and Jin Feng. It is now managed by the mosque's democratic management committee, with Bian Qingfang, Wang Jinghan, Guo Guangcai, Zhan Yanling, and Zhao Rongsheng serving as directors in succession.

In 2004, the mosque was designated as a Tai'an City Cultural Relics Protection Unit. It won the title of Tai'an City Model Mosque four times in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2014. In 2010, it was named a provincial-level Harmonious Religious Activity Venue.











Xicun Mosque



Laohu Town Xicun Mosque is located in the southern part of the village. The mosque was originally built in Zhanjialou during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1820-1850) and was expanded several times later. It was destroyed by a flood in 1955 and later rebuilt in Xicun Village, where it was completed with a main prayer hall of three rooms and a lecture hall of four rooms.

The mosque is built in the style of a Chinese palace and covers a total area of 1,404 square meters. The main prayer hall is a single-story building that stands 12 meters high and covers 130 square meters. The north lecture hall covers 168 square meters, and the south lecture hall covers 43.2 square meters. The ablution room (shuiwu) covers 77 square meters. The mosque currently houses two stone tablets.

The mosque's religious affairs have been led by imams including Mi, Yang, Ma Yunxiang, Xu Changzhi, Wu Mingcai, Wang Enqing, Bai Zhenhe, Lu Qingjie, Yang Yinqing, and Zhang Changshi. It is now managed by a mosque democratic management committee, with members including Zhan Ensu, Zhan Enkui, Zhan Qinghai, Zhan Qingyu, Bai Shulin, Jin Licai, Jin Baoli, Zhan Yanwu, Bai Chengzhen, and He Mingjun serving as directors.









Lisuo Village Mosque.



Lisuo Village Mosque in Timen Town was built in 1896 during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty and has been repaired several times since. It was damaged in 1958 and later rebuilt. In 2012, due to new village planning, it was moved and rebuilt 60 meters southeast of the old mosque, and it is now located at the 15th Team in the south of Lisuo Village. Repairs were carried out in 2015 and 2016.

This mosque has a modern architectural style and covers a total area of 1,751.1 square meters. The main prayer hall is a single-story building that stands 8 meters high and covers 151.2 square meters. The north lecture hall covers 87.1 square meters, and the ablution room (shuiwu) covers 90 square meters. A storage room (jiazi fang) is built to the south of the main prayer hall. Two stone tablets remain. One ancient tablet was carved with verses from the Quran, the date the mosque was built, and the names of the founders, but it was damaged in 1958 and is now a broken fragment.

The mosque was led by imams including Imam Ding, Imam Yang, and Zhao Jie, and it is currently managed by the mosque's democratic management committee.



Daimiao Mosque



Daimiao Mosque is located in the center of Daimiao Village, Daimiao Town. The date it was first built is unknown. It was damaged by the Yellow River in the 16th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1890). It was rebuilt in the spring of the 20th year of the Republic of China (1931). It was later destroyed by flooding and was rebuilt at a new site in 2017. It covers 400 square meters and includes a prayer hall, a south lecture hall, an ablution room (shuifang), a main gate, and a storage room (jiazi fang). There is one stone tablet remaining from the 20th year of the Republic of China (1931) titled 'Record of the Reconstruction of the Daijia Mosque Town Mosque'.

The mosque was led by imams such as Zhan Enpu and Jin Feng. It is currently managed by the mosque's democratic management committee, with Guo Guangcai serving as the current director.





Discussion | A Preliminary Study of the Hui Muslims' Resistance Against Japan in Tai'an, Shandong

At the end of 1937, the Japanese army invaded the Tai'an region of Shandong, causing major losses to the local economy and society. After thorough mobilization, people from all walks of life among the Hui Muslims in Tai'an—including farmers, workers, teachers, students, business owners, doctors, and imams—all joined the vigorous, full-scale war of resistance. Under the leadership of the Party, the Hui Muslim forces in Tai'an grew from nothing to something and from weak to strong, participating in over 300 battles, with figures like Jin Xiaocun and Jin Guang becoming key leaders of the force. The Tai'an Hui Muslim Anti-Japanese School, the Anti-Japanese National Salvation Association, the Anti-Japanese Propaganda Team, and anti-Japanese logistics industries continued to develop, becoming important elements of the systematic Hui Muslim resistance in Tai'an.

During the war, 322,000 soldiers and civilians in Tai'an city (based on current statistics for the six counties and districts of Tai'an) were killed or wounded, accounting for 1/20 of the total casualties in Shandong (6,526,000 people), which shows the atrocities committed by the Japanese army in Shandong and Tai'an. After the Japanese army occupied Tai'an at the end of 1937, they set up 37 enemy-puppet strongholds and carried out horrific, insane massacres. Between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM on February 24, 1938, the Japanese army committed the Shanyang Village (in front of Culai Mountain) massacre, killing 72 villagers and wounding 13. They burned down 3,080 rooms. 151 large livestock and over 3,500 sheep were burned to death. Over 500,000 jin of grain and more than 400 carts of various sizes were burned. Hui Muslims in Shandong suffered severely from the Japanese invaders. The Japanese army raped countless women, burned down 71 mosques, killed over 130 imams (aheng), and looted all gold, silver, and property. Hui Muslims in Tai'an were not spared either. The Japanese invaders committed monstrous crimes against Hui Muslim villagers in places like Dashuozhuang in Zhuyang Town, Nigou Village in Manzhuang Town, and Yuezhuang Village in Shengzhuang Town. Facing the inhumane massacre policy of the Japanese invaders, Hui Muslim villagers in Tai'an joined the broad masses of Han people in a bitter and arduous war of resistance. Since the spring of 1938, Hui Muslim villagers in the Tai'an region launched a vigorous and systematic war of resistance against Japan, making important contributions to the victory of the war in Tai'an, Shandong, and North China.

1.

Tai'an Hui Muslim Resistance Forces

The Tai'an Hui Muslim resistance was divided into two forces: the Taixi Hui Muslim Anti-Japanese Armed Force and the Taidong Hui Muslim Anti-Japanese Armed Force. The Taixi Hui Muslim resistance was centered in Chenjiabu and Shengjiazhuang in Anjiazhuang Town, Feicheng City, as well as Nanbailou and Zhoujiapo in Xiazhang Town, Daiyue District, with Jin Xiaocun, Mi Yingjun, and Ma Ancai as the main leaders. The Taidong Hui Muslim resistance was centered in Yuezhuang, Gangshang, and Ershilibu in Shengzhuang Town, Tai'an District, and Dashuozhuang Village in Zhuyang Town, Daiyue District, with Jin Guang, Zhao Manshi, Ma Qianli, and Hong Zhanwu as the main leaders. In January 1941, the two forces merged into the Hui Muslim Backbone Battalion in Nigou Village, Manzhuang Town, Daiyue District, totaling over 100 people. The reorganized Hui Muslim backbone brigade operated mainly in the Taixi region. Specifically, the Taixi region covers the vast area west of the Jinpu Railway in Tai'an, south of the Yellow River, up to the north bank of the Dawen River, and east of the Ding River. It mainly includes the counties of Tai'an, Feicheng, Changqing, Dongping, Pingyin, Dong'e, Wenshang, and Ningyang. The anti-Japanese war led by the Hui Muslims of Tai'an was not a series of isolated or scattered battles, but a systematic resistance. The leadership of the Party, the Hui Muslim forces, the Hui Muslim National Salvation Association, the Hui Muslim resistance leaders, the anti-Japanese propaganda teams, the anti-Japanese schools, and the Longshan Military Shoe Factory were all specific elements of the systematic resistance of the Tai'an Hui Muslims. Specifically, the Party's leadership provided a strong political guarantee for the Tai'an Hui Muslim resistance. The Hui Muslim forces were a solid fighting force, and the National Salvation Association was a comprehensive revolutionary group. Jin Xiaocun, Mi Yingjun, and Jin Guang were outstanding leaders of the Tai'an Hui Muslim resistance. The Hui Muslim anti-Japanese propaganda team was an independent system for mobilization, the Hui Muslim anti-Japanese school was a fully established training institution for the resistance, and the Longshan Military Shoe Factory was an independent anti-Japanese logistics industry for the Tai'an Hui Muslims.

II.

The Tai'an Hui Muslim Resistance and the Party's Leadership

Branches of the Communist Party of China were established very early among Hui Muslim teachers and young students in Tai'an. The earliest ones were the Party branch in Ershilibu Village in Taidong and the Party branch in Beiqiu Village in Taixi. The former was established in 1932 with the help of Zhao Manshi and was the first rural Party branch in Tai'an County. Jin Yisan served as secretary, Hong Jixiao as propagandist, and Chen Xingcai as armed committee member, building up strength for future revolutionary struggles. In 1938, the Taixi Special Committee of the Communist Party of China was founded at Beiqiu Primary School, becoming the first Party organization in Taixi County at that time. Duan Junyi served as secretary, and Hui Muslim Party members such as Bai Youfang and Ding Maoshan actively participated in the work.

After the July 7th Incident, cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party gradually deepened, and many imprisoned Communist Party members were released. In July 1937, Communist Party members Lu Baoqi, Zhu Yugan, Yan Yuming, and Wu Guanying, who had been hiding outside, returned to Tai'an one after another to carry out anti-Japanese propaganda and mobilization. Around October, more than ten Communist Party members, including Zhang Beihua, Cheng Zhaoxuan, Xia Furen, Hou Decai, Cui Ziming, and Wang Zhongfan, returned one after another to Tai'an and the surrounding areas. Li Wenfu, Xu Lincun, Wang Shaofen, and others were released from a Kuomintang prison in Nanjing and returned to Feicheng one by one to start anti-Japanese activities. Many party members returned to Tai'an, planting the seeds for the anti-Japanese war among Hui Muslims in Tai'an and providing a strong political foundation.

In early 1938, Wu Guanying held a mobilization meeting for progressive youth at Hekou in western Tai'an, which was attended by Jin Xiaocun, Mi Yingjun, Wang Baoheng, and others. The meeting decided to organize an anti-Japanese guerrilla force and proposed the slogan, "Those with strength give strength, those with money give money." After the meeting, Mi Yingjun sold 800 jin of wheat to buy a box cannon (xiaziqiang). Fan Changyou sold his mule to buy a Hanyang rifle, and others did the same. This formed the initial organization for the Hui Muslim resistance in Tai'an. During the brutal struggle, the Communist Party cared deeply for Mi Yingjun and the Hui Muslim troops he led. Mi Yingjun also studied the works of Mao Zedong diligently to constantly improve his ideological awareness and military skills. In 1939, he joined the Communist Party of China. In March of the same year, Chen Guang, acting commander of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army, and political commissar Luo Ronghuan led the Eastward Advance Detachment to the Tai-Fei mountain area to establish the western Tai'an anti-Japanese base. Fan Pengfei, the leader of the Eastward Advance Detachment's civil movement team, quickly made contact with Jin Xiaocun and others and provided guns to the guerrilla group. Fan Pengfei once recalled:

North of Anjiazhuang, there was a village with many Hui Muslims. Several young men there formed a guerrilla group on their own, and they had a few guns. After I arrived, I often visited them. One of them was named Mi Yingjun. He was a very accurate shot and trusted me a lot. Later, I organized them and they joined the Tai'an Independent Regiment.

3.

The Growth of Hui Muslim Resistance Forces in Tai'an

Under the leadership of the Party and the guidance of the 115th Division, the Hui Muslim anti-Japanese armed forces in Tai'an continued to grow and strengthen. Whether it was the Hui Muslim anti-Japanese armed forces, the Hui Muslim anti-Japanese leadership, or other entities like anti-Japanese schools and industries, all grew gradually under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

The Hui Muslim Battalion was a vital force in the Tai'an Hui Muslim resistance. In January 1938, Jin Xiaocun, Mi Yingjun, and six or seven others organized a Hui Muslim anti-Japanese guerrilla group. It soon grew to over twenty people and became a guerrilla squad. After that, the number of Hui Muslim youths joining the resistance kept increasing, and by the end of that year, it had expanded to more than 80 people. In the spring of 1939, the unit was reorganized as the Second Company of the Taixi Independent Regiment, also known as the Hui Muslim Company, with Mi Yingjun serving as company commander.

From then on, this Hui Muslim anti-Japanese armed force grew rapidly under the leadership of the Party. Between the spring and summer of 1939, the Hui Muslim Company worked with the 115th Division and the 686th Regiment to wipe out the Taian traitor organization Red Spear Society and executed its leader, Gao Fuchang. Afterward, the company was reorganized as the Fourth Company of the Taixi Independent Battalion. Soon after, the Fourth Company was reorganized again as the Second Company of the Sub-district Backbone Regiment, fighting across the Taixi region and becoming a banner for Hui Muslim resistance against Japan in Taixi. In early 1940, Jin Xiaocun mobilized people in over 40 Hui Muslim villages in Taixi to form anti-Japanese armed forces, eventually establishing three platoons, which were actually three small squads. In 1941, the two Hui Muslim anti-Japanese units from Taidong and Taixi merged to form the Hui Muslim Backbone Battalion, which oversaw two squadrons. In the second half of that year, Jin Xiaocun and others ordered the formation of the Third Hui Muslim Squadron in the suburbs of Jinan. At the end of 1943, Zhang Xiaonong and others formed the Fifth Detachment of Qihe in Qihe. At the same time, Jin Xiaocun formed the Fourth Squad in Xiaojinzhuang, Jinan. In August 1945, the units merged to form the Taixi Hui Muslim Battalion, with Jin Xiaocun serving as political commissar and Ma Ancai as general branch secretary. In November, it was reorganized as the First Battalion of the First Backbone Regiment of the sub-district, overseeing three companies. Since its founding, this unit made the most of the Hui Muslims' bravery, tenacity, and strong sense of community. They actively carried out guerrilla warfare. After hundreds of battles, they became a national revolutionary force in the Hebei-Shandong-Henan border region that could not be crushed or broken. In February 1949, they were reorganized as the 151st Regiment of the 51st Division of the 17th Army. They took part in the Yangtze River crossing campaign and later marched into the great southwest.

The Tai'an Hui Muslim unit was a strong fighting force. They once successfully protected Comrade Jiang Hua as he passed through enemy blockade lines. During the War of Resistance Against Japan and the War of Liberation, this unit fought over 300 battles. They cleared out more than 60 enemy strongholds and wiped out over 6,000 Japanese, puppet, and Kuomintang troops. They captured 5 cannons, over 20 heavy machine guns, over 70 light machine guns, and more than 4,000 rifles. Nearly 20 people received special or first-class merit awards. Of course, they also made huge sacrifices. The unit's founder, Mi Yingjun, died in October 1943. His commanders spoke highly of him, calling him an excellent Communist Party member, a clever and brave commander, and a Hui Muslim anti-Japanese hero raised by the Party. Incomplete records show that during the War of Resistance, the unit lost 6 battalion-level officers, 14 company-level officers, and over 40 platoon or squad-level officers.

Anti-Japanese schools were important places for training reserve talent. The goal of starting the Hui Muslim Anti-Japanese School was to strengthen and expand the Hui Muslim anti-Japanese army, train more political officers for the Hui Muslim troops, and provide new talent for the army. In 1943, Jin Xiaocun and Jin Guang attended a meeting of the Hebei-Shandong-Henan border region government. They proposed the idea of starting the school to leaders like Deng Xiaoping, who were chairing the meeting, and received approval from the leaders and representatives. After approval from Zhang Yuenan and Wu Shengyu of the Taixi Commissioner's Office, the school was officially established in the autumn of 1944 in Dayuanzhuang Village, Qihe County, with over 60 students. The full name of the school was the Tai'an Region Hui Muslim Anti-Japanese School, also known as the Taiyun District Islamic School. It used military-style management, and the 60-plus students were organized into two platoons and eight squads. The main focus was studying the works of leaders like Mao Zedong, and figures such as Zhang Yaonan and Liu Zifang came to the school to give reports. After the founding of the country, more than 60 students joined various construction fronts across the nation, with some becoming key contributors to the building of the new China.

The Longshan Military Shoe Factory and others provided logistical support for the Hui Muslims' resistance efforts. The Hui Muslim resistance in Tai'an included production for self-sufficiency, with two typical logistics enterprises formed by Hui Muslim teams being the Taixi Wenyang Cooperative and the Longshan Military Shoe Factory. The former was established mainly in the late stages of the War of Resistance Against Japan, initially located at the western border of Mazhuang in Daiyue District, and later moved several times. Ma Qianli was the main person in charge, and it played a major role during the War of Liberation. The latter was founded in the autumn of 1944 and was located in Longshan Guanzhuang, southwest of Manzhuang Town in Daiyue District. Jin Guang served as the factory director, and Mi Guangzhen from Dashuozhuang, east of Tai'an city, served as the purchaser. With over 20 Hui Muslim workers, they mainly produced military shoes, with products primarily supplied to local Hui Muslim forces. Thousands of pairs of military shoes, along with some semi-finished products, raw materials, and tools, were escorted by Jin Guang's wife, Gao Fangpu, to the home of Jin Yongzeng in their village for hiding. Later, they were transported to Dashuozhuang, and in 1948, they were handed over to the Bohai Military Region.

On December 31, 1937, the Japanese invaders occupied Tai'an. On January 1, 1938, the first shot of the Shandong resistance, led by the Shandong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, was fired on Culai Mountain within Tai'an. Influenced by the Culai Mountain anti-Japanese armed uprising and under the leadership of the Communist Party, Jin Xiaocun, Mi Yingjun, and others formed the Tai'an Hui Muslim anti-Japanese guerrilla group in early 1938. This force grew from weak to strong and from small to large, with Jin Xiaocun, Jin Guang, Ma Ancai, and others becoming important leaders of the team. Through in-depth mobilization, all walks of life among the Hui Muslims in Tai'an, including workers, farmers, intellectuals, entrepreneurs, and religious figures, participated in the vigorous all-out war of resistance.

(The author, Jin Po, is the director of the History Department at the School of History, Taishan University, and holds a doctorate in modern and contemporary Chinese history. He is a lecturer, and this was originally published in the first issue of 'Chinese Muslims' in 2019.)

Modern and contemporary history major, lecturer, originally published in 'Chinese Muslims', 2019, Issue 1.

I have finished introducing all 70 mosques in Tai'an. A mosque tour naturally needs to include halal food, but my trip to Tai'an was short and busy. With so many mosques to cover, I have limited space left to talk about the food.

Jin Family Roasted Chicken (Jin Jia Shaoji)



The highlight was the Jin Family Roasted Chicken we ate at a local elder's home near the Dashuozhuang Mosque. It was affordable and delicious. The chicken was tender, and the seasoning was just right. It tasted better than some of the trendy roasted chicken shops that have long lines, and it really suited my taste. On the right side of the photo is fresh camel meat, which tastes similar to beef.



Also, Elder Jin is reliable in his faith, so the ingredients are safe to eat. You can find his contact number in the picture below.



Mi Family Halal Gruel Shop (Mi Jia Qingzhen Sanguan)



After finishing my work, I went with Elder Han to have a traditional Tai'an breakfast at the Mi Family Gruel Shop. It is a thick soup made with lamb broth and eggs. This type of gruel (sangtang) is most famous in the Linyi area. Collapse Read »

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Dali halal food guide continues through Eryuan, Yangbi, and Weishan, covering ancient mosques, Bai and Hui Muslim villages, Dai-style barbecue, copper pot beef, Weishan Ancient City, and Yunnan Muslim food culture.

Dali Halal Food Map is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: The Yousuo Street Mosque in Eryuan County finished rebuilding in 2012. This mosque is less than three kilometers from Shipang Village. The account keeps its focus on Dali Mosques, Chinese Muslims, Muslim Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.











Yousuo Mosque



The Yousuo Street Mosque in Eryuan County finished rebuilding in 2012. This mosque is less than three kilometers from Shipang Village.







Jiming Village Mosque



Jiming Village is also a village of Bai and Hui Muslims. The mosque was first built in 1894, and the new mosque was just completed in 2023.



Jiming Mosque is bigger and more beautiful than Shipang Mosque.



















Xiajie Ancient Mosque in Yangbi



Xiajie Mosque was built during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty. There are now three mosques in Yangbi County. This mosque was once turned into a Confucian mosque, a factory, and a school. It was not returned to its function as a mosque until 1994. Its architectural style has Bai ethnic features, and it is now a cultural relic protection unit of Dali Prefecture.





The calligraphy for 'Promoting Religion and Building the Nation' was written by Bai Chongxi. Of course, it was not originally written for this mosque, and his name has now been erased.





















Xiajie Hui Muslim Restaurant and Dai-style Barbecue



A halal restaurant next to Xiajie Mosque that serves local stir-fried dishes.



You pick the Dai-style barbecue yourself and pay after eating. The skewers are quite large.







I tried oil-splashed beef skin (youqiang niupi) for the first time. It tasted strange and was a bit spicy. I think fried beef skin is easier to enjoy.



I ordered the Dai-style pounded fish (chong yu). I expected a whole fish, but this is what arrived. It was very spicy, and you eat it wrapped in lettuce leaves.



Dai-style barbecue tastes pretty good. It is no wonder it is so popular in Yunnan.



There are no large halal restaurants in Yangbi County, just small snack shops. This seems to be the only place that serves stir-fried dishes.

Xiaoweigeng Mosque in Weishan County.

Xiaoweigeng Mosque was first built between the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. It is the first mosque you pass on the way from Dali to Weishan. Mosques in Weishan are clustered together; except for the one in the Weishan Ancient City, the others are all less than three kilometers apart.

















Huihuideng Mosque.



During the Yuan Dynasty, Huihuideng Mosque was called Huihuidun. It was first built in the third year of the reign of Mongke Khan (1253). It is also called Huihui Mosque, sharing the same name as the Huihui Mosque in Sanya.









The main prayer hall at Huihuideng is the largest one in the Dali region.







Donglianhua Mosque.



Donglianhua Mosque was built at the end of the Qing Dynasty and covers a building area of 3,000 square meters.



Donglianhua Village is a village for Hui Muslims. They are developing it into a special folk tourism village, and there is a food street here.

















This is a residential house in Donglianhua Village.

Yanqichang Mosque



The Qing government confiscated Yanqichang Mosque during the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty. It was rebuilt on a new site during the Guangxu reign. In the Ming Dynasty, this area was a garrison for the Eight Banners, and since the banner leader was named Yan, it became known as Yanqichang.









Hadith slogans on the wall.

Daweigeng Mosque



Daweigeng Mosque was first built in the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty. It is the largest mosque in this area and the one locals recommended I visit most.



My deepest impression from visiting mosques in Yunnan is that no one ever asks why I am there. I can just push open the door to the main prayer hall. Unlike in some other regions where you must state your identity and gatekeepers always ask your purpose, you will not find any guards at mosques in Yunnan.

















Mamingchang Mi Family Mosque



Mamingchang has a Mi family mosque, first built in the 50th year of the Kangxi reign (1711). There is also a Ma family mosque. These are the only two mosques left in Weishan after the failure of the Du Wenxiu uprising. Both are built on mountains, and the roads are hard to find.











Mamingchang Ma Family Mosque (Yongjian Ancient Mosque)



The Ma family mosque was first built in the Yuan Dynasty. Because there are more Hui Muslims with the surname Ma in Mamingchang than those with the surname Mi, the Ma family mosque is larger than the Mi family mosque, though the Mi family mosque is more exquisite. I met the director of the Mi family mosque management committee while asking for directions, and he brought me to the Ma family mosque.









The imam of the Ma family mosque took me to the top floor. From there, you can see a panoramic view of Weishan. The basketball court below is inside the Ma family mosque. There is also a scripture school here, which currently only enrolls local students.



Weiyi Yongjian fire-pot beef (huopiao niurou)



For dinner, we had a local Dali specialty called copper pot beef (huopiao niurou).



This place is run by locals and has been open for over ten years, so almost all the customers are local people.







Copper pot beef (huopiao niurou) is beef or beef offal cooked in a copper pot with your choice of side dishes, and you can choose a clear broth.



The fried rice with dried beef (niu ganba chaofan) is also delicious. The food here is so good that we finished the whole pot.

Weishan Ancient City



Most Hui Muslims in Weishan live in the villages below, so there are not many living inside the ancient city, which is why there is only one mosque there.





Weishan City Mosque



There used to be four mosques in Weishan City. The exact founding date of this remaining one is unknown, but it was rebuilt in 1992.



























I bought some grilled rice cakes (shao erkua) for breakfast at a snack shop near the mosque entrance.







While walking through the ancient city, I noticed that the local Han Chinese homes also use the term "guizhen" (returning to the truth). Collapse Read »