Reposted from the web

Summary: This Beijing embassy district account visits the prayer halls of the Iranian Embassy, Sudanese Embassy, and Pakistan Embassy College. It records diplomatic history, Shia turbah practice, Sudanese Taraweeh traditions, Maliki prayer customs, Pakistani community schooling, and mosque spaces inside the embassy area.

Embassy of Iran in China

The Embassy of Iran in China is located on East 6th Street in Sanlitun, Beijing, and was built in 1972. In 1971, Princess Ashraf and Princess Fatemeh of the Pahlavi dynasty of Iran visited China. The two countries officially established diplomatic relations on August 16 of that year, and the Iranian embassy was completed in 1972.

In the prayer hall of the Iranian embassy, you can see the clay tablets (turbah) that are characteristic of the Shia tradition. The turbah is also called a mohr. Because Shia jurisprudence requires prostration to be performed on soil or natural materials, a turbah is usually used indoors. The most revered turbah is made from the soil of Karbala.





























Embassy of Sudan in China

The Embassy of Sudan in China is located on East 2nd Street in Sanlitun, Beijing. Sudan and China established diplomatic relations in 1959. The embassy was built in 1971 and rebuilt into its current structure in 2006.

Every Ramadan, the prayer hall of the Sudanese embassy opens for foreign friends (dost) to perform Taraweeh prayers. I went in both 2024 and 2025.

Sudan follows the Maliki school of thought, which is common across most of North and West Africa. It has many differences from the Hanafi school followed by Hui Muslims in China. The Taraweeh prayer at the Sudanese embassy consists of eight rak'ahs. A young Libyan hafiz specifically hired by the embassy leads the first four rak'ahs, followed by a sermon (wa'z) from the Sudanese imam, and then the Sudanese imam leads the final four rak'ahs. During the third rak'ah of the Witr dua, people raise their hands to recite a long dua, and there is another sermon (wa'z) after the dua. I think it is a rare opportunity to come here every year to experience a different religious and cultural atmosphere.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, Sufi sages began spreading the faith along the upper reaches of the Nile River toward the Sudan region. In the early 16th century, the Funj Sultanate, which ruled Sudan, had nominally converted to the faith but still retained traditions of witchcraft and sacrifice. In 1718, the Funj Sultanate underwent a change of dynasty, which led to a pursuit of more orthodox religious practices and the beginning of Arabization. By the 19th century, Sudan had become a region that practiced orthodox Sunni Islam and began using Arabic as a common language. Today, the vast majority of Sudanese people follow the Sunni Maliki school and are deeply influenced by Sufism.





















Pakistan Embassy College Beijing

The Embassy of Pakistan in China is located on Dongzhimen Outer Street in Beijing and was built in 1951. The founder of the Pakistani embassy in China was the famous Pakistani writer and scholar Ahmed Ali, who gained international fame for his masterpiece, Twilight in Delhi. This book uses rich symbolic imagery to describe the changes in the Indian Muslim community under British colonial rule in the early 20th century.

Pakistan Embassy College Beijing is located inside the Pakistani embassy. It was opened in 1969 by Premier Zhou Enlai at the request of Pakistani Prime Minister Ayub Khan and was the first international school in Beijing. The college offers a full curriculum from kindergarten to high school. to the children of Pakistani expatriates and diplomats, the college enrolls international students from over 60 different countries and holds an International Cultural Day event every year.

In 2024, I attended the International Culture Day at the Pakistan Embassy College and performed namaz in the school's prayer hall. Pakistanis also mostly follow the Hanafi school of thought, so their movements are basically the same as ours. There was even a basket of prayer caps at the door, which matches our custom of wearing caps, unlike the Arabs or Iranians who do not have this practice.

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Beijing Mediterranean Food Festival visit covers Palestinian musakhan, Egyptian karkadeh, Caucasian venison stew, Bangladeshi curry, and other halal food stalls near Jianguomen. The article keeps the restaurant names, dish details, and cultural background of Jaffa, roselle tea, and Ramadan drinks.

On Sunday, I went to the Mediterranean Food Festival outside the Scitech Plaza at Jianguomen. Since the start of summer, Beijing has hosted several specialty food festivals every month, which is a great way to take an evening stroll and satisfy a craving. This time, the food festival at Scitech featured stalls from Xiting Xiuse (Azerbaijan), Cleopatra (Egypt), Benjiebi (Bangladesh), and Jaffa (Palestine).

We first bought Palestinian-style Musakhan chicken rolls and hummus (hummus) at Jaffa, and the Palestinian brother even gave Suleiman a donut.

Musakhan is known as the national dish of Palestine and is especially popular among Palestinians and Jordanians. Palestinians heat up freshly made Taboon bread (taboon), then roll it with roasted chicken, onions, sumac powder, allspice powder, saffron, and fried pine nuts, all brushed with olive oil.

Jaffa is an ancient Palestinian city that was once primarily Arab during the Ottoman period, and in the 19th century, it was famous for its vast orchards and Jaffa oranges. In the early 20th century, Jaffa was also a news hub for Palestine, with many newspaper offices located there. After 1948, most of the Arab population was expelled from or fled Jaffa.













Then we bought Caucasian venison stew at Xiting Xiuse. They use traditional Caucasian mountain cooking techniques to slow-cook the venison until it is soft and tender. The rich soup is also very flavorful when dipped with bread.







We ate chicken rice and milk pudding with hibiscus water at the Cleopatra restaurant. Their shop is located in Sanlitun SOHO, and they also set up a stall every year at the International Neighborhood Festival at the Jianguomen Diplomatic Residence Compound. The rice was mixed with cashews, raisins, and fried noodles, and it tasted great with the shredded chicken. I especially liked the hibiscus water and drank two cups.

Hibiscus water is actually roselle tea. Roselle is native to Africa and is often used in Egypt and Sudan to make hibiscus water called Karkadeh, which has a history of over 6,000 years and is also known as Pharaoh's tea. Hibiscus water can be found at various celebrations in Egypt, especially during the iftar meal in Ramadan. Egyptians make hibiscus water in both cold and hot ways. You can soak the dried petals in cold water overnight, then filter and add sugar before refrigerating, or boil them for 5 to 10 minutes, filter, add sugar, and refrigerate after cooling.



















At the Bangladeshi stall Benjiebi, I ordered masala beef curry with saffron rice, and also ordered grilled lamb chops with mint chili sauce; their lamb was very tender. Their shop is on Haoyun Street, diagonally across from Solana, and we often go there to eat after walking around Solana. Their weekday lunch curry set is also very affordable.

Reposted from the web

Summary: The second week of Beijing Mawlid gatherings covered Sanlihe Mosque and Xihui Mosque, with Quran recitation, sermons, meat porridge, fried dough, and community meals. The article preserves the mosque histories, food details, prayer scenes, and local Muslim community memories.

The Mawlid (Prophet's birthday) celebrations in Beijing have been going on for two weeks. I visited Dongsi, Balizhuang, and Yangzha during the first week, and I went to Sanlihe and Xihui for the holy gatherings on the weekend of the second week.

On Saturday, I attended the Mawlid at Yongshou Mosque in Sanlihe. After the scripture recitation and sermon (wa'erzi), we had watermelon, pastries, and snacks. I also received fried dough (youxiang), meat porridge, crispy beef (songrou), and meat portions (roufen).

Yongshou Mosque was first built in 1605 (the 30th year of the Wanli reign). It has been renovated many times and is now a cultural heritage site in the Xicheng District. Historically, Sanlihe was the largest cemetery for Hui Muslims in the Beijing suburbs. As early as 1456 (the 7th year of the Jingtai reign of the Ming Dynasty), the Samarkand envoy Muhammad Sheriban petitioned the Ming court to visit and offer sacrifices at his ancestral graves in the public cemetery outside Fuchengmen, which Emperor Yingzong of Ming granted. In 1605 (the 30th year of the Wanli reign), the ceremonial eunuch Li Shou, the imperial guard Dong Yingyuan, and others initiated a fundraising campaign to purchase the 'Wengseng Huangtang' in Sanlihe to officially build Yongshou Mosque.

The Sanlihe Hui Muslim cemetery historically held the graves of various sages, sheikhs, imams, scholars, and generals. The sages include Wang Daiyu; the sheikhs include Zhuazi Baba and Shadeng Baba; the imams include Imam Wang Yousan, Imam Wang Haoran, Imam Ma Meizhai, Lao Hong Wuba, and Lada Li; the scholar is Ma Linyi; and the generals include Ma Fulu, Ma Longbiao, and Ma Fuxiang. more than a hundred Hui Muslim heroes who died in Beijing while fighting the Eight-Nation Alliance with Ma Fulu during the Gengzi year (1900) were all buried here.















In the afternoon, I stewed some meat portions. Combined with the meat porridge, fried dough, pea flour cake (wandouhuang), and crispy beef distributed by the mosque, it made for a very classic Beijing Hui Muslim feast (nietie).













North of Sanlihe is the 'Hongmaogou Residential Area.' It was originally called 'Hongmaogou' (Red Hat Ditch) and was the cemetery for the Uyghur people known as the 'Red Hat Hui' who lived in the Hui camp on West Chang'an Street before the 1950s.

In 1759 (the 24th year of the Qianlong reign), after Emperor Qianlong pacified the Great and Small Khojas of the White Mountain faction, he summoned the surrendered Hui people, led by the 'Eight Hui Nobles,' to Beijing. The ordinary people among them were organized into the 'Hui People's Company' under the Left Wing Fifth Regiment of the Plain White Banner of the Imperial Household Department. In Manchu, this was called 'hoise niru.' They were settled in the Hui camp outside the West Chang'an Gate and chose Hongmaogou as their cemetery.

Besides the Uyghurs, Hongmaogou also contained the grave of Zhuazi Baba, one of the two great sheikh graves in Sanlihe. In the past, every spring, many Beijing Hui Muslims would take their families to visit the grave of Zhuazi Baba to offer dua.









On Sunday morning, I attended the Mawlid at Xihui Mosque. Xihui Mosque is located by the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It was built in 1821 (the first year of the Daoguang reign) and is not far from Yangzha Mosque and Guanzhuang Mosque. Although the mosque and the community were separated due to relocation and high-rise development, the new residential area is not far away, so the community still has a strong sense of unity, and the holy gathering was very lively.

Before the Mawlid began, everyone drank meat porridge and ate fruit, chatting with each other to strengthen friendships. After the Mawlid started, the imams from various communities in Chaoyang District led the opening dua, followed by scripture recitations. Then, the local imam gave a sermon to commemorate and learn from the noble Prophet.



















After leaving the prayer hall, everyone went to the feast. Following the tradition of 'guests first, locals later,' the imams, directors, and guests invited by the mosque sat down to eat first, and the local community members took their seats afterward.

The kitchen at Xihui Mosque is a long room where everyone worked in an orderly and organized way. After entering, the first thing you see is the 'eight big bowls' of stewed dishes. Stewed beef, meatballs, crispy beef, lamb offal, kelp, and yam were served as people ate. Next was the frying area, where sugar-filled fried rolls (tangjuanguo) and toothpick meat were fried on the spot. Next is the stir-fry area, where they quickly cook dishes like stir-fried tripe with coriander (yanbao sandan), stir-fried shrimp (qingchao xiarou), diced chicken with cashews (yaoguo jiding), stir-fried lamb with scallions (congbao yangrou), and braised eggplant (hongshao qiezi) over high heat. Finally, there are the steamers, with paper-wrapped fish (zhibaoyu) steaming on one side and rice on the other.

Reposted from the web

Summary: Hohhot Great Mosque grew from a Qing Dynasty Green Standard Army Hui Muslim community and reached its current scale through rebuilding and expansion in 1723, 1789, and the Republic of China era. This breakfast walk covers mosque history, milk skin, oat noodles, fruit soup, jujube cake, and Hui Muslim food around Kuanxiangzi.

I had breakfast at the Hohhot Great Mosque this morning.

The Hohhot Great Mosque community started with Hui Muslim soldiers from the Qing Dynasty Green Standard Army. After the Ming Dynasty fell, soldiers guarding the Nine Garrisons joined the Qing Dynasty as the Green Standard Army, including many Hui Muslim soldiers from Xuanhua, Datong, and Taiyuan. In 1693, the 32nd year of the Kangxi reign, the Qing government sent many troops to Hohhot to fight the Dzungar Khanate, and this group included many Hui Muslim soldiers from the Green Standard Army. These Hui Muslim soldiers and local Hui Muslim merchants built the mosque community together near the north gate of the old city, which became the early version of the Hohhot Great Mosque.

After the middle of the Kangxi reign, there were no more wars on the border. Many Hui Muslim soldiers from Datong, Zuoyun, and Youyu became small merchants or craftspeople. Many Hui Muslims moved to live near the Hohhot Great Mosque, which is why the local Hui Muslim dialect in Hohhot still sounds like the Datong dialect today. By the late Kangxi period, two large livestock markets called Cow Bridge (Niuqiao) and Sheep Hill (Yanggangzi) appeared near the mosque, and the Hui Muslims controlled the local beef and mutton slaughtering business.

The early Hohhot Great Mosque was just a few mud houses. It reached its current size after being rebuilt in 1723, the first year of the Yongzheng reign, and expanded significantly in 1789, the 54th year of the Qianlong reign. The funding for the Qianlong-era expansion came mostly from three wealthy Hui Muslim merchant families: the Kang, Ma, and Chen families. To honor their contributions, the mosque decided to add three extra scripture readings every year during the opening of the Ramadan fast. Between 1923 and 1925, the mosque expanded its main hall and the north and south lecture halls, creating the unique Republic of China-era style seen today. A woman named Widow Yang from South Channel Street donated her own property behind the mosque, so the mosque added one more scripture reading to the annual Ramadan opening to honor her.

The most famous imam at the Hohhot Great Mosque during the Republic of China era was Imam Wang Kuan from Niujie in Beijing. Imam Wang was a famous educator who founded the Chinese Muslim Progressive Association and opened the first Hui Muslim primary school in Hohhot, the Gui-Sui Hui School, in 1915.





















I ate roasted milk skin (naopi) at the Ma Family Dairy Shop. It had a rich milky flavor. They were also the first shop in Wide Alley (Kuanxiangzi) to make milk tofu cheese pancakes. Many shops in Wide Alley now sell cheese milk tofu pancakes. They use Italian soft cheese mixed with Inner Mongolian milk tofu (naidoufu), which has become a popular internet-famous snack. The most popular place with a line in Wide Alley is the Star and Moon Pastry Shop (Xingyue Gaodian). We were too lazy to wait, so we bought some at the nearby Qingheyuan shop. The cheese was stretchy and milky, but I personally prefer the plain milk tofu pancakes.

The Hui Muslim Ma family originally came from Youwei, Shanxi. They were a powerful military family during the Ming Dynasty. In the middle of the Wanli reign, the Ma Army, led by Ma Gui and his brothers and nephews, was famous for being great fighters. They earned great merit by defending Youwei for six months against Altan Khan. The Ma family defended the Ming Dynasty borders for years, and members of the family served as regional commanders in almost every border town. After the Ming Dynasty fell, the Ma family stopped fighting and turned to farming. In the early Qianlong reign, the Youyu General's office and the troops moved to the new city of Guihua in Hohhot. Many Hui Muslims from Youyu followed the path known as Walking the West Pass (Zou Xikou) to Hohhot to make a living. Legend says the Ma family also settled in Hohhot at the end of the Qianlong reign.

















I had hot soup oat noodles (youmian yuyu) at the Old Tuo Steamed Oat Noodles shop. It had carrots, potatoes, pickled vegetables, and celery inside. The hot soup felt very comforting.











Then I had some thin fruit soup (xiguogeng) from Sister Ma's shop at the back gate of the mosque. It was made with dried apricots, dried persimmons, hawthorn, and rock sugar, which was very appetizing.









A jujube cake shop called Date Daughter-in-law (Zao Xifu) is also good. They have flavors with walnuts and melon seeds, and children really like them.

Reposted from the web

Summary: The Saudi contemporary art exhibition at the National Museum of China ran from July 31 to October 30, 2025 and included paintings, sculpture, photography, and installation works. This account highlights desert imagery, Moath Alofi mosque photographs, Ahmad Angawi mihrab works, and Arabic-script objects in the Ancient China gallery.

From July 31 to October 30, 2025, the National Museum of China is hosting the exhibition Art of the Kingdom: Contemporary Saudi Arabian Art, featuring works including paintings, sculptures, and installation art.



The first section displays Saudi modernist paintings from the 1960s to the 1980s. Here are a few lines from the introduction:

Fine desert sand is sealed in resin, becoming an amber of time. From vast desert imagery to the reinterpretation of cultural memory, and from deep reflection on social roles to the exploration of environment and urban life, the exhibition works present many layers of an ever-evolving society.

















One set of works I particularly like is the 2017 light box installation The Last Witness by Moath Alofi, which features his photographs of small mosques found in the wilderness along the route to Medina.













Ahmad Angawi's 2025 work, The Simplicity in Multiplicity, features five mihrab niches arranged in sequence to represent the five daily namaz, with the infinite extension of geometric patterns representing the infinity of faith (imani).











After seeing the SCO exhibition and the Saudi contemporary art exhibition on the first floor of the National Museum, you can head downstairs to the Ancient China exhibition to see a Ming dynasty incense burner with Arabic script and a Qing dynasty incense box with Arabic script, both of which show faith (imani) expressed through objects.

Reposted from the web

Summary: This National Museum of China exhibition visit focuses on SCO-related cultural objects, including Persian-style calligraphy, Central Asian robes, jewelry, ceramics, carpets, and manuscripts. The account records the museum displays through an Islamic art and Silk Road cultural lens.

From August 27 to November 16, 2025, the National Museum of China hosts the exhibition "Galaxy of Civilizations: Joint Exhibition of Cultural Relics from National Museums of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Countries." It features items from 10 institutions, including the National Historical Museum of Belarus, the National Museum of Kazakhstan, the National Museum of Kyrgyzstan, the Department of Archaeology and Museums of the Pakistan Heritage and Culture Division, the State Historical Museum of Russia, the National Museum of Tajikistan, the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan, and the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.







National Historical Museum of Belarus

From the collection of the National Historical Museum of Belarus, this is a hoard of silver coins from the Abbasid Caliphate in the mid-10th century, found in Pinsk, Belarus, in 1991. Archaeologists have found tens of thousands of Arab silver coins in Northern Europe and the Baltic region. These coins were minted during the Abbasid Caliphate between the 8th and 11th centuries and were popular for their high purity and consistency. Between the 9th and 11th centuries, Vikings from Northern Europe used Eastern European waterways like the Volga and Dnieper rivers to trade with Arabs. They exchanged furs, slaves, and amber for large amounts of Arab silver coins. Interestingly, many of the Arab silver coins in Viking hoards were cut into pieces. This is because Vikings measured silver by weight rather than face value at the time.













From the collection of the National Historical Museum of Belarus, this is a helmet and shield from the Qajar dynasty of Iran in the 19th century. The helmet and shield were hand-forged from single plates of Damascus steel. The helmet has a long spike on top and feather holders on both sides, while the shield features a sun motif. Both the helmet and shield are engraved with floral patterns and beautiful Persian calligraphy. Persian calligraphy developed from Naskh Arabic script. Compared to Naskh, the strokes are more elongated and tilt from the top right to the bottom left, allowing for more freedom when writing.



















From the collection of the National Historical Museum of Belarus, this is a belt featuring traditional Crimean jewelry craftsmanship. It is believed to be a gift from Hacı I Giray, the founding Khan of the Crimean Khanate, to Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania.

Hacı I Giray was a descendant of Tuka-Timur, the thirteenth son of Jochi, who was the eldest son of Genghis Khan. His family began ruling the Crimean Peninsula in 1260, but they were defeated by Tamerlane in 1395 and fled to Lithuania. Hacı I Giray was born in Lithuania in 1397. In 1428, with the support of Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania, Hacı I Giray led an army to take over the Crimean Peninsula, but he was soon defeated by the Golden Horde. Later, with Lithuanian support, Hacı I Giray sent troops to Crimea several more times. He finally occupied the Crimean Peninsula in 1441 and established the Crimean Khanate.

This belt is made of high-purity silver. The circular discs feature Tatar decorative motifs, while the buckle has a Gothic design, reflecting the cultural exchange between East and West at the time.









National Museum of Kazakhstan

From the collection of the National Museum of Kazakhstan, these are ceramic tiles unearthed from a tomb at the ancient city site of Zhaiyk, dating back to the Golden Horde period in the 14th century. The ancient city site of Zhaiyk was discovered by an archaeological team in 2001. Subsequent excavations revealed the remains of a Turkish bath with an underfloor heating system and a domed tomb decorated with colorful glazed tiles in the cemetery west of the city.



From the collection of the National Museum of Kazakhstan, this is a copper coin minted by the Samanid dynasty in 922-923, unearthed in Otrar, southern Kazakhstan. During the 9th and 10th centuries, this region was an important trade center for the Samanid dynasty.



This is a modern Kazakh women's accessory.















National Museum of Pakistan, Islamabad

From the collection of the National Museum of Pakistan in Islamabad, this is a brass astrolabe from Lahore, dating to the Mughal Empire period under Humayun (reigned 1530-1540, 1555-1556). It is engraved with latitude and longitude, Persian and Arabic text, and decorated with arabesque and geometric patterns. Humayun himself had a strong interest in astronomy and astrology.













National Museum of Tajikistan.

A Persian copper water pitcher (aftabeh) from the early 20th century in the National Museum of Tajikistan collection. The aftabeh, also called abdasta, is a water pitcher used for wudu (ablution) in Persian cultural regions like Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia. They are usually made of clay or brass.







A copper hand-washing basin (dastshui) from the early 20th century in the National Museum of Tajikistan collection, featuring an engraving of 25 deer in different poses.





A copper water pitcher for wudu from the 19th century in the National Museum of Tajikistan collection.



A tray with Arabic script from the 19th century in the National Museum of Tajikistan collection.







A Persian shield in the National Museum of Tajikistan collection, decorated with sun and angel patterns and engraved with beautiful Persian calligraphy.





A 16th-century axe in the National Museum of Tajikistan collection, engraved with a scene of three riders hunting.



A 19th-century decorative tray in the National Museum of Tajikistan collection, engraved with a lively banquet scene. The border features 33 circular panels, each showing a rider in a different pose, with Arabic script on the outermost edge.













A 19th-century copper pen case in the National Museum of Tajikistan collection, featuring four lines of Persian poetry in Persian calligraphy and decorated with various leaves and plants.





A 10th-11th century copper pitcher unearthed in Istaravshan (Dayuan City) and held in the National Museum of Tajikistan, with Arabic and Persian inscriptions on the body and neck. Istaravshan was ruled by the Samanid and Karakhanid dynasties during the 10th and 11th centuries and was a famous center for trade and handicrafts.







National Museum of Uzbekistan.

A 10th-12th century copper pitcher in the National Museum of Uzbekistan collection, dating to the Samanid and Karakhanid period. It has Arabic script on the neck and human-headed bird patterns on the rim.





A 10th-11th century copper bowl in the National Museum of Uzbekistan collection, dating to the Samanid and Karakhanid period. The outer wall is engraved with Kufic script, and the inner wall is decorated with fish and bird patterns.





State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.

A men's gold-embroidered velvet robe made in Bukhara in 1905, held in the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.









A men's gold-embroidered velvet robe made in Bukhara between 1900 and 1905, held in the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.







Men's gold-embroidered velvet boots made in Bukhara in 1890, held in the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.





A women's ikat silk robe from the early 20th century, held in the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.





A men's gold-embroidered velvet robe made in Bukhara between 1898 and 1900, held in the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.





A headpiece (gajak) made in Tashkent in 1912, held in the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.



A men's gold-embroidered velvet belt made in Bukhara in 1890, decorated with turquoise and silver pieces and held in the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.







This Tojduzi headpiece from the early 20th century is kept at the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan.

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Beijing halal food guide covers ten restaurants and food spots, including Xinjiang plov, Middle Eastern bakery items, Yunnan beef rice noodles, Hunan halal dishes, and a Dongxiang-run hotel buffet. The article keeps the original restaurant names, dishes, locations, prices, and tasting notes from the Chinese travel account.

Hotan Rose Plov (Hotan Meigui Zhuafan) Yizhuang Branch

The Urumqi-based chain Hotan Rose Plov has opened two branches in Yizhuang, Beijing. The meat and oil are flown in from Xinjiang, so the taste is completely authentic. In Beijing, it belongs in the top tier alongside Hotan Canteen and White Diamond.

We ate lamb leg plov (zhuafan), minced meat plov, thin-skinned steamed buns (baopi baozi), yogurt, and honey-based drink (kavass). The lamb leg plov costs 75 yuan, which must be the most expensive in all of Beijing, but the lamb is truly delicious and takes you right back to Xinjiang with one bite. The rice is shiny and fragrant. The yellow carrots are a bit firm, but that depends on personal preference, as some people do not like them soft.

Their rice, lamb bone broth (yangtang), and side dishes are free, and the lamb bone broth is especially amazing! It is filled with white radishes, carrots, yellow carrots, lamb bone marrow, and lamb ribs, and you can help yourself to as much as you want! This is the first time I have seen such a rich, free lamb bone broth. Their side dishes include pickled onions (piyanzi) and blistered chili peppers (hupi lazi). The blistered chili peppers are seasoned very authentically, just like at a Xinjiang banquet.



















Taiba Western-style Bakery

The Middle Eastern restaurant Taiba in Sanlitun SOHO now has a bakery. I had not been to Taiba for a while, so I was surprised to see it newly renovated with a great atmosphere and a new bakery section! They have all kinds of cheese bread, whole wheat bread, and croissants. The prices are not expensive, and they even sell day-old bread at half price, which I think is a great value.

We bought beef cheese bread and spicy chicken croissants. Both were quite flaky and felt perfect for taking to the park. We also bought their homemade Arabic-style pastry, Ma'amoul. It contains a whole fig inside and is not too sweet, so both kids and adults love it.

Ma'amoul is a classic Arabic snack for breaking the fast, often paired with Arabic coffee, and it is very popular on the Arabian Peninsula. This is my first time seeing it in Beijing. They offer free Arabic black tea when you eat their pastries. Be careful not to drink too much at night; I had four cups yesterday and did not fall asleep until 1:30 a.m.

A Kazakh lady from Yili provided very warm service and proactively introduced the different breads to us. Thumbs up to her.



















Taiba South Sanlitun Road Street-side Shop

The Middle Eastern restaurant Taiba has opened a new takeout shop on South Sanlitun Road. This is the second street-side shawarma rotisserie wrap shop in Sanlitun. Everything is 50% off during the soft opening! It is a great value, and they are open from 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.

They specialize in shawarma rotisserie wraps with chicken, lamb, or beef. Appetizers include hummus (humusi yingzuidouni) and eggplant dip (mutable), plus various freshly baked pizzas. Drinks include passion fruit lemon mint water, yogurt, and coffee. Their most unique item is likely the Levantine-style flatbread (manakish). I had it before in Lebanon, and I was surprised to find it again here in Beijing.

Manakish is a traditional bread that started with the ancient Phoenicians. You can top it with a Zaatar spice blend, cheese, or minced lamb. In 2023, Manakish was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list as an iconic Lebanese food. They have three kinds: cheese, Zaatar, and beef. After the 50% discount, each small flatbread is less than 10 yuan. You can also buy a mix of all three, which costs 24 after the discount for three small flatbreads. The freshly baked flatbreads smell amazing. The beef one probably suits Chinese tastes best, but the Zaatar flavor is the most unique. Zaatar is a blend of thyme, sumac, oregano, marjoram, and sesame seeds. It has a very distinct taste. Zaatar dates back to ancient Egypt. It has been used as a seasoning and a health food for thousands of years. Medieval Arabic texts mention that Zaatar helps with digestion and stomach health.

You can only get takeout here. There is a row of tables and chairs across the street at the entrance of Sanlitun Building No. 1 where you can sit. There were mosquitoes when we went, so we went to eat at the Taiba SOHO branch instead. Their passion fruit, lemon, and mint drink is very refreshing. The thin yogurt has spices added, which some people might not be used to. The shawarma is also delicious and comes with a sour date sauce that is quite appetizing when you dip the meat in it.



















Zhaotong small meat skewers at Gamaya BBQ on Guijie Street.

A famous Zhaotong small meat skewer restaurant from Yunnan has opened in Beijing! It is at Gamaya BBQ on Guijie Street, and the owner, Maya, is there in person. During the current trial period, they are focusing on Zhaotong small meat skewers, fresh beef rice noodles, and Dai-style sour bamboo shoot chicken. Their rice noodles use a fresh broth made from free-range small yellow cattle. It tastes great and is the best Yunnan rice noodle I have had in Beijing. There are not many side dishes during the trial period, but the owner said they will make adjustments later. The small meat skewers and small dried tofu are also good. It is very satisfying to eat one skewer at a time. The beef jerky (niuganba) is very authentic. The fried mint leaves underneath are a favorite for kids. The beef is a bit salty, so it goes well with rice noodles.



















Baixiaobei Heilongjiang BBQ restaurant.

I took Suleiman to IKEA at Siyuan Bridge on the weekend, and afterward, we had some Northeast Chinese food at Baixiaobei in Wangjing. They specialize in Heilongjiang-style BBQ and also have various Northeast snacks. We ordered Northeast raw vegetables with dipping sauce, fried chicken frames, grilled horse-faced fish, grilled boneless hairtail, grilled corn kernels, grilled honey bread slices, grilled green beans, large cold noodles, and frozen pears. We also drank frozen pear juice. Overall, everything tasted pretty good. The raw vegetables with dipping sauce are very healthy, and the kids love wrapping cucumber in the tofu skin. I love the cold noodles (lengmian). The noodles are very chewy, but this place makes them a little too sweet. The grilled meat (kaorou) is quite good, but the green beans are a bit salty. In Northeast China, frozen pears (dongli) and cold noodles are usually eaten on a warm heated bed (kangtou) in winter to relieve dryness and heat, but I personally think they are great for cooling down in the summer.



















Yunnan restaurant Xuanniu Beef Shop.

On Saturday, I ate at the Hui Muslim Yunnan restaurant Xuanniu Beef Shop in Wudaoying. They specialize in beef hot pot and various Yunnan snacks. We ordered the beef pot (niuyiguo), Dai-style lemon cold rice noodles (liangmixian), Thai shrimp crackers, Shiping fermented tofu (baojiang doufu), passion fruit tofu pudding (douhua), Dai-style tamarind juice, Lijiang clay pot milk tea (guanguan nai), wild vegetable cakes with rose jam (yecai baba), and wild vegetable flower porridge (yecaihua xifan).

My favorites were the cold rice noodles and the wild vegetable flower porridge. The cold rice noodles are sour, spicy, and appetizing, and the little lime really adds to the flavor. The wild vegetable flower porridge is very fragrant. The beef pot contains beef and beef offal, giving it a rich texture. The fermented tofu is very tender inside, and the passion fruit tofu pudding is tangy and refreshing. The clay pot milk tea is made with fresh milk and tea leaves, perfect for chatting after a meal. The wild vegetable cakes are also delicious. Their service is great, and they even gave us free flower cakes (xianhuabing), which the kids loved.



















Sanlitun Xinjiang restaurant Jiangjiang.

We had a gathering at the newly opened Xinjiang restaurant Jiangjiang in Sanlitun. The shop is right across from the United Arab Emirates Gulf Restaurant in Sanlitun SOHO. It is smoke-free, alcohol-free, clean, and tidy, with three heated bed tables (kangzhuo), making it perfect for family gatherings.

We ate hearty dishes like clear-stewed beef ribs, grilled meat, naan-wrapped meat (nanbaorou), pepper chicken (jiaomaji), big plate chicken (dapanji), and stir-fried tripe strips. The chefs in the back and the grill masters are Uyghur, and they use charcoal fire for an authentic taste. Their food is not too spicy, which suits the Beijing palate well. There were many foreigners in the shop. When we went, we happened to see the manager, Han Baba, eating pilaf (zhuafan) himself. It seems our Pakistani friends also really approve of Xinjiang food.



















Huixiangyun Halal Hunan Restaurant, Zuojiazhuang branch.

In the evening, I attended a tasting event at the Huixiangyun Halal Hunan Restaurant in Zuojiazhuang. Friends (dosti) who love spicy food are in for a treat. The spicy duck heads came out first, and they were so spicy I cried. They will soon sell the duck heads and duck necks directly at the counter, so everyone can come and challenge themselves to see just how spicy they are.

My favorite dishes here are the various stir-fried meats with chili, including yellow beef, chicken, and beef offal. The meat quality is quite good, and the chicken is chewy, definitely not from fast-growing chickens. The chilies are very fragrant and go perfectly with rice. The spicy fish is their signature dish. We previously had the Dongting jumping fish at the Wangjing branch, but the Zuojiazhuang branch prepares it two ways, with both fermented black beans and hot oil, and the fish meat is very tender.



















Yili Ice Cream shop Bazaar Sweetheart (Baza Tianxin)

At the newly opened Yili Ice Cream shop Bazaar Sweetheart (Baza Tianxin) in 798, I ordered the milk-cap kvass, yogurt shaved ice, Yili ice cream, and baklava. The shop has a trendy, social-media-friendly vibe and is quite different from traditional Yili ice cream shops.

The outside of the yogurt shaved ice tastes like a yogurt drink, while the inside is a thicker, sour yogurt. It felt like it wasn't mixed well enough.

The milk-cap kvass is a creative take. The kvass itself tastes good, but I personally don't think it pairs well with the milk cap, which is too greasy.

The Yili ice cream tastes pretty good.

The baklava is mostly walnuts and has very low sweetness. It feels more suited to local tastes, but it is different from the taste of authentic baklava.

You can add dried dates, raisins, and crushed Oreo cookies yourself, but the raisins were way too hard. I haven't eaten raisins this hard in a long time; it felt like they could easily chip someone's tooth.

Overall, this place is good for people visiting 798 to take photos, and the ice cream is decent. But if you want authentic Yili flavors, it is still different.



















Qianyuan Hotel inside Dongzhimen

The Qianyuan Hotel inside Dongzhimen is run by a Dongxiang Muslim friend (dost). There is a halal buffet on the third floor. From Tuesday to Saturday, there are 168 yuan vouchers, and if you grab them on sale, the price can be 115 yuan, which feels like a good deal. The buffet includes one steak per person, plus roasted lamb leg, roast duck, oysters, and large shrimp, which makes it worth the price. I ate quite a bit of sashimi sushi, which is not something I get to eat often.

The pizza didn't taste good because it had gone cold, and there was very little meat on the lamb spine (yangxiezi). Everyone should definitely avoid their noodles; they turned into a clump as soon as they were served. Their service is quite good, and they have special tableware for children, which definitely deserves praise. However, one waiter asked me for a positive review three times during the meal, which made me feel uncomfortable.

Friends previously said the air conditioning was set too low, but we sat by the window and felt the temperature was just right, plus we could see the view downstairs.



















Part 1: 10 halal restaurants in Beijing worth visiting: Pakistani restaurant Lahore Courtyard, Jiaozuo beef knife-cut noodles Mai Mai Hong, halal Mongolian food Hulun Aile, West African Ghana Tribe Garden, Xi'an Xing Laosi meatball spicy soup, Xinjiang Changji Jinying meatball soup, Xinjiang Hotan Canteen, Syrian BRBR, Beijing fusion food Gulou Eating Noodles, and Beijing traditional food Xilaisun.

Part 2: 10 halal restaurants in Beijing worth trying. These include Gulf Mandi Restaurant (an Emirati spot), Xihan Meatball Soup at Xinjiang Mansion, Altai Afternoon Tea in the Xinjiang Mansion lobby, Muhejia Rotating Mini Hot Pot, Nazilan from Urumqi, Xinjiang, Baoyuanzhai Beijing-style pastries, China-Pakistan Friendship Restaurant for Pakistani samosas, Ma Ye Roast Duck, Benjibi Bangladeshi Restaurant, and Shihu Cheng Resort in Huairou.

Part 3: 10 new Beijing restaurants I recently tried. These include JM Italian Coffee Dongsi Branch, Huixiangyun Stir-fry (a halal Hunan restaurant) in Wangjing, Old Ma's Lamb Soup and Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) from Dezhou, Shandong, Philly Cheesesteak in Sanlitun, Roma Pakistani Restaurant, Muyuzhai Garlic Lamb Intestines, Inner Mongolia Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) at Grassland Pomegranate Red, Wangfujing Gansu Spicy Hot Pot, and Yuezhen Yayuan Halal Courtyard Restaurant.

Reposted from the web

Summary: The first week of Beijing's Mawlid month included gatherings at Dongsi Mosque, Balizhuang Mosque, and Yangzha Mosque. The travel note records prayers, Quran recitation, sermons, meat porridge, mosque kitchens, and a traditional Beijing Muslim banquet.

Blessed Mawlid, Mawlid Mubarak. The 12th day of the third month in the Islamic calendar is believed to be the birthday of the noble Prophet. Around this day, friends (dosti) all over the world hold events to commemorate the noble Prophet, known as Mawlid or Eid-e-Milad an-Nabi. In China, these are called Shengji, Sheng-hui, or Shengdan.

Commemorations for the noble Prophet date back to the time of the followers of the companions (Tabi'un), though they were mostly private events in the early days. Large-scale commemorations can be traced back to Egypt during the Fatimid dynasty in the 12th century. In 1207, Saladin's brother-in-law Gökböri first established the Mawlid as a public holiday, which helped the celebration spread. The Ottoman Empire made the Mawlid an official holiday in 1588, calling it Mevlid Kandili, which means the Candle Festival of the Prophet's Birthday.

When the Mawlid begins, mosques across Beijing start holding commemorative gatherings that last for an entire month. Last weekend, I attended three gatherings in Beijing at Dongsi, Balizhuang, and Yangzha, where I enjoyed meat porridge, fried dough (youxiang), and traditional eight-bowl banquet dishes (badawan).

On Friday, the day of Jumu'ah, I spent the Mawlid at Dongsi. Before the Jumu'ah prayer, a sermon (wa'z) explained the significance of remembering the noble Prophet. After the prayer, President Yang Faming and various imams recited the Quran (yuanjing). After leaving the prayer hall, we enjoyed fruits and snacks.

















On Saturday, I attended the Mawlid at Balizhuang Mosque. Imams from various mosques in Chaoyang District came to recite the Quran, and local elders took turns reciting as well. Imam Yang gave a sermon (wa'z) about the noble Prophet. After the prayer, everyone enjoyed meat porridge, fried dough (youxiang), and various fruits and pastries. The meat porridge at Balizhuang is only available during Eid al-Fitr and the Mawlid each year. The aroma of the meat and the wheat blends perfectly, making it very blessed.



















On Sunday, I attended the Mawlid at Yangzha Mosque, which was the third one I attended that week. After arriving, I had meat porridge, then imams from various mosques in Chaoyang District recited the Quran, and the local imam gave a sermon (wa'z). After the prayer, we had a traditional Beijing Muslim banquet, which is now rare in the city center.

The kitchen at Yangzha Mosque is very large. They were stewing the eight-bowl dishes in pots, stir-frying, and steaming fish, with everyone working together in an orderly way to serve the food.



















The traditional Beijing mosque banquet includes stir-fried dishes, steamed fish, and the eight-bowl dishes: vinegar-sauce stir-fried egg and meat (culiu muxu), sesame lamb (zhima yangrou), steamed fish (qingzheng yu), braised eggplant (shao qiezi), stewed beef (dun niurou), stewed meat patties (dun songrou), stewed winter melon (dun donggua), stewed fried tofu puffs (dun doupao), stewed lamb offal (dun yangza), stewed yam (dun shanyao), stewed meatballs (dun wanzi), and stewed kelp (dun haidai).

Reposted from the web

Summary: Chasuqi Grand Mosque stands on the Tumed Plain of Inner Mongolia, where Hui Muslim families from Hebei and Beijing settled during the Qianlong period. The account records the mosque origin, Qing-era donations, later rebuilding, and its links to Chasuqi town history.

Tumd Left Banner in Inner Mongolia sits west of Hohhot. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was home to the Mongol Tumd tribe, known for its fertile land and lush pastures. In 1739, the fourth year of the Qianlong reign, the Qing dynasty established a sub-prefecture office in Shandai Town, Tumd Left Banner, making it an important commercial hub. Soon after, Hui Muslims from four families arrived in Shandai to make a living: the Bai family from Gaotou in Zhengding, Hebei (now Gaotou Hui Ethnic Township in Wuji County), the Ma family from Baoding, Hebei, the Xue family from Xueying in Beijing, and the Jin family from Niujie in Beijing.

In 1760, the 25th year of the Qianlong reign, the Shandai office was closed, and the banner's center shifted to Qasqi Town. The Bai, Ma, Xue, and Jin Hui Muslim families all moved to Qasqi Town during the late Qianlong period. At that time, the Qasqi Guandi Mosque was being moved to a new site, so the families bought the original land and built the first Qasqi Grand Mosque.

The Qasqi Grand Mosque started with just two mud-brick rooms facing the street. During the Daoguang reign, as more Hui Muslims moved to Qasqi, they added a main prayer hall made of earth and wood. In 1909, the first year of the Xuantong reign, Imam Wang Shi'en led the construction of the current brick-and-wood main hall. Bai Shengyu's widow, Mrs. Gan, donated bricks, tiles, wood, and the elm trees from the courtyard. Other funds came from the local community and from Hohhot, Baotou, Saratsi, Togtoh, and Longshengzhuang. The community elders in charge were Luo Cheng, Bai Youfu, Ma Youfu, and Wu Fengqi. Imam Wang Shi'en was originally from Wudu, Gansu. He was a scholar of Islamic texts and the most famous imam in the history of the Qasqi Grand Mosque.



















The exquisite brick carvings of the Qasqi Grand Mosque.















We ate at Xinhua Fast Food next to the mosque, ordering lamb with wood ear mushrooms and dried bean curd (fuzhu), stir-fried meat from Jiuyuan, and stir-fried sliced noodles (huishaomian). Even though it was a simple meal, the lamb was fresh and had no gamey smell, and the wood ear mushrooms were delicious. Stir-fried sliced noodles (huishaomian) originated from the oil-seared meat and knife-cut noodles of Shanxi. During the Daoguang reign of the Qing dynasty, migrants traveling west brought the dish to Inner Mongolia, where it became popular with manual laborers like porters and camel caravan drivers. The knife-cut noodles (daoxiaomian) in the dish are sliced and boiled to order, while the oil-seared meat is coated in batter and fried. It is served with garlic sprouts and bean sprouts for a balanced meal.









Hui Muslim families who moved to Qasqi in different periods:

The Bai, Xue, Jin, and Ma families during the Qianlong reign. The Bai family made their living trading horses. Every autumn, when the horses were strong and healthy, they transported them long distances to places like Hebei. Bai Shengyu was an expert horseman. It is said he could tie a copper coin to his long braid and ride at full gallop without the coin moving at all. The Xue family started out as middlemen and small traders, later buying land and becoming very wealthy in Qasqi. Xue Liang was eloquent and had many connections. He held high social status and reportedly handled seventeen murder cases.

The Wu, Luo, Yang, Qi, and Liang families during the Jiaqing period. The Wu family was originally from Mengcun, Cangzhou, Hebei. Their ancestor, Wu Juzhou, served as a military officer in the Qing army. In the early Jiaqing years, he fled with his family after killing an official in anger, moving to Togtoh County in Inner Mongolia. His second son, Wu Xiu, later moved to Qasqi. The Wu family was a martial arts family that produced many talented people. By the end of the Qing dynasty, they were involved in butchery and farming, ran an inn, and owned nearly 100 acres of paddy fields. The Luo family moved to Qasqi from the southern gate of Urumqi (Hongmiaozi), Xinjiang, where they had worked as camel drivers. During the Republic of China era, they opened the Fuchengkui fur shop, selling the furs they collected at the Sanyitang shop in the Hohhot Hui Muslim district. The Yang family came from Guyuan, Ningxia, and worked in camel transport. They moved to Chasugi in 1796, the first year of the Jiaqing reign.

During the Xianfeng and Tongzhi eras, the three main families were the Ma, Niu, and Bai families. Brothers Ma Dejun and Ma Defu moved their family here from Baoding, Hebei, to do business. The Niu family came from Wuzhong, Ningxia, and moved here during the Tongzhi era because of the Jinjipu Uprising. Bai Youfu’s family moved here from Tang County, Baoding, Hebei, during the Xianfeng and Tongzhi eras while fleeing famine with his mother. Through years of hard work and saving, they bought land and farmed. They borrowed grain and money from the Mongols and paid them back with land. By the 1930s, they owned over 10 qing of land and opened the Weilongquan and Fushunquan grain stores and grocery shops, becoming the wealthiest Hui Muslims in Chasugi.

During the Republic of China era, the five main families were the Jia, Wang, Ma, Fu, and Tao families. The Jia family arrived in Chasugi in 1914. They saved money by selling homespun cloth, bought over 30 mu of land in 1930, and continued to run small businesses.

Reposted from the web

Summary: Tangjiasi in northern Chengdu is the last normally open mosque in Mimou Town, a Hui Muslim settlement on the old Jinniu Road. The piece follows Tangjiasi Mosque's 1730 founding, its rebuilt prayer hall, nearby halal food, and the remaining traces of Chengdu northern Hui community.

Mimou Town in Sichuan sits in the Qingbaijiang District, right on the border of Chengdu and Guanghan. It is located on the ancient Jinniu Road, a path connecting Sichuan and Shaanxi. Hui Muslims from Shaanxi and Gansu began moving here to settle during the Ming Dynasty, and they built the Luo Family Mosque (Luo Jia Si) in 1471, the seventh year of the Chenghua reign. Frequent wars in Sichuan during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties caused the population to drop sharply. During the Kangxi reign, the Qing government encouraged people to move in and farm the land. The number of Hui Muslims in Mimou Town grew quickly. They built five more mosques: Ma Family Mosque (Ma Jia Si), Hunan Mosque (Hunan Si), Tang Family Mosque (Tang Jia Si), Qingjing Mosque (Qingjing Si), and Chengyi Mosque (Chengyi Si). This made the town a major center for Hui Muslims north of Chengdu. Historically, Tang Family Mosque managed all six mosques in Mimou, so it was also known as the Six-in-One Mosque (Liuhe Si). Today, the Luo Family Mosque, Qingjing Mosque, Ma Family Mosque, and Hunan Mosque have been torn down. Only the second gate of Chengyi Mosque remains. Tang Family Mosque is the only one still open for worship in Mimou.

Tang Family Mosque was first built in 1730, the eighth year of the Yongzheng reign. It was renovated in 1778, 1877, and 1953. After 1966, it was used as a warehouse for a medicinal company, but it reopened after being restored in 1983.

Tang Family Mosque is famous for producing many imams, most the three masters of the Hu family. Imam Hu Yanzhang was known as one of the four great imams of the Republic of China in Henan. Wang Jingzhai called him a mentor for Islamic scripture education in China. He studied scriptures at Tang Family Mosque as a child and later went to Shaanxi and Henan for further learning. In 1917, after debating scriptures with Imam Ma Guangqing at the Wenshu Mosque Street Mosque in Kaifeng, he adopted the Yihewani ideology. He then led his students to open schools in various mosques across Henan, which led many of them to adopt the Yihewani path, while also training a large number of imams.

Imam Hu Shichong is known as the founder of scripture education in the Sichuan-Kang region during the Republic of China. He studied at Tang Family Mosque as a boy and went to Chengdu for advanced studies after 1910. He began teaching in Xiaojin County in 1929, where he trained many students and made major contributions to the continuation of the faith in the Garze and Aba prefectures.

Imam Hu Shiwen was known as one of the four great imams of Sichuan during the Republic of China. He was a cousin of Imam Hu Shichong and a graduate of the Chengda Normal School. He was highly respected by the great Imam Wang Jingzhai. After graduating in 1936, he was hired by the Sichuan Radio Station. He gave weekly lectures on religious knowledge, which quickly made him famous throughout Sichuan. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he worked at the International Radio Station in Chengdu, broadcasting in Arabic to tell the world about China's determination to fight the war. From 1949 to 1960, he served as the imam of the East Mosque in Chengdu and as the deputy imam of the Huangcheng Mosque.

Besides the three masters of the Hu family, the Hu family of Tang Family Mosque produced several other imams. Imam Hu Shixiang is known as the founder of scripture education in Xichang during the Republic of China. He was the younger brother of Imam Hu Shiwen and also graduated from the Chengda Normal School. In 1944, Imam Hu went to the Xichang Imam Training Class to teach for one year. In 1945, he was invited by Bai Chongxi to help establish the Xichang Jiansheng Middle School, where he served as the head of the Arabic department and also taught English. He taught at Jiansheng Middle School for a long time until he retired in 1977. Imam Hu Jiayou served as the imam of the Hu Family Mosque in 1930 until he passed away in 1936. Imam Hu Yushan was the father of Imam Hu Shiwen. He taught at nine different mosques in Dujiangyan and Chengdu.



















The second gate of Tang Family Mosque features a two-layered white horse-head wall. On both sides, there are stone carvings with the couplet: 'The teachings shine for a thousand years, the scriptures pass down for generations with brilliant light.' The horizontal plaque reads: 'The teachings are passed down for generations.'









The back wall of the main prayer hall has a bat sculpture, which symbolizes guiding those who travel at night. Below it is a plaque from 1896, the twenty-second year of the Guangxi reign, that reads 'Dao An Dan Deng' (The path to the shore is reached). It is signed by Tang Chuanyou from Dongzou. Tang Chuanyou was a Qing Dynasty calligrapher whose art was famous throughout the capital. His son, Tang Chenglie, worked as an official in Sichuan, so he brought Tang Chuanyou to Sichuan to spend his later years in comfort. The plaque text comes from the Book of Songs, "First to reach the shore." Liu Zhi also wrote in Five Watch Moon (Wu Geng Yue): "From here, step by step forward, reach the shore of the Way and see the truth."









The mosque keeps a central roof beam replaced during the 2015 renovation. It mentions that the imam at the time of the 43rd year of the Qianlong reign renovation were Luo Hong and Yu Wenqi.





The newly built prayer hall at Tangjia Mosque in Mimou Town uses traditional architectural styles and features carved traditional floral calligraphy.













The washroom at Tangjia Mosque features a traditional courtyard with benches. After using the kettle (tangping hu) to wash, the water drains through the courtyard pool, which feels very ancient.









Tangjia Mosque stone carvings:

These include the Stele of the 28th Year of Daoguang on Mosque Renovation and Ma Lun Ahong's Fundraising, the Stele of the 2nd Year of Xianfeng on Mimou Town Muslims Donating to Renovate the Main Hall, the Stele of the 4th Year of the Republic of China from the Xindu County Magistrate, the Stele of Mimou Town Muslims Donating to Renovate Chengyi Mosque, and the Tombstone of Sichuan Commander Ma Juezhai.

The Republic of China stele records that the Hu and Ma families of Mimou Town donated over 20 acres of land. The annual income was divided among six mosques—Tangjia, Ma Family, Hunan, Tangjia, Qingjing, and Chengyi—to hold religious gatherings and to honor the ancestors of the Hu and Ma families. However, the head of Tangjia Mosque embezzled the money and destroyed the account books, so the Xindu County magistrate had to step in to resolve the matter.

The Chengyi Mosque stele lists 490 donors with 55 different surnames, including very rare ones like Shi, Su, Zhe, Yu, Hou, and Guo. It is likely that the list of donors was incomplete and another stele with a signature existed, but it is now lost.







Ma Tiangui, courtesy name Juezhai, was from Songpan, Sichuan. He registered in Chengdu, rose to the rank of Sichuan Commander, was awarded the title of Brave Batulu, and died in battle in 1859 (the 9th year of Xianfeng). Ma Juezhai's tomb was originally next to Chengyi Mosque in Mimou Town. It was destroyed after 1966, and his remains were moved by his descendants to the Ma family cemetery at Qingjing Mosque. The tombstone was saved because it was used as a bridge stone and was brought home by his descendants in 1986. In 2002, the Ma family ancestral home and the Qingjing Mosque cemetery were demolished for land acquisition. The tombstone and remains were moved to the Qingbaijiang Muslim Cemetery and finally to Tangjia Mosque for safekeeping in 2024. Ma Tiangui donated to Xiaoquan Mosque, Tangjia Mosque in Mimou Town, and Qinggang Mosque in Renshou, all of which still have stone steles today. Ma Tiangui's descendants currently run the Ma's Tangjia Mosque Braised Food Shop opposite the Upper Mosque in Tuqiao, Chengdu.



Right at the entrance of Tangjia Mosque is a local beef skewer shop. Imam Lan from the mosque treated me to a meal of authentic Sichuan skewers there. The pot base had spicy red oil and mushroom broth. The skewers included fresh tripe, beef tendon, beef spine, honeycomb tripe, and beef brains, all dipped in a sesame oil sauce. This year, they upgraded to "Manager Lan's All-Beef Skewers," and the environment is even better now.



















In the twelfth lunar month, Sichuan Muslim braised food shops are at their busiest. Boiled goose, braised goose, pressed goose, pressed duck, sweet-skin duck, coiled rabbit, braised rabbit, and braised beef are all very popular with people of all backgrounds. There is a row of Muslim braised food shops on Mimou Upper Street right outside Tangjia Mosque. Not only locals but also people from out of town come specifically to buy their New Year goods.

















I had twice-cooked beef and stir-fried vegetables at Huihui Xiang on Mimou Upper Street. In my experience, Sichuan Muslim noodles are quite spicy, but the stir-fried dishes are not all spicy. Many dishes focus more on the fresh, savory flavors brought out by high-heat cooking. Eating at a Sichuan Muslim restaurant always includes pickled radishes, which are very refreshing. There are many more Hui Muslim foods in Mimou Town, such as goose soup noodles (etangmian) and steamed beef in crispy flatbread (zhengniurou jiaguokui), which are both worth a try. This is my second time visiting Tangjiasi, the center of Hui Muslim food in Chengdu, and I will definitely come back again to try other dishes.

Reposted from the web

Summary: Kelantan sits on the Thailand-Malaysia border and is known as one of the strongest centers of Malay culture. This long travel account covers Kota Bharu royal palaces, museums, court traditions, shadow puppetry, handicrafts, and Muhammadi Mosque.

Kelantan sits on the border of Thailand and Malaysia, facing the South China Sea. It is known as the cradle of Malay culture and remains the region where this culture is strongest.

Kelantan is still ruled by a Sultan today. The Sultan of Kelantan, Hajji Mahmud Jiddah Riayah Saadatussalam, was originally a Buddhist king (raja) named Raja Bharubhasa. It is said he converted to the faith in 1345 and officially took the title of Sultan. As an important trading port along the South China Sea, Kelantan has long had close ties with China, Thailand, and Indonesia. Zheng He visited here during his fourth voyage in 1413.

In 1844, Sultan Muhammad II of Kelantan moved the capital to Kota Bharu (meaning new city) at the mouth of the Kelantan River. That same year, he built the Grand Palace (Balai Besar). Five generations of Sultans lived in the palace between 1844 and 1920. Later, it became a place for investitures, state banquets, and various royal ceremonies. The current Sultan, Muhammad V, held his coronation ceremony here in 2010.

The Grand Palace (Balai Besar) was built by a craftsman from Terengganu named Muhamad Salleh. He used the traditional style of the east coast of the Malay Peninsula and was the best woodcarver in the region at the time. Although the front hall was expanded in the early 20th century, the palace kept its traditional architectural style. It is the most classic existing Malay royal palace.



















Next to the Grand Palace (Balai Besar) in Kelantan stands the Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar), built in 1887. It is currently open to the public as the Royal Museum of Traditional Customs. The Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar) was originally built by Sultan Muhammad II of Kelantan for his grandson, Long Kundur, so it was called the Palace of the Second King. After the second king ascended the throne as Sultan Muhammad III in 1889, this place officially became part of the Kelantan Sultan's palace complex. In 1911, Sultan Muhammad IV ordered the palace to be renovated and gave it to his son, Ismail. Ismail became the new Sultan in 1920, and the Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar) continued to be used as a royal palace. The Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar) officially became a museum in 1981.

Like the Grand Palace (Balai Besar), the Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar) was originally a traditional single-story Malay wooden house. It was later rebuilt into a two-story brick structure, blending European architecture with traditional Kelantan styles, reflecting the Western influence on the Kelantan royal family. While the roof, facade, and other decorative elements show typical traditional Malay features, the iron spiral staircase, iron railings, and octagonal porch inside are clearly influenced by European styles.





















The Royal Museum of Traditional Customs at the Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar) displays and introduces various traditional ceremonies of the Kelantan royal court.

















The traditional Malay wood carvings collected by the Royal Museum of Traditional Customs at the Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar) were mostly used for decorating traditional buildings like mosques and houses.

















The platform in the courtyard of the Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar), called Panca Persada, is where princes would bathe before their wedding and circumcision ceremonies.



The Royal Museum of Traditional Customs at the Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar) houses divine bird boats, a unique cultural tradition of the Sultanates of Kelantan and Pattani. The first boat, Petala Indera Seri Kekayangan, was a gift from King Rama V of Thailand to Sultan Muhammad IV during his visit to Kelantan in 1905. The second, Burung Petalawati, was used for the circumcision ceremony of Tengku Zainal Abidin in 1933.

The origin of this divine bird can be traced back to ancient Malay legends and Indian culture. It was likely influenced by the giant bird in the Malay epic Isma Dewa and the mythical bird Garuda from Indian mythology. After 1933, the divine bird procession in the Kelantan region stopped because it was considered to deviate from the faith. It is now only preserved in the Malay community in the Pattani region of southern Thailand, though on a much smaller scale.

















Batu Palace (Istana Batu) was a wedding gift from Sultan Muhammad XV of Kelantan to his nephew, Sultan Yahya Petra, and his wife, Tengku Zainab II, in 1939. It served as the palace for the third-ranking prince for many years. In 1960, Yahya Petra became the Sultan of Kelantan and moved to the Great Palace (Istana Balai Besar). The building was renovated in 1966 to become the home of Princess Tengku Salwani. From 1969 to 1972, it was the residence of Crown Prince Ismail Petra, and later it was used as a royal guesthouse. Since 1991, it has officially been the Kelantan Royal Museum, where you can see scenes of 20th-century life in the Kelantan Sultanate court.





The Blue Room was originally Sultan Yahya Petra's bedroom. It became Princess Tengku Salwani's bridal chamber in 1966. When Crown Prince Ismail Petra lived there in 1969, it was painted blue and furnished with solid wood pieces crafted by a famous Kelantan master carpenter. The room later hosted many royal family members. When Ismail Petra was crowned Sultan in 1980, the Sultanah of Johor, Tengku Nora, stayed here.





The Yellow Room was originally the bedroom for Sultan Yahya Petra's children. After 1960, it was used as a royal guest room. The current furniture was specially designed by Sultanah Tengku Zainab II for her daughter Tengku Salwani's wedding in 1966. Before 1991, this room was used as a bridal chamber for the Kelantan Sultanate court.



The Pink Room was originally Princess Tengku Salwani's bedroom, and it was later used by her son. The furniture in this room was ordered from Singapore.









Among the royal photos in the Kelantan Royal Museum, the first black-and-white one is of Sultan Ismail (1920-1944).













Parked outside is the Rolls-Royce used by Sultan Ismail Petra after 1980.







The Kelantan Islamic Museum (Muzium Islam Kelantan) was built in 1901. It was originally the official residence of the Kelantan Chief Minister, Hassan Muhammad Salleh, and is a two-story Malay wooden house in the Kelantan architectural style. Between 1917 and 1990, it served as the office for the Kelantan Islamic Council and the Customs Department. It opened as the Islamic Museum in 1991, but unfortunately, the museum is now closed.









The Kelantan State Museum was built in 1930. It was originally the Kota Bharu Land Office and was converted into a museum after 1990.







The Kelantan State Museum does not have many exhibits, but you can see precious Kelantan shadow puppetry (Wayang Kulit). Kelantan shadow puppetry has a very long history. It was once widespread in southern Thailand and northern Malaysia, especially in the Pattani region of southern Thailand and in Kelantan. There are many theories about the origin of Kelantan shadow puppetry. One theory suggests that 19th-century Kelantanese learned it from shadow puppetry masters on the island of Java. However, today's Kelantan shadow puppetry is significantly different from Javanese shadow puppetry. For example, Kelantan shadow puppetry is performed in the Kelantan Malay dialect, and the costumes of the puppet characters have a typical southern Thai style.

The stories in Kelantan shadow puppetry mainly come from the Indian epic Ramayana. Besides the main plot, there are many smaller stories not found in the book. some stories are taken from ancient Malay legends and Arabic legends, which is a major feature of Kelantan shadow puppetry.











The Kelantan State Museum houses costumes from the Kelantan court dance-drama, Mak Yong. Mak Yong originated in the Pattani region of southern Thailand around the 13th century and became a court dance-drama for the Kelantan Sultanate after the 18th century. Before the end of the 19th century, Mak Yong theater was performed exclusively for the Sultan's court, and it only began to be performed in public spaces after the 20th century.

The content of Mak Yong theater can be traced back to ancient Malay legends, many of which come from animism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, including Buddhist Jataka tales that have already been lost in India.

A very unique point of Mak Yong theater is that all the main roles are played by women. The lead actress, Mak Yong, is responsible for solo singing and leading the performance, while the palace maids around her provide backing vocals and dance. Men can only play the role of the clown for comic relief.

After the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) came to power in 1991, public performances of Mak Yong theater were banned. Although some veteran artists have stuck to their art despite the ban, they find it very difficult to get opportunities to perform.















The Kelantan-style Malay kite is called Wau Bulan. Bulan means moon in Malay, because this kite looks like a rising crescent moon when it flies. You can see workshops that make these kites in the village of Kampung Laut in Kelantan.



Congkak is a strategy board game popular in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. It originated in Egypt during the ancient Roman era and later spread to Southeast Asia through Arabia and India. It was once a court game of the Malacca Sultanate. The Congkak boards in the Kelantan region are beautifully decorated, and some are carved with bird patterns.







The Pitis Bank at the entrance of the Kelantan Sultan's palace is the oldest brick building in Kelantan, and its main gate is made of very sturdy chengal wood. The bank was built in 1889 by Sultan Muhammad III to store the tin currency called Pitis that was issued by the Sultan at the time. After the British Straits Settlements began issuing currency in 1909, Pitis gradually faded from history.





The Kota Bharu Handicraft Village is right next to the Sultan's palace. It was built in 1991 in the style of a traditional Kelantan Malay wooden house and is used specifically to display traditional Kelantan handicrafts.



















The Kota Bharu Handicraft Village displays traditional Kelantan Malay batik fabric.



















The Kota Bharu Handicraft Village displays traditional Kelantan wood carvings, including coconut graters and traditional Malay Congkak boards.



















The Muhammadi Mosque (Masjid Jamek Muhammadi) is the congregational mosque of Kelantan state. It was built in 1867 by Sultan Muhammad II of Kelantan and was changed from a wooden structure to a concrete one in 1922, featuring a neoclassical revival style. In 1931, Sultan Ismail presided over the opening ceremony and officially named it the Muhammadi Mosque.

From the late 19th century to the 20th century, this place was an important center for Islamic studies in Malaysia, and many great scholars taught here. Because many students would go to Mecca for further studies after graduating, this place is also known as the 'Gateway to Mecca'.

Reposted from the web

Summary: The second Kelantan travel account focuses on mosques and local Muslim life around Kota Bharu and Kampung Laut. It records a 1940 wooden house near the state mosque, Kampung Laut Mosque, An-Naim Mosque, prayer during a meal, and the halal Chinese restaurant near the mosque.













Behind the State Mosque stands a wooden house built in 1940 that feels like a mix of a Malay wooden house and gingerbread style. I met the imam of the mosque in front of the wooden house and had a great chat with him.









Kampung Laut Mosque (Masjid Kampung Laut) is located by the Kelantan River north of Kota Bharu and is known as one of the oldest mosques in Malaysia. According to local legends passed down through generations, ancestors set sail from Champa in southern Vietnam to spread the faith in Java, but a storm damaged their boat and left them stranded on the Kelantan coast. They made a dua to build a mosque wherever they could safely dock their boat. Just then, a school of barracuda swam into the boat and plugged the leaks, keeping it from sinking. After the storm, the boat sailed along the Kelantan River and docked safely at Kampung Laut, where the ancestors built the first Kampung Laut Mosque.

There is no clear record of when Kampung Laut Mosque was first built, but it is estimated to be between the 15th and 18th centuries. It is said the original main hall was just a pavilion, and it was not expanded until the late 18th century into a stilt wooden house high enough to tether an elephant. Between 1886 and 1889, the original sago palm leaf roof was replaced with clay tiles, and a wooden minaret was added in the 1890s. Kampung Laut Mosque was destroyed by floods in 1967, then moved to Nilam Puri for reconstruction, and was not moved back to a high platform in Kampung Laut until 2020.























An-Naim Mosque is the municipal mosque of Kota Bharu, located near the Four Seasons Restaurant, the largest halal Chinese restaurant in Kota Bharu. We went to the mosque to pray namaz in the middle of our meal, then went back to finish eating.

Reposted from the web

Summary: The Indonesian Embassy in Beijing hosted its annual Indonesian cultural festival on August 17, Indonesia's Independence Day. The visit records traditional performances, crafts, Indonesian coffee, and halal Indonesian dishes served at the event.

August 17 is Indonesia's Independence Day, and the Indonesian Embassy in China held its annual Indonesian Cultural Festival. There were displays of traditional Indonesian songs, dances, clothing, and crafts, and I also drank some dark-roasted Indonesian coffee.













This is our third year attending, and the crowds get bigger every year. As usual, we bought Indonesian steamed dumplings (siomay) and beef ball noodle soup (mie bakso) at the Ella's Kitchen stall.







Indonesian siomay comes from the siomay of southern China. It was first adapted by the Sundanese people of West Java, who replaced the pork filling with fish. It is served with cabbage, tofu, potatoes, boiled eggs, and stuffed bitter melon, then topped with peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce. It is now a classic street snack across Indonesia.



The bakso balls are made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making them very firm. The finished balls are usually placed in beef broth and served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.



We also bought some Javanese-style fermented soybean cakes (tempeh) to slice, marinate, and fry at home. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a fungus that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves.







We also bought traditional Indonesian fried fish crackers (kerupuk ikan). Kerupuk was originally an onomatopoeic word in Javanese for the sound of chewing crunchy food, and it later came to mean fried crackers. Kerupuk can be made from shrimp, fish, or squid. The fried fish version is mainly made from wahoo or skipjack tuna mixed with tapioca or sago flour. The shape of these fried fish crackers varies across Indonesia. In West Java and South Sumatra, they are usually made into flat fish cakes, while in the coastal regions of Borneo, they are typically cylindrical.



We bought some Minangkabau steamed rice (nasi kapau). Nasi kapau is similar to the common Padang rice (nasi padang) found throughout Indonesia, but it features some unique side dishes. Our version came with beef rendang, long bean curry, boiled eggs, and chili sauce. Beef rendang likely originated from curries brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then evolved through the local diet of the Minangkabau people. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long voyages, the dish is slow-cooked until it becomes rich and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.







Then we bought some Indonesian rice cakes (arem arem). Arem arem is most common on Java. It is made by cooking rice in coconut milk, stuffing it with meat and vegetables, shaping it into a cylinder, and wrapping it in banana leaves.



We drank a Javanese mixed drink (es teler), which contains jackfruit, avocado, longan, and coconut meat mixed with condensed milk and syrup. In 1981, an Indonesian housewife named Murniati Widjaja won a television competition with her es teler. The following year, she opened a specialty food shop in Jakarta called Es Teler 77, which has now grown into a massive food chain.

Reposted from the web

Summary: Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin, sits between Beijing and Tianjin and grew from a Baihe River dock into an important Grand Canal town. This travel note follows a family return to Hexiwu, covering local dialects, Hui Muslim migration, temples, canalside history, and hometown food.

Last Ramadan, I went back to my hometown of Hexiwu in Wuqing, Tianjin. I bought fried cakes (zhagao) and crispy fried rolls (gezhihe) at the farmers' market. See my article, "My Hometown: Hexiwu Town, Wuqing, Tianjin." This summer, I took my son back to my hometown so he could experience the rural atmosphere.

Hexiwu connects to Tongzhou in Beijing and Xianghe in Hebei. It sits 60 kilometers from both downtown Beijing and Tianjin, making it the geographic midpoint between the two cities. My family members have historically moved to Beijing and Tianjin for work, so during family gatherings, you can hear Beijing dialect, Tianjin dialect, and the local Wuqing dialect.

During the Liao Dynasty, Hexiwu was a wharf on the west bank of the Baihe River. It was named "Hexiwu" (West River Dock) because of the boatyards along the shore. After the Grand Canal was dug during the Yuan Dynasty, a water transport customs office was set up at the dock, which is how it got the name "Hexiwu" (West River Customs). During the Yuan Dynasty, Hexiwu served as the headquarters for water transport. It had fourteen grain warehouses and was the largest grain storage base outside the Yuan capital. Hexiwu's commerce thrived during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. The Ming Dynasty book "Chang'an Kehua" records: "Hexiwu is the throat of the canal... inns are clustered on both banks, storing all kinds of goods. It is the number one town east of the capital."

In 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), Zhu Di defeated the Jianwen Emperor and took the throne. At that time, war had caused population decline and abandoned farmland in North China. Zhu Di issued a decree to relocate people, moving many Hui and Han people from the Jiangnan region to North China to farm. Many villages in the Hexiwu area were formed this way.

The Hexiwu Mosque is located on Third Street, southeast of the old town site. It was first built in 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign), rebuilt in 1670 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), collapsed during the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, was rebuilt again in 1988, and officially completed in 1990.

The Hexiwu Mosque was originally located southwest of the Hexiwu city walls. In 1570 (the fourth year of the Longqing reign), the Ming government ordered the construction of a brick-walled city in Hexiwu with a perimeter of 500 meters to ensure the safety of water transport. The Hexiwu Mosque was also rebuilt at this time. Li Ben, the Wuqing prefect at the time, wrote a poem about Hexiwu: "The new iron-walled city holds a hundred thousand homes, where old customs compete in prosperity." Embankments connect mansions and official shops, while the shore is crowded with flags and official messengers. Tax revenue from the five materials supports the national budget, and trade reaches the four seas to sustain life. At this throat of the realm where all gather, fame and profit shimmer in the evening mist. In 1669 (the eighth year of the Kangxi reign), the Hexiwu brick city was destroyed by a flood from the North Canal, and the Hexiwu Mosque was destroyed at the same time. The following year, the city was rebuilt two miles to the west, and the Hexiwu Mosque was rebuilt as well, moving from the southwest of the city to the east.



























Hui Muslims in Hexiwu mainly live in the Third Street and Daliuzhuang areas. You can still see a strong Hui cultural atmosphere when walking through these places today.

My grandmother came from the Liu family in Daliuzhuang. They moved here from Jiangnan during the Ming Dynasty's Yongle reign due to the "Prince of Yan Sweeps the North" campaign. This is a common migration story for many families in North China.



















Hexiwu has a rich variety of halal food. The most famous include the golden-rimmed braised meat (jinbian koumen) at Xinpengzhai, the yellow rice fried cakes (huangmi zhagao) at Lirenzhai Wangji, and the stuffed crispy fried rolls (dai xian gezhihe) at Yangji. For lunch, we ate at Juyuanzhai at the intersection. We had eight-treasure tofu (bazhen doufu), cashew nuts with mixed vegetables, and lamb and zucchini dumplings. The portion sizes in town are much larger than in the city. One dish feels like enough for two people. The eight-treasure tofu is made with a base of crispy tofu topped with shrimp, abalone, squid, diced chicken, beef slices, and more. It is very rich. The vegan cashew dish includes snow peas, wood ear mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, cauliflower, cashews, bell peppers, and carrots, making for a very well-balanced meal. The dumplings are homemade, and the zucchini filling adds a great flavor.



















I took Suleiman to see my great-grandfather's courtyard, which is where my uncles live now. We looked at the geese and chickens raised at home, and picked some luffa, bitter melon, and winter melon. The home-grown bitter melon is very crunchy when stir-fried, and the winter melon meatball soup is delicious.

Reposted from the web

Summary: Hujia Mosque in Xindu District, Chengdu, was first built in 1738 and is tied to Qing-era Hui Muslim migration into Sichuan. The article records the Hu family's military and imam history, the mosque mihrab couplets, and the wider network of Xindu mosques.

Xindu is in the north of Chengdu. It is an important gateway for traveling north from Chengdu along the ancient Shu Road (Jinniu Road). Hui Muslims began moving here from the northwest during the Ming Dynasty, and they built the Luojia Mosque (Luojia Si) in 1417. Between the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, forces including the Southern Ming, Zhang Xianzhong, remnants of Li Zicheng's army, the Qing army, and Wu Sangui fought repeatedly in Sichuan. This caused the population to drop sharply and the land to go to waste for decades. By the Kangxi era, the Qing Dynasty finally controlled Sichuan. They began to restore production and invited people to farm the land, which led many Hui Muslims to settle in Xindu. Between the Kangxi and Guangxu eras, seven mosques were built in Xindu: Majia Mosque, Hunan Mosque, Tangjia Mosque, Hujia Mosque, Qingjing Mosque, Chengyi Mosque, and Zhenyi Mosque. All of these were related to the Qing Dynasty's immigration policies in Sichuan.

Hujia Mosque is located at Hujia Bridge in Xindu and was first built in 1738. According to the Hujia Family Genealogy in Xindu, their ancestors were from Jiuligou in Weinan County, Shaanxi. The Hu family of Xindu was famous during the Qing Dynasty for producing military officers. During the Qianlong era, Hu Chenglin served as a captain (qianzhong) in the Qing army. He died in battle in 1772 while the Qing army was fighting in Jinchuan. His younger brother, Hu Songlin, rose to the rank of regional commander (zongbing). In 1763, he helped build the Nine Mosques of Chengdu.

During the Xianfeng era, Hu Songlin served as a guerrilla commander (youji) in Hunan. He fought against the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom for years, moving from Guangxi and Hunan to Jiangsu. He won many victories while capturing places like Lishui, Jurong, and Zhenjiang in Jiangsu. His son, Hu Kunyuan, joined the army at seventeen to fight the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. He won many battles, capturing Gaochun, Taiping, and Wuhu. He rose to the rank of regional commander (zongbing) and eventually died in battle at Moling Pass. According to the Draft History of Qing, Kunyuan served in the army for eight years and was known for his loyalty and courage. He was good at using a small force to defeat a large one and acted as a commander. He and his father used all the money they earned to support their brave soldiers. Wherever their flags pointed, the enemy was defeated. He received six imperial gold medals and suffered two second-degree wounds and twelve first-degree wounds. He had his neck burned and fingers cut off, and he nearly died many times. After he died, people all over the country mourned him.

In modern times, the Hu family of Xindu is famous for producing imams. Imam Hu Tingzhang was known as one of the Four Great Imams of the Republic of China in Henan. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he taught at the East Mosque in Chengdu. Even while Japanese planes were bombing the city, he insisted on leading the congregation in Friday prayers (Jumu'ah) among the ruins. Later, Imam Hu Tingzhang was hired to teach in many places in Henan, where he trained many students. Imam Wang Jingzhai praised Imam Hu Tingzhang as a mentor for Islamic scripture education in China. Imam Hu Xuelan was the nephew of Imam Hu Tingzhang and served as an imam at the Nine Mosques of Chengdu and the Kangding Mosque. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he worked at the International Radio Station in Chengdu, broadcasting in Arabic to tell the world about China's determination to fight the war. Also, during the Republic of China era, the brothers Hu Boying and Hu Bokai were in charge of teaching at the Gulou Mosque and the North Mosque in Chengdu.

Hujia Mosque is now located in Group 5 of Longhu Village, Xindu District. Inside the main prayer hall, you can find the only mihrab with Chinese couplets. The right side reads, "Ten thousand generations of mountains and rivers belong to one Lord," the left side reads, "The sun and moon shine upon all living things," and the horizontal plaque reads, "The Original One."

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Ramadan trip visits three historic mosques in Tai'an, Shandong: Taicheng Mosque, Dong Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque. The account records their dated steles, prayer hall layouts, imam history, Hui Muslim neighborhoods, and preserved mosque details.

During Ramadan in 2025, I spent three Saturdays taking the high-speed train to visit nine ancient mosques in Jinan, Qingzhou, and Tai'an, Shandong. The first two articles covered the mosques in Jinan and Qingzhou. This is the third article, covering my visit to Taicheng Mosque, East Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque in Tai'an.

Taicheng Mosque.

Taicheng Mosque is said to have been built in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. It was renovated many times during the Ming, Qing, and Republican eras. The mosque still keeps a stone tablet header inscribed with "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) dated 1619, the 40th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty.

The prayer hall consists of a front porch, a main hall, and a rear kiln-style hall (yaodian) connected together. The roof of the kiln-style hall is a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The main hall uses a beam-lifting wooden frame structure, and there is a two-meter-thick archway between it and the kiln-style hall.

























Brick-carved gable ends (chitou).











The tablet corridor of Taicheng Mosque.



The "Laifu Ming" (Inscription on Returning to the Origin) tablet from the fourth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty. The "Laifu Ming" was written in the seventh year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty by Chen Si, the imam (zhangjiao) of the South Mosque in Jinan, and was carved into stone at Taicheng Mosque in the fourth year of the Tianqi reign. The "Laifu Ming" is the first Chinese-language tablet inscription written by an imam. It is also the first work in China to combine Islamic teachings and principles with Song and Ming Neo-Confucianism. It pioneered the practice of interpreting scriptures through Confucianism in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, making it highly valuable for history and philosophy.



The donation tablet from the 24th year of the Qianlong reign records how many Muslims (mumin) donated money to renovate the halls and add property to the mosque. Among them, Mi Hanru donated 3.5 mu of land, Yang Kunshan donated 3 mu, and Li Changqi, Li Hui, and others donated the rent from their shops to the mosque to serve as the imam's salary.



The "Record of Renovating the Mosque" tablet from the 14th year of the Guangxu reign was written by local scholar Song Guangrun. It records that the imam at the time, Wang Jingshan, initiated the renovation, and the local elders and Muslims responded immediately. Elder Yang Yucheng took the lead in donating funds and directing the construction, which took three years to complete.



The renovation tablet from the 33rd year of the Republic of China records that the imam, elders, and Muslims agreed to renovate the mosque. People from all walks of life in Tai'an donated 12,213 silver dollars, fellow townsmen in Shanghai donated 1,165 yuan, local Muslims donated 685 yuan, and elder Ma Ziming donated a set of curtains.



Taicheng East Mosque, also known as Beixinjie Mosque, faces Taicheng Mosque across the Nai River. It was founded in 1920 by the national industrialist Ma Bosheng. It was closed from 1966 to 1994, rebuilt in 1995, and renovated again in 2006. The mosque still has the "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) door plaque written by the founder, Ma Bosheng.

Ma Bosheng's ancestral home was in Dezhou. His father, Ma Rende, fled to Tai'an during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty and made a living selling steamed buns (baozi) outside the west city gate. Ma Bosheng studied hard and attended the Tianshu Temple and the Yang Family Charity School in Tai'an as a child, later entering Cuiying Middle School. In 1916, Ma Bosheng was hired as a translator for Chinese laborers and traveled to Canada, England, France, and other countries. Seeing Western industrial civilization inspired his determination to save the country through industry. In 1919, Ma Bosheng returned to Shandong. He first worked at the British-American Tobacco Company and an insurance company in Jinan, then founded the Renfeng Textile Mill, gradually becoming a business giant in Shandong.

In 1927, Ma Bosheng founded the Rende School in Tai'an. He hired excellent teachers from Jinan, Qufu, and other places, allowed children from poor families to attend for free, and provided them with free textbooks and uniforms. Ma Bosheng also started literacy classes for common people and night schools to eliminate illiteracy and promote education. Ma Bosheng built the Rende Flour Mill across from the school. It produced 500 bags of "Mountain Tiger" brand flour daily, changing the production methods of Tai'an's manual workshops. The flour was high quality and affordable, and he regularly gave it to poor families for free, using the surplus to fund the school. Ma Bosheng worked with local gentry to start the Taishan Forest Company. They planted trees and cleared over 150 mu of land at Guangshengquan, where they bought apple trees and built an orchard.



















Xiawang Mosque in Taian sits in the western suburbs. Its founding date is unknown, but a stone tablet from 1626 (the sixth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty) records that Li Qin was the imam at that time. The main hall of Xiawang Mosque was rebuilt in 1734 (the twelfth year of the Yongzheng reign). It was burned down during wartime in 1864 (the second year of the Tongzhi reign) and rebuilt again in 1873 (the twelfth year of the Tongzhi reign). It was listed as a Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 2013.

Xiawang Mosque stands on a high platform. The courtyard feels ancient and very solemn.





























The kiln hall (yaodian) and north lecture hall at Xiawang Mosque in Taian, Shandong, have a late 20th-century feel. A pair of scripture boxes each hold 15 books, which is very traditional. There is also a group photo of the village elders at Xiawang Mosque from 1933. You can see everyone wearing long gowns (dagua), with those in the front row wearing mandarin jackets (magua), and everyone wearing small dark caps.



















Xiawang Mosque in Taian houses many stone tablets:





The 1734 tablet for donated land records that Li Bingjie from Henggou Village donated 16.6 mu of land to the mosque, and Wang Zhangzhe from the same village donated an adjacent one mu of land to the mosque.



The 1837 renovation tablet records that Xiawang Mosque was renovated in 1821. In 1835, Han Qingyu from Xiaoyandi Village and the villagers donated money for building oil painting and decorations. In 1837, Yang Dianhua, Wang Jiesan, Wang Zhonghua, and others agreed to donate money to rebuild the water room and side rooms, and a daughter of the Ding family from Huangjia Village donated land.



The 1872 "Preface to the Renovation of the Mosque" records that the main hall of Xiawang Mosque was burned down during the war in 1863. Later, elders Yang Yucheng and Han Liqing were the first to donate money, and the whole village worked together to rebuild the mosque.



The 1872 "Preface to the Donation of Cypress Trees" records that Yang Yucheng bought back 23 ancient cypress trees in the mosque that were originally going to be sold to pay for the mosque's repairs, keeping them on the grounds.



The 1873 lawsuit settlement tablet records that the daughter of Xiawang Mosque imam Yang Taixiang died after suffering mistreatment following her marriage into the Ma family. Imam Yang wanted to go to the government to seek justice, but the villagers persuaded him to stay. After mediation, the Ma family was fined 100,000 jingqian coins to end the dispute. Imam Yang used the money to redeem two mu of mosque land to cover mosque expenses.



The 1875 land and money donation tablet records that elder Yang Yucheng donated money to redeem two mu of school land that had been mortgaged for mosque repairs, with the harvest from the land used for school expenses.



The 1894 "Record of the Renovation of the Rear Hall of Xiawang Mosque" only has the top half remaining.



Xiawang Mosque in Taian uses a wooden casket (tabu xiazi) for burials (mayiti), which is a feature of traditional Gedimu mosque communities. Traditional solid wood caskets are very heavy and require many people to carry them. Most have now been replaced by stainless steel ones.

Reposted from the web

Summary: Xiaoquan Ancient Town in Sichuan has a Hui Muslim community centered on Banbian Street and Xiaoquan Mosque, with roots traced to early Qing migration and military settlement. This travel account follows the town halal food, Deng family history, mosque architecture, Qing-era inscriptions, and Xiaoquan juice beef.

I took the high-speed train from Songpan, Sichuan, to Mianzhu South Station, then took a 20-minute taxi ride to the ancient town of Xiaoquan. The ancient town is quite quiet, and most shops were closed by eight o'clock. I caught the Dengji Restaurant at the gate of Xiaoquan Mosque just in time to get some braised beef (shao niurou). My altitude sickness from Songpan had completely disappeared by then, so I ate a big bowl of rice with the beef and pickled radishes, and my appetite was huge.

Passing by Dengji Restaurant the next day, I saw many flat geese (ban'e) hanging at their door, which is a specialty of the Hui Muslims in Sichuan.

The Deng family is the earliest Hui Muslim family in Xiaoquan ancient town, arriving during the early Qing Dynasty when people moved from Hubei and Hunan to Sichuan. Legend has it that after the Three Feudatories were suppressed during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, the Sichuan governor asked the Ministry of War to strengthen the Mianzhu garrison. At that time, Hui Muslims surnamed Deng from Cangzhou, Hebei, led their troops to rest at the Hui camp in Liujiaji, Macheng, Hubei, before moving along the Yangtze River to station in Xiaoquan. This is the earliest origin of the Hui Muslims in Xiaoquan.















On the morning at Banbian Street in Xiaoquan, Sichuan, the street was full of various marinated meats made by Hui Muslims, including beef tongue, flat goose (ban'e), and beef sausage, which are very popular. I had a bowl of beef steak rice noodles at a place called Qingfangge. It was very spicy and numbing, and they added blanched pea tips on top. Then I had a freshly baked beef bun (niurou baozi) at another shop, and it tasted delicious.

Most Hui Muslims in Xiaoquan came during the Qing Dynasty migration from Hubei and Hunan. The four major surnames are Deng, Ma, Liu, and Huang, along with others like Zhang, Bao, Ding, La, Li, and Sha. Most of the Hui Muslims in Xiaoquan live in the Banbian Street area near the gate of the Xiaoquan Mosque. Although many people later moved to Chengdu, Deyang, and Mianyang, there are still over a hundred households there today.



















The Xiaoquan Mosque was built during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty next to the Lingu Mosque on Guihua Street, and it was quite small at first. As the number of Hui Muslims grew in the mid-Qing Dynasty, the Deng and Ma families led a fundraising effort in 1840 (the 20th year of the Daoguang reign) to buy the Feng family ancestral hall on Banbian Street. They rebuilt it into the current Xiaoquan Mosque and renovated it again during the Guangxu era, creating the traditional four-sided water courtyard (si shui gui tang) architectural style. The four-sided water courtyard means the four sloping roofs tilt toward the central courtyard, collecting rainwater into the center to create a layout where water from all directions gathers in the bright hall.

The couplet on the main gate was written by Huang Menghui, a local Hui Muslim calligrapher from Xiaoquan. Huang is a retired employee of the Xiaoquan Supply and Marketing Cooperative and is now a committee member of the Xiaoquan Mosque management board. He has loved calligraphy since he was a child and is now a famous Hui Muslim calligrapher in Xiaoquan.



















The Xiaoquan Mosque was severely damaged during the Wenchuan earthquake, but it was later restored, and the Qing Dynasty wood carvings were preserved.



















There are 15 hand-copied scriptures from the Daoguang era currently preserved at the Xiaoquan Mosque.





The Qing Dynasty stone tablets at the Xiaoquan Mosque include one from the 23rd year of the Daoguang reign. It records how a Hui Muslim named Zhang Zongfa honored his parents and, after they passed away, sincerely donated to the Xiaoquan Mosque by buying a vegetable garden, dry land, and building foundations from the Deng family and donating them to the mosque. After Zhang Zongfa passed away, members of the community carved his deeds into stone under the corridor of the mosque to honor his name.















Before leaving, I bought some specialty juice beef (guozhi niurou) on Banbian Street. Xiaoquan juice beef comes from traditional Sichuan braised beef. During the Republic of China era, a Hui Muslim named Ma Daoyong used a method of frying the beef first and then adding flavor to solve the problem of braised beef molding easily. He created a beef that is juicy and flavorful, which eventually developed into the current Xiaoquan juice beef. When Ma Daoyong first sold juice beef, he used the brand name of his eldest son, Ma Changheng. After the public-private partnership in 1956, Ma Daoyong founded the Xiaoquan Supply and Marketing Cooperative Halal Food Factory. His youngest son, Ma Changmeng, took over in 1977 and became the factory director in 1993. In 1995, the organization arranged for Ma Changmeng to work at a hardware company. He later applied for unpaid leave to start his own food factory and began producing Ma Changmeng Juice Beef.

There are many beef juice shops on Banbian Street now, and after walking around, I saw the prices are all about the same. The clerk at this Ma Changbin shop wears a headscarf, and since there were quite a few customers, I decided to buy from them. It actually tastes a bit like shadow beef (dengying niurou), very fragrant and perfect as a snack when you are out and about.

Reposted from the web

Summary: Bangkok has a long Persian-descended Shia Muslim history, centered in communities such as Kudi Luang Chao Sen Mosque. This account follows the Muharram gatherings, Ashura preparations, symbols of Karbala, mosque details, food sharing, and local conversations described in the original travel note.

As the Islamic New Year arrives, Shia friends (dosti) around the world spend the first ten days of the first month, Muharram, honoring Imam Hussein. This leads up to the grand Ashura festival. Last weekend, I traveled to Thailand to join the Muharram commemorations held by the Persian-descended Shia community in Bangkok.

Bangkok currently has five Shia mosques, with two belonging to the Persian community and three to the Indian community. It is the city with the strongest Shia cultural presence in all of Southeast Asia. Since I only had Saturday evening, I chose to attend the memorial at the primary Shia mosque in Bangkok, Kudi Luang Mosque.

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Shia merchants from the Persian Safavid dynasty traveled along the Indian Ocean coast to trade in Siam, where they were warmly welcomed and hosted by the Siamese royal family. Some Persian merchants married locals and settled down, eventually taking on important roles in the Siamese court. Starting in the 17th century, the Sheik Ahmad family from Qom, Persia, managed Siam's western maritime affairs, overseeing trade, shipping, and diplomacy across the Indian Ocean.

After the Siamese capital of Ayutthaya fell in 1767 and the capital moved to Bangkok in 1782, the Persian community from Ayutthaya moved there as well. The first leader of the Persian Shia community in Bangkok was Konkaew, the son of the last leader from Ayutthaya. In 1797, he began managing Siam's western trade and received a property in the Thonburi area across the Chao Phraya River. People say he and 400 Shia followers established Kudi Chao Sen Mosque, which became the primary Shia mosque in Bangkok.

After Konkaew passed away, his brother and eight direct descendants inherited the title, controlling Siam's western trade rights for a century. In 1897, King Rama V renovated Kudi Chao Sen Mosque and renamed it Kudi Luang Chao Sen Mosque. In 1947, the entire Kudi Luang Mosque was moved to its current location to make room for the Royal Thai Navy headquarters. The community still lives around the mosque, preserving the traditional Shia culture of Bangkok.

We visited Kudi Luang Mosque in the morning. The male and female friends (dosti) were very warm, offering us several bottles of water. Even after learning we were Sunni, they remained very welcoming and told us we were free to take photos. It was a pity that the grandest Ashura event was scheduled for Monday morning, and we could not attend because of work.

Inside the main hall of Kudi Luang Mosque, a banner hangs that reads, 'Oh!' Hussein. Honoring Imam Hussein is the theme of Muharram.





The Persian-descended Shia elders in Bangkok live around the mosque. They are open-minded and very welcoming to friends (dosti).



After the prayer (namaz), I returned to Kudi Luang Mosque to eat chicken rice noodle rolls (changfen) with everyone, along with a special dessert made of palm sugar and pomelo that the Persian community in Bangkok eats during Muharram. One of the themes for Shia Muslims during Muharram is sharing and giving. Food during this time is free, and everyone gathers to make the flowers used in the activities. Some people in the mosque wear white pants and headscarves, with bells hanging from their pant legs. They dedicate themselves to serving the mosque during the first ten days of Muharram.















I met a very interesting young man at the mosque who told me many stories about the Shia faith and Ashura. His parents are Afghan, he grew up in Iran, later went to Japan for school and work, and is now stationed in Bangkok by his company. He was the most fluent English speaker in the entire mosque, and I learned a lot from chatting with him. Like everyone else at the mosque, he was very welcoming to Sunni friends (dosti).



The most eye-catching thing in the mosque is a handsome, tall horse personally gifted by the King of Thailand. This horse represents Zuljanah, the warhorse of Imam Hussein. Zuljanah was raised by the noble Prophet from a young age and was known for loyalty, strength, endurance, and devotion. During the Battle of Karbala, Zuljanah used its body to block arrows aimed at Imam Hussein. After Imam Hussein passed away, Zuljanah returned to his family covered in blood to warn them of an ambush, then died from its wounds after fulfilling its final duty. During the month of Muharram, the horse is kept in the stables of Kudi Luang mosque, and people take turns walking it in the courtyard every night.





On the qibla wall of the main hall, the flagpole at the top is called an Alam, which represents the flag held by Abbas, the standard-bearer for Imam Hussein at the Battle of Karbala. The metal hand is called a Panja, which symbolizes the severed hands of Abbas. Abbas was the half-brother of Imam Hussein; he inherited the courage of Imam Ali and always held the flag of victory high on the battlefield. On the night of Ashura, he was blocked by enemy forces while returning with water from the Euphrates River; he fought alone, had both arms cut off, and eventually died in battle.

Above the niche on the qibla wall, the names of Allah, the noble Prophet, and the Twelve Imams of the Shia are written. The Twelver school is the largest branch of Shia Islam and is the state religion of Iran.







The Nakhl Gardani placed in the main hall symbolizes the funeral bier of Imam Hussein, decorated with a dagger and a turban (dastar) representing those used by him. During Ashura events, people carry the Nakhl Gardani to symbolize the funeral procession for Imam Hussein.



A Tadjah is also placed in the main hall to symbolize the tomb of Imam Hussein.



There is also a small decoration in the hall representing the youngest infant martyred at the Battle of Karbala, Ali Asghar, the six-month-old son of Imam Hussein. Records say that Imam Hussein held the thirsty Ali Asghar and asked the enemy for water for the child, but the enemy fired an arrow that pierced the baby's throat and Imam Hussein's arm at the same time. Ali Asghar later became a symbol of innocent victims and the most painful part of the mourning during Muharram.



During the first ten nights of Muharram, Shia Muslims in Bangkok gather every night to chant in memory of Imam Hussein. During these gatherings, people known as Rawda khwan tell stories about the martyrdom of Imam Hussein and his followers at the Battle of Karbala. The stories come from famous books, the most well-known being The Garden of the Martyrs (Rawdat al-shuhada) by the famous Timurid-era Persian writer Hussein Kashifi. Afterward, the imam gives a sermon (waaz) in Thai, teaching everyone about the bravery, fearlessness, and sacrifice shown by Imam Hussein and his followers at the Battle of Karbala.



















Besides the main Shia mosque in Bangkok, Kudi Luang, I also visited two others: the Persian-descended Kudi Charoenphat and the Indian-descended Dilfallah mosque. The people at Kudi Charoenphat told me they did not want me to take photos or visit, which I understand. The people at Dilfallah mosque were friendlier, but they told me their Ashura event was on Monday, which I did not quite understand, as I wondered why it was not held on the 10th day of the first month of the Islamic calendar.

In all three places, I saw the Nakhl Gardani used during Ashura events. It symbolizes the funeral bier of Imam Hussein, and the entire Ashura event is essentially a reenactment of his funeral procession.





























I previously spent Muharram in Tehran, Iran. See: Encountering Ashura in Tehran.

Reposted from the web

Summary: Bangkok's Indonesian Muslim history includes Arab-Indonesian merchants, Javanese gardeners, riverside mosque communities, and halal street food near old neighborhoods. This first part follows Haroon Mosque, Saralom Park, Ban Tuk Din Mosque, Ayeesah Roddee Halal, Java Mosque, and the related food and architecture details.

The Indonesian mosque communities in downtown Bangkok come from two main sources: fishermen and traders who sailed from Borneo and the Sulu Archipelago, and Javanese gardeners hired by King Rama V in the late 19th century. Bangkok still preserves Indonesian-style food and Javanese-style mosques, which are an important part of the city's multicultural identity.

Indonesian sailors

Ban Oou Mosque

The Ban Oou Mosque community is right next to Saphan Taksin Bridge. It was built during the reign of King Rama IV (1851-68) by a group of Indonesian sailors who fished at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River year-round. After Britain and Thailand signed the Bowring Treaty in 1855, business in the Bang Rak area boomed. These Indonesian sailors sold their catch to Western sailors and merchants living in Bang Rak. During the reign of King Rama V (1868-1910), they became fishmongers in the market after it was established.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as the port of Bangkok grew, many shipyards, piers, and docks were built around the Ban Oou Mosque community. Many residents became barge workers, handling cargo for nearby European shipping companies. As people stopped making a living from fishing, the mosque community began to move inland. In 1919, the community rebuilt the mosque 100 meters inland from the Chao Phraya River.















The mosque houses a traditional Indonesian Beduk drum. This single-sided drum is made from a hollowed-out log and covered with cowhide on one side. Slow beats on the Beduk drum signal the approach of prayer time, while rapid beats mean someone has passed away.





The mosque contains a collection of porcelain, giant turtles kept on the grounds, and a cemetery.











The sign at the snack shop next to the mosque shows a hand-shaking gesture, which is a common greeting among fellow Muslims (dosti) in Thailand and Indonesia. I have seen this in both countries.



Suwannaphum Mosque

The Suwannaphum Mosque community is near the busy ICONSIAM mall. It was built on the banks of the Chao Phraya River during the reign of King Rama III (1824-1851) by Indonesian sailors living along the coast of Trat Province, near the Thai-Cambodian border. It was originally called Ban Khaek Lang, a sparsely populated village in the southern suburbs of Bangkok. After the Bowring Treaty was signed in 1855, piers and warehouses were built, and many trading companies opened. These Indonesian fishermen started working as barge workers, loading and unloading cargo for Western shipping companies and Indian merchants.

Because there were many Indian merchants nearby, Indian Muslims (dosti) often came to the mosque for worship, and some Indian Muslims even married into the Indonesian Muslim community. Indian merchants donated money to rebuild the mosque during the reign of King Rama IV (1851-68). People say King Rama IV personally named it Suwannaphum Mosque after the nearby Wat Suwan Ubasikaram.

The most unique feature of this mosque is that the imam enters a special wooden pavilion to lead the prayer. I have never seen this before and wonder if it is a unique feature of Thai Islamic practice.



















The view of Suwannaphum Mosque is beautiful. It is hard to imagine such a traditional water village mosque still exists right next to the busy ICONSIAM mall. The easiest way to get here is to take a boat along the Chao Phraya River to ICONSIAM and then walk over.



















There are many halal restaurants near ICONSIAM, and we ate inside the mall last time. This time, we ate at a Thai halal restaurant called Nakhon Lerdros inside the ICS mall, which is across from ICONSIAM. You can walk between ICS and ICONSIAM using the upper-level walkway. The best part about eating in the mall is the air conditioning, though it costs more than street food.

We ordered Thai boat noodles, tom yum soup, grilled meatballs, and longan juice. Boat noodles were originally sold by people rowing small boats along Bangkok's canals. One person did everything on the boat: cooking the noodles, making the broth, serving the food, collecting money, and washing the dishes. Halal boat noodles usually use beef and beef meatballs, and the broth is made from beef. They use Tang Shuang He brand fish sauce for seasoning. Most Thai condiments are halal-certified. The fish sauce only contains anchovies, salt, sugar, and water, which adds a special flavor.



















The food court inside ICONSIAM is still very popular. There are several halal stalls here, making it a great place to eat snacks while enjoying the air conditioning on a hot day.

For more about snacks inside ICONSIAM, see my diary: Bangkok Halal Trip—Food and Lodging.











The pier at the entrance of ICONSIAM is very convenient for boats. You can take a boat downstream to the Asiatique night market or upstream back to Bangkok's old town.



Haroon Mosque.

Haroon Mosque is named after an Indonesian Arab merchant named Toh Haroon Bafaden. He came to Bangkok from Indonesia with his father in 1828 (some say 1837) to do business. He later married, settled down, built Haroon Mosque, and became its first imam.

Haroon Mosque was originally located by the Chao Phraya River. It was a wooden building that combined Ayutthaya and Javanese styles. It moved to its current location in 1899 because of the construction of the Customs House. In 1934, the mosque was rebuilt into its current white brick and plaster structure. It features neoclassical floral patterns, Roman-style columns, and wooden shutters, looking a bit like a European townhouse from that era.

Today, the mosque preserves exquisite Javanese Jepara teak wood carvings of scripture from the old 19th-century building. They were created by Haji Said, a fellow Indonesian from Toh Haroon Bafaden's hometown.

























There are many snacks at the entrance of the mosque. We first had stewed beef and chicken meatball glass noodles. The beef was incredibly fragrant! Then we had rice with stir-fried basil chicken, meatballs, and chicken liver. After that, we had a bowl of stewed chicken feet. The chicken feet were soft and flavorful, but the soup was super spicy, haha.















Two essentials for eating street food in Bangkok's hot summer are a strong electric fan and cold drinks with ice! Otherwise, it feels like you cannot eat anything at all, haha.



We ate the classic street snack, Thai stir-fried rice noodles (pad thai). Thai-style stir-fried rice noodles (pad thai), also called stir-fried rice noodles (pad mee), contain rice noodles, scrambled eggs, bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, and fresh shrimp, served with lime and chives. The style of stir-fried rice noodles was brought to Thailand by Chinese immigrants hundreds of years ago, but it did not become popular until the mid-20th century. During World War II, Thailand faced a rice shortage, so the government promoted a type of rice noodle from Chanthaburi Province in the east, which turned stir-fried noodles into a national snack.











If stir-fried noodles are the first impression of Thai snacks, then roti flatbread (roti) is the first impression of Thai halal snacks. You can find Thai Muslim street carts selling roti flatbread in almost every night market in Thailand, and every stall is very popular.











Javanese gardeners

In 1896, King Rama V of Thailand visited the Dutch East Indies and toured the summer palace and gardens built by the Dutch Governor-General in Bogor, Java (now Bogor Botanical Gardens). He admired the beauty and variety of plants so much that shortly after returning home, he recruited a group of Javanese gardeners to care for the flowers and trees at the Grand Palace, Saranrom Palace, and Saranrom Park, as well as the rows of tamarind trees along the roads around the palace. After King Rama V visited the Dutch East Indies a second time in 1901, he recruited a second group of Javanese gardeners to help design the newly built Dusit Palace, and these Javanese people settled in Bangkok.

Saranrom Park, located opposite the Grand Palace in Bangkok, was built in 1866. It was originally part of the Saranrom Palace built by King Rama IV and was renovated by King Rama V in 1874 according to the modern botanical garden model. Records show that King Rama V hired 2,444 Javanese gardeners to maintain the gardens, decorating the park with fountains, flowers, birdcages, and animal enclosures, along with the King's favorite red roses.

The park officially opened to the public in 1960, becoming Bangkok's first public botanical garden. Today, the park is filled with birdsong and flowers, with monitor lizards visible in the ponds and squirrels everywhere in the trees. When we visited, there were almost no tourists, only a few locals jogging or resting.



















Ban Tuk Din Mosque

Ban Tuk Din Mosque is one of only two mosques located within the city walls of Bangkok, built by Javanese gardeners on royal land in the late 19th century.

During the late reign of King Rama VI and the reign of King Rama VII, the royal family cut spending and dismissed the Javanese gardeners. Afterward, most of the Javanese gardeners moved to the southern suburbs of Bangkok to continue working as gardeners and domestic helpers in mansions, while only a few remained in the Ban Tuk Din mosque community as small vendors and domestic workers.



















In the alley near Ban Tuk Din Mosque, there is a very famous local halal snack shop called Ayeesah Roddee Halal. Because it is right next to the backpacker hub of Khao San Road, many foreigners come here to eat. Historically, the Javanese community in Bangkok rarely intermarried with other groups, so they preserved many traditional cultural customs, and you can eat authentic Javanese-style halal snacks at this shop.

We ordered beef noodles, oxtail curry soup, fresh spring rolls, and beef satay skewers. Everything was delicious. The beef noodles were sweet and sour, the oxtail soup was rich with skin-on meat, and the spring rolls were unique with a chicken filling. Their beef satay skewers are the best I have ever eaten in all my many trips to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore! They were very tender, not dry at all, and you can dip them in the satay sauce yourself to control the sweetness. In fact, satay originated on the island of Java, developed by the Javanese based on the South Asian kebabs (kebab) brought by Indian merchants. After the 19th century, Javanese people spread satay grilled meat (satay) throughout Southeast Asia.



















Javanese Mosque (Masjid Jawa)

During the late reign of King Rama VI and the reign of King Rama VII, the royal family cut spending and dismissed the Javanese gardeners. Later, most Javanese gardeners moved to the southern suburbs of Bangkok and built several mosque communities. The Javanese Mosque (Masjid Jawa) is the only one that still keeps its traditional Javanese style.

The Javanese Mosque is a community made up of Javanese and Malay Muslims, and the imam is chosen from both groups on a rotating basis. The Javanese Mosque was built in 1906 on land owned by a Javanese Muslim named Haji Muhammad Saleh. Even though it was expanded in 1927 and 1975, it still keeps its classic Javanese style.

The mosque has a three-tiered pyramid-shaped roof called a Tajug, with a Mustoko decoration at the very top. The main hall is held up by four pillars called Soko Guru instead of using walls for support. In the front porch of the main hall, there is a large drum called a Bedug used for the call to prayer. Traditional Javanese mosques rarely have minarets, so they use the drum to call people to namaz and to announce the end of the daily fast. Also, next to the main hall, there is a wooden house on stilts used as a school that is over 60 years old.

Reposted from the web

Summary: This second part of the Bangkok Indonesian mosque-quarter guide continues with Darul Abidin Mosque, Bayan Mosque, and the history of Javanese Muslim communities in the city. The article keeps the mosque dates, architectural details, Qur'anic fruit symbolism, community history, and images in order.





Darul Abidin Mosque

Famous architects M. A. Kasem and Kasem Ittikasem built Darul Abidin Mosque in 1912. It features a neoclassical style, and workers added mosaic tiles to it in 1986. The outer walls of the mosque feature pomegranate patterns. Pomegranates, dates, grapes, and other fruits are all mentioned in the Quran. In those two gardens, there are fruits, dates, and pomegranates. Because of this, they often appear in Islamic art.



















Bayan Mosque sits right next to Darul Abidin Mosque. Javanese gardeners built this other mosque in the early 20th century.

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Beijing food note records ten restaurants the writer recently tried, with names, dishes, locations, and photos kept from the original article. The account focuses on practical eating details, including flavors, portions, service, and where each stop fits into Beijing's wider halal and international food scene.

JM Italian Coffee Dongsi Branch

The JM Coffee shop owned by Brother Ma, a fellow Muslim (dosti), now has several locations in Dongsi, Beiluoguxiang, Tuanjiehu, and Baita Mosque, with new shops opening soon in Daji Lane and Niujie. Brother Ma is strict about where he gets his ingredients, and the shop is smoke-free and alcohol-free, so fellow Muslims can eat with peace of mind.

On Saturday, we had afternoon tea at the JM Coffee Dongsi branch. They focus on four types of coffee beans: Ethiopia Sidamo, Brazil Cerrado, Peru, and Kenya. Each is roasted differently, and you can smell each one in the shop before you decide. Besides Americano, latte, and dirty coffee, you can also order a half-black, half-white coffee. I ordered the Kenya latte, which had dried dark plum, roasted nuts, and brown sugar in it. It was very pleasant to drink.

They also have some special caffeine-free drinks, which are great for kids. We ordered the "One Peach" iced drink, which contains kaffir lime leaves, sous-vide nectarine, cardamom, lactic acid bacteria, and oolong tea.

For dessert and bread, we ordered cheesecake, cumin beef ciabatta, and a cinnamon roll. The cheesecake itself isn't sweet, and it comes with hawthorn sauce that really whets the appetite. The kids loved it. The cinnamon roll has tons of pecans and a strong cinnamon flavor. Ciabatta, also known as slipper bread, was invented by Venetian bakers to compete with the French baguette. Their ciabatta is made with cumin and beef, giving it a flavor similar to meat naan (rounang).

















Halal Hunan Cuisine Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry

Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry just reopened after an upgrade at the Wangjing Food City. They specialize in Sichuan and Hunan style stir-fries. The owner is a fellow Muslim (dosti) from Qinghai, and the shop is smoke-free, alcohol-free, clean, and tidy. We had Dongting poached fish, spicy chicken feet with yam, spicy shrimp tails, Zhangshugang pepper stir-fried beef, stir-fried chicken giblets Hunan-style, mashed pepper with century egg, and mouth-watering chicken (kou shu ji). The Hunan-style stir-fries are cooked over high heat with plenty of peppers, making them perfect with rice! The Dongting poached fish is delicious, and the Zhangshugang peppers are a Hunan specialty with a great texture. The beef is stir-fried until very tender.

Besides Hunan dishes, they also serve Qinghai dishes from the owner's hometown, such as the sweet and sour pork tenderloin and stewed beef (hu niurou) from the Qinghai "Old Eight Dishes" (lao ba pan), which are hard to find in Beijing. Huangyuan sweet and sour pork tenderloin is made by simmering aged vinegar and chili into a thick soup, which is poured over fried tenderloin when served. Stewed beef (hu niurou) is made by boiling and slicing the beef, steaming it, and then pouring a savory sauce and toppings over it. The beef is soft and tender, making it a favorite for both the elderly and children.

To accommodate those who can't eat spicy food during group meals, they also offer non-spicy dishes like Beijing grilled lamb (zhizi kaorou) and braised luffa with garlic. The handmade yogurt made by the Qinghai chef is also excellent, with a texture like creamy ice cream.



















Shandong Dezhou Lamb Soup and Steamed Dumplings

In the morning, I had steamed dumplings (zhengjiao), lamb bone broth (yangtang), and sesame flatbread with meat (shaobing jiarou) at Old Ma's place in Zhaogongkou, Fengtai. The owner is from Dezhou, Shandong, and the lamb broth is in the style of Shan County. It is a milky white broth made by boiling crushed lamb leg bones over high heat until they emulsify. White broth and clear broth taste different, and the white broth is much richer.

Their sesame flatbread with meat tastes great. The flatbread is very crispy and softer than the typical Beijing style, with plenty of sesame seeds on both sides. The meat inside is shredded and also softer than the usual Beijing-style sesame flatbread with meat. We ordered shepherd's purse dumplings and beef dumplings. The beef ones are juicy, and the shepherd's purse filling is rare in Beijing and tastes quite fresh and fragrant.















Philly cheesesteak

In the evening, after my son fell asleep, my wife and I went for a walk in Sanlitun. We often eat at the shawarma shop run by a Palestinian owner in Sanlitun SOHO. Before, we could only eat outside, but now we can sit inside to eat grilled meat, drink tea, and have coffee.

Besides shawarma wraps, they also serve Philly cheesesteaks, which are a classic street food. The Philly cheesesteak was invented by Italian-Americans on the streets of Philadelphia in the 1930s. It is made by putting shredded beef, cooked onions, and melted cheese into an Italian roll, often with other toppings. I think their Philly cheesesteak is more filling than the shawarma wrap; one is enough to make me feel full and satisfied. For a drink, I highly recommend the Middle Eastern diluted yogurt drink ayran, which is just yogurt mixed with water and a little salt. Their ayran has a rich, tangy, and milky flavor that is very appetizing.

This reminds me that food has no borders. On a summer evening in Beijing, we are eating Italian-American snacks made by our Palestinian brothers, and as long as the food is good, that is enough.













Roma Restaurant

Roma Restaurant is a very hidden spot inside Chaoyangmen, located in the basement next to a pool hall across from Galaxy SOHO. The owner is Pakistani and speaks fluent Chinese. He says he has a PhD from Peking Union Medical College and is currently a doctor at the Panjiayuan Cancer Hospital, so running the restaurant is just a side job.

They specialize in Western-style light meals and Pakistani curry. We ordered the spaghetti set, beef burger set, charcoal-grilled lamb cheese pizza, Caesar salad, and yogurt sauce. Their set meals offer great value for money.

I highly recommend the pizza; they are generous with the cheese and it tastes good. The Caesar salad portion is huge with plenty of chicken breast. It is healthy enough for one person to eat as a meal, and my child really likes it.

The spaghetti uses a creamy white sauce with chicken chunks, which my child loves. The set also includes two pieces of chicken pizza, a slice of chocolate cake, four grilled shrimp, and a small salad. It is really a great place to bring kids for a change of pace. The salad uses Thousand Island dressing, which gives it that old-school Western restaurant vibe. Usually, our Pakistani friends don't serve salads this way.

The beef burger tastes okay and the meat is good. It has various vegetables inside, but it is rare to find carrot slices in it. The burger combo comes with cola, fried chicken wings, french fries, and salad. The fries are fried well, but the chicken wings feel like they have a bit too little meat.

I do not recommend the yogurt sauce at the end. The yogurt has no flavor, and the side vegetables are the same as the salad, which feels a bit repetitive.



















Mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang).

I came to Muyuzhai on Dongsi Shitiao for breakfast and ordered mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) with beef and fennel buns (baozi). The mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) is their original creation. It mimics the thickened sauce of the traditional snack fried liver (chaogan), and it contains lamb intestines and lamb liver. After eating, I felt the thickened sauce was quite authentic. The lamb intestines were a bit tough, but the lamb liver was okay. Also, their paper cups are too deep, which makes them inconvenient to drink from and hard to hold. If you are not careful, they can easily fall into the pot. I hope the owner can change this.

I personally strongly support the learning and innovation of halal food as long as it stays within the rules of the faith. This is because halal food has been developing for hundreds of years by learning from and integrating various food cultures. Nearly a hundred years ago, the famous Beijing chef Chu Xiang boldly introduced ingredients never before used in Chinese cooking at Xilaishun, such as tomatoes, asparagus, lettuce, tomato sauce, and salad dressing, which made halal cuisine much richer than before. Many dishes that we take for granted today were actually only passed down because our predecessors boldly tried them despite controversy.















Inner Mongolia Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red (caoyuan shiliuhong).

The Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) from Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, which we often eat at Huguosi, has opened a branch on Qianmen Street. We went there for a group dinner on Sunday night. The Qianmen branch is right next to Xianyukou Food Street. The shop is very spacious with open tables on the first floor and private rooms on the second. There are young ladies performing Mongolian dances, and there is a viewing platform to enjoy the night view of Qianmen. They specialize in steamed dumplings (shaomai), Mongolian food, and grassland hot pot. We ordered pot tea (guocha), wild onion lamb steamed dumplings (shaomai), lamb leg steamed dumplings (shaomai), hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), Mongolian lamb intestines (yangchang), and stir-fried lamb with vermicelli. The taste is basically the same as the Huguosi branch.

For the pot tea (guocha), they first stir-fry butter, then pour in milk tea, roasted rice, milk tofu, milk skin, and dried meat. It is very comforting to drink. The steamed dumplings (shaomai) are wrapped and steamed to order. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives, and it is more pungent than the lamb leg flavor. If there are many people, I suggest ordering both fillings to try. The hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou) is very tender, and children love it too. Dipping it in fresh chive flowers really brings out the flavor.



















This is my second visit to Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red outside Qianmen. Last time I had the pot tea (guocha) and hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), and this time I had lamb spine (yangxiezi) and roasted whole lamb. The lamb spine (yangxiezi) is neither spicy nor salty. The lamb is stewed in old broth and does not have a gamey smell. There is just a little less meat on the bones, so you mainly eat it for the pleasure of gnawing on the bones. The skin of the roasted whole lamb is a bit tough, but the meat is very tender and the flavor is relatively light. Dipping it in cumin powder and chili powder makes it suitable for the whole family to eat together. The restaurant hired Mongolian dancers and a horse-head fiddle player, so you can experience grassland culture while you eat.

I chatted with Boss Li this time. He started learning to make baked flatbread (beizi) at seventeen. Later, he moved from Hohhot to Jining to build his career, and now he has even opened two shops in Beijing. He is truly impressive.















Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) in Wangfujing

I came to Mufu, a newly opened Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) restaurant in Wangfujing, for a meal and to offer a sacrifice (qurbani). The shop is right next to WF Central, so the location is great. The chili for the spicy hot pot (malatang) comes from the owner's hometown in Linxia, Gansu. The mild version is fragrant but not spicy, and they can also make it extra spicy or non-spicy to suit everyone.

This shop and the beef noodle place next door are the same business, so you can order grilled skewers (kaochuan) to eat in the spicy hot pot (malatang) shop. The grilled meat is very fragrant and tender. It is quite pleasant to eat skewers (chuan) under the shade of the trees by the door on a summer evening.

















A restaurant in a courtyard house (siheyuan)

I was invited by a friend (dosti) to have a meal at Yuezhen Yayuan next to the Lama Temple. It is probably the halal restaurant with the best atmosphere near my home. The small courtyard house (siheyuan) is very unique, lush, and relaxing, though there are mosquitoes in the summer.

We ordered braised oxtail, crystal vegetable buns, crispy golden beef ribs, clay pot king beans, healthy corn cakes, and baked chicken wings with golden orchid sauce. They have updated their menu, and the dishes are all very refined now. I think the braised oxtail is delicious. It is cooked until very soft, and the seasoning is good. The crystal vegetable buns have a Cantonese feel; they are small but quite refreshing. The corn cakes are like snacks, perfect for eating while drinking tea and chatting. I thought the chicken and pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were just average this time. The chicken texture was not good, and the pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were not cooked through at first and had hard centers, so they took them back to redo.



















Dongsi Naan Shop

The newly opened Afanti Naan Shop on Dongsi North Street is right at the entrance of Lingtouyang. A Uyghur brother was making meat naan, sesame naan, and onion naan (piyazi naan). When I arrived, I caught the baked buns (kaobaozi) coming out of the oven, so I ate two while they were hot. I also bought some meat naan and sesame naan to bring home for soaking in lamb soup (yangtang) in the morning.

Thinking back, there were not many specialized naan shops in Beijing a few years ago, but now they are everywhere. It is becoming more and more convenient for Beijingers to eat fresh, hot naan.