Reposted from the web

Summary: Quanzhou Baiqi — Guo Hui Muslims and Islamic History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Over 10,000 Hui Muslims with the surname Guo live in Baizaki Hui Township, 12 kilometers east of Quanzhou city. The account keeps its focus on Quanzhou Muslims, Guo Hui Muslims, Islamic History while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

Over 10,000 Hui Muslims with the surname Guo live in Baizaki Hui Township, 12 kilometers east of Quanzhou city. They are known as "Baiqi Guo" or "Jiuxiang Guo." The name "Jiuxiang Guo" comes from the nine villages where the Guo clan has lived since the Qing Dynasty: Baiqi, Xiadai, Daishang (also known as Liandai), Tiancen (also known as Tianyin), Lichun, Dashan, Hecuo, Shandou, and Houhai. The Guo clan also lives in five other villages: Kepu, Doumentou, Liangmu, Houtang, and Jiakeng.

In local gazetteers and clan genealogies from the Ming and Qing dynasties, Baiqi was referred to by three written variants of the same place name. After 1949, the area was uniformly called Baiqi. In August 1990, when the Hui Township was established, its name changed to Baizaki.



Part 1: History Before the Yuan Dynasty

The various genealogies of the Guo clan in Baiqi have vague and contradictory records about their life before settling there. These records likely include some embellishments and made-up stories. But by looking closely at these genealogies and checking them against the history of that time, we can still make a reasonable guess. Two valuable studies are 'Several Issues in the Early History of Baiqi Hui Muslims' by Professor Shi Yilong from Xiamen University, and 'Origins of the Guo Surname in Baiqi and Madrasa Education' by Professor Wu Youxiong from Quanzhou Normal University.

Were their ancestors Prince of Fenyang Guo Ziyi?

The Guo family of Baiqi claims Prince of Fenyang Guo Ziyi as their ancestor. This claim appears in the At this time, only a few decades had passed since the Guo family settled in Baiqi.

Although they claim Guo Ziyi as an ancestor, the Guo family genealogy does not provide reliable lineage evidence. It only states: "

Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, compiling family genealogies gradually became a key part of Confucian ethics and clan cohesion. More and more private family genealogies were created. After the Ming Dynasty, many ordinary families' genealogies also began to use a grander format. These genealogies traced back dozens of generations, often listing ancestors who were ancient emperors, from prominent lineages, or held high official ranks. Guo Ziyi was enshrined in the Ming Dynasty's Temple of Emperors and Kings in 1388 (the 21st year of Hongwu). He was listed as a meritorious official from ancient and modern times. Guo Ziyi was an important famous person with the surname Guo, and many Guo family genealogies from the Ming and Qing dynasties claimed him as an ancestor. Coincidentally, another branch of Guo Hui Muslims lives in Guocuo Village, Quangang District, 70 li northeast of Baiqi Hui Township. They have no direct connection with the Baiqi Guo clan, but they also claim Guo Ziyi as their ancestor.

2. Were their ancestors Han Chinese who converted to Islam?

If Guo Ziyi is their ancestor, then the question of why they, as Han Chinese, believe in Islam needs to be answered. In the Guo Zhaofen said that among the Guo clan, there were two theories: "following the mother's religion" and "originally Hui." He found both unreasonable, so he proposed a third theory: "adapting to Hui." This means the Guo ancestors had close ties with Muslims and then converted to Islam.

The "adapting to Hui" theory is quite reasonable. The Baiqi Guo clan did not face the same challenges as other Semu people during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. They lived peacefully. Soon after arriving in Baiqi, they built an ancestral temple (jiamiao) and compiled a family genealogy (jiapu). We will talk more about these later.

3. The Guo Clan's Founding Ancestor in Quanzhou

According to clan records, the Guo family once lived in Guojia Village, Fuyang, Hangzhou, and came to Quanzhou during the Yuan Dynasty. There are two theories about the earliest ancestor of the Guo family to arrive in Quanzhou. The mainstream theory names Guo Deguang (from

Genealogies that record Guo Zhang as the founding ancestor in Quanzhou state, and Records mention "Dezhao Gong's branch in Xingzhai, Dongjie, and other places." This means Guo Zhangsheng had two brothers, Guo Deguang and Guo Dezhao. Guo Deguang's descendants lived on Fashi Shitou Street and in Baiqi. Guo Dezhao's descendants lived in Xingzhai Village and on Quanzhou Dongjie. This theory connects the Guo clan of Baiqi with the Jundong Guo clan, who live in Quanzhou's Xingzhai Hui Muslim Village.

Thousands of Guo-surname Hui Muslims live in Xingzhai Hui Muslim Village and other areas in Luojiang District, east of Quanzhou city. Their family genealogies state in the preface: "First ancestor Tong, courtesy name Mengliang, sobriquet Leqiao Chushi." A person from Fuyang, Zhejiang, came to Quanzhou in the late Yuan Dynasty, following a commissioner. He enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Quanzhou and settled there. Because Guo Mengliang lived on Dongjie Street in Quanzhou, his descendants became known as the Jun Dong Guo clan. Later, Guo Mengliang's fifth-generation descendants, Guo Yuan and Guo Quan, moved to Xingzhai during the Chenghua reign of the Ming Dynasty. After that, they spread to various other places.

The "Quanzhou Prefecture Gazetteer" also has a record about Guo Mengliang, the first ancestor of the Jun Dong Guo clan: "Guo Tong, courtesy name Mengliang, alias Leqiao, was originally from Fuyang, Zhejiang." It also says, "In the late Yuan Dynasty, he followed his ancestor Qin, who served as Quanzhou Salt Commissioner." Additionally, the epitaph of Guo Mengliang's wife, Ms. He, records: "She married Guo Mengliang from the same village. Guo, from Fuyang, Zhejiang, served his ancestor Qin, who came to Fujian as an official in the late Yuan Dynasty." "

This states that Guo Mengliang came to Quanzhou from Fuyang, following his ancestor "Qin." The founding ancestor of the Baiqi Guo clan, Guo Deguang, was named "Qin." The Baqi Guo Family Genealogy records: "His official name was Qin, his courtesy name was Deguan. He was a descendant from Guojia Village, Fuyang, Zhejiang." In the local gazetteer, "congzu" refers to a grandfather's brother. So, Guo Mengliang was likely a junior relative of Guo Dezhao. He came to Quanzhou from Fuyang, Zhejiang, with Guo Deguan.

The "Qishan Guo Family Genealogy Preface" of the Baiqi Guo clan states that Guo Deguan first lived outside Xingchun Gate in Quanzhou. He later moved to Fashi. Xingchun Gate was the east gate of Quanzhou's inner city during the Tang Dynasty. After the Yuan Dynasty, it became part of the city. Its location is in the middle section of Quanzhou's East Street. This was exactly where Guo Mengliang, the ancestor of the Guodong Guo clan, lived.

Based on current documents, it is inferred that Guo Deguan and his junior relative Guo Mengliang likely came one after another from Guojia Village, Fuyang, Zhejiang, to settle on Quanzhou's East Street.

4. Guo Deguan Living in Fashi

Fashi Village is on the north bank of the Jinjiang River, in the eastern suburbs of Quanzhou city. It was an important commercial pier for Quanzhou Port during the Song and Yuan dynasties. During the Yuan Dynasty, from Meishan to Bantou in Fashi, there was a stone street several li long along the river. In 1346, Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta came to Quanzhou Port. He wrote in *Ibn Battuta's Travels*: "The city's port is one of the world's great ports, perhaps even the largest." We saw about a hundred large ships anchored in the harbor, and countless smaller boats. This port is a huge bay that extends inland, meeting a large river. "

The Jiangkou Pier of Fashi Port is located where the river meets the sea at the end of Shitou Street in Fashi Village. It was a trade hub during the Song and Yuan dynasties. Jiangkou Pier once had eight ferry crossings, but today only Meishan Ferry Pier and Wenxing Ferry Pier remain.

Due to years of silt accumulation, the riverbed rose and formed an islet. Then, real estate development happened. The river's surface no longer looks as it did back then.



Meishan Ferry Pier is built with granite. The existing upper layer was built in modern times. The lower layer shows different periods from the Song to Qing dynasties, built one on top of another, mostly using a header-stretcher bond method.









The Wenxing Ferry Terminal was also built with granite, mainly using staggered joint masonry. The visible remaining section is nearly 20 meters long; the rest has sunk into the river.





Fashi was an important trading port in Quanzhou. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, many Muslim merchants from Arabia and Persia lived there. Even after the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Jin, Xia, and Guo families of Hui Muslims still lived in the area. In 1959, the Quanzhou Maritime Museum's investigation team found several Islamic stone tombs, built in the Sumeru pedestal style, at the "West Cemetery" on Jincuo Mountain in Meishan, Fashi.



5. Guo Deguang's Tombstone – Was the Guo family from Persia?

In 1956, villagers from Shitou Street in Fashi Village were leveling land at a place commonly known as "Liugongqi." They dug up a very large "foreign guest tomb" and turned the area into a garden. Villagers said this tomb had a large square stone platform, divided into upper and lower levels. Each level had two Islamic stone tombs in the Sumeru pedestal style. At the head of the upper level was a tombstone. Villagers broke it into two pieces and carried it back to the village to pave the floor of the collective warehouse.

The Quanzhou Maritime Museum has a Yuan Dynasty Sumeru pedestal-style Islamic stone tomb. The two stone tombs built by Liu Gong might have a similar design.



In 1959 and 1974, an investigation team from the Quanzhou Maritime Museum followed clues from the



The upper right corner of this tombstone has The upper left corner has Below that,

The Chinese characters on the tombstone are easy to explain, but interpreting the Arabic text is very difficult. In the early 1980s, the view of Chen Dasheng, director of the Quanzhou Maritime Museum, became widely accepted. He interpreted the Arabic text as

Professor Wu Youxiong of Quanzhou Normal University offered a completely different interpretation in his work "The Origin of the Guo Clan in Baiqi and Madrasa Education." Wu Youxiong consulted the director of the Arabic department at China National Radio. He then concluded that the inscription was Minnan dialect, spelled in Arabic script, reading "Yin Go Zi Ta-gag Mou." This translates to "Yuan Dynasty Guo Deguan's Tomb." Previous interpreters didn't know Minnan dialect, so they couldn't translate it. There is no evidence that the Guo clan came from Persia.

The method of writing Chinese with Arabic script is called Xiaoerjing or Xiaoerjin, and it is also known as Xiaojing. It was used to annotate Islamic texts during study. The Guo clan genealogy records show that Guo Deguan's tomb was rebuilt many times. This tombstone was likely re-erected during the Qing Dynasty by Guo descendants who were Muslim. The experience of the Guo descendants restarting madrasa education during the Qing Dynasty will be discussed in detail later.

Two: Settling in Baiqi in the Early Ming Dynasty.

One: Did they move to Baiqi to escape ethnic unrest at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty?

Guo Deguan's grandson, Guo Zhongyuan, moved from Fashi to Baiqipu, across from Houzhu Port, during the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty. This area then became the current Baiqi Hui Muslim Township. Many studies say Guo Zhongyuan moved because of wars at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the oppression of Semu people in the early Ming Dynasty. But is that really true?

Between 1357 and 1366, the Ispah Rebellion (Yisibaxi Zhanluan) broke out in Quanzhou. It was organized by Persian Semu people. This caused unprecedented disaster and severe destruction in Quanzhou. After the war, Quanzhou saw a wave of anti-Semu sentiment. Many Semu people were killed in revenge. The "History of the Jin Clan Genealogy of Qingyuan" (Qingyuan Jinshi Zupu Lishi) records: "In this conflict, all people from the Western Regions were wiped out. Those with foreign hair and high noses were mistakenly killed. The gates were closed, and executions continued for three days." Many surviving "foreigners" (fanren) in Quanzhou fled the city to find refuge.

Based on genealogical records, Guo Deguang was likely born around 1283-1303 and died around 1367-1387. Guo Deguang's later years were the peak of anti-Semu sentiment in Quanzhou. However, genealogies generally record that Guo Deguang "registered his household in Fashi by custom in the early Hongwu period." The "Preface to the Qishan Family Genealogy" (Qishan Jiapu Bixu) gives more detail: "In the ninth year of Hongwu (1376), he registered his household by custom and settled in Fashi." 1376 was the second year the Ming army controlled Quanzhou. After the Ming Dynasty took control of Quanzhou, they began to reorganize household registration. Guo Deguang's family was registered into the Ming Dynasty's household system at this time.

Guo Deguang lived in Fashi until he died "of illness." He was buried in Fashi after his death. Guo Deguang's son, Guo Zihong, lived for 49 years and died in 1366. He never left Fashi his whole life and was buried there after his death. His wife, Lady Weng, died in 1372 and was also buried in Fashi. The Potting Genealogy also records that Guo Shiquan, the eldest son of Guo Jiyuan (Guo Zihong's third son who stayed in Fashi), passed the provincial examination in 1411 and became a county official. The record states: "In the ninth year of Yongle (1411), he passed the provincial examination and served in the county, choosing to register in Jiangyou." This shows that Guo Shiquan received at least a stable education at that time.

It seems the Guo Deguang family not only survived the Ispah Rebellion and the subsequent massacres of Semu people without any record of suffering, but they were also registered in the household census after the Ming Dynasty took Quanzhou. Later, they even educated their descendants to become officials through imperial examinations.

2. Reasons for Guo Zhongyuan's Relocation

Let's look at why Guo Zhongyuan moved to Baiqi. The "Biography of Lord Zhongyuan" in the Baiqi Guo Clan Genealogy states that Guo Zhongyuan "accumulated wealth bit by bit and achieved success." He then "chose a place to build a house under Qishan Mountain in the 23rd Dudu of the county." This means Guo Zhongyuan accumulated some capital and decided to start a business elsewhere. The "Preface to the Baiqi Guo Clan Genealogy" also records: "Lord Zhongyuan had five sons and loved the joy of mountains and rivers. He chose a place under Qishan Mountain by the sea in Huiyi, built a house, and lived there." Neither record mentions war or fleeing.

From Guo Deguang onwards, several generations of the Guo family had a custom: the eldest son would go out to establish a new branch, while the youngest son stayed at the old family home. Guo Mengliang, a descendant of Guo Deguang and his younger brother Guo Dezhao, first lived on East Street in Quanzhou. Later, Guo Deguang founded a new settlement in Fashi, and Guo Mengliang stayed on East Street. Guo Deguang had one son, Guo Zihong. Guo Zihong's three sons were: the eldest, Guo Qinggong, who moved to Jiangxi; the second, Guo Zhongyuan, who founded a new branch in Baiqi; and only the third, Guo Jiyuan, who stayed in Poting, Fashi. Guo Zhongyuan originally lived in Daishang (Liandai) in Baiqipu. His four sons also followed this pattern: the eldest son lived in Baiqi, the second son lived in Lichun, the third son went to Zhangzhou, and only the fourth son stayed in Daishang (Liandai). Therefore, Guo Zhongyuan's move from Fashi to Baiqi was likely a result of the common "tree branching out" phenomenon seen in clan societies.

After the turmoil at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and beginning of the Ming Dynasty, Quanzhou's maritime trade was severely damaged. The prosperity of Fashi Port was gone. After the Ming Dynasty began, maritime bans were issued six times during the Hongwu reign. The "Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty" states that "coastal residents were forbidden from privately communicating with foreign countries," "the use of foreign incense and goods by the populace was prohibited," and "not a single plank was allowed to go to sea." It is very likely that the Guo family shifted from commerce to agriculture during this period. Guo Zhongyuan and his eldest brother successively went out to make a living. The eldest brother went far to Jiangxi, and the second brother moved to the opposite bank of Houzhu Port. Only the youngest brother stayed behind to look after the ancestral home and graves, and manage ancestral worship.

Shi Yilong's study, 'A Preliminary Study on the Evolution and Causes of Religious Beliefs of the Hui Muslims in Chendai,' points out that the Ding clan of Chendai, another group of Hui Muslims in Quanzhou, also did not suffer oppression from the Semu people during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. They moved mainly because the early Ming dynasty banned sea trade, which made them shift from business to farming. So, the early Ming dynasty's ban on maritime trade was likely the main reason Guo Zhongyuan came to Baiqi.

3. Baiqipu in the early Ming Dynasty

Baiqipu is on the east side of the Luoyang River mouth in Quanzhou Bay. It sits across the river from Houzhu Port in Quanzhou. The area has large bay tidal flats and few people. Around Baiqipu, eight Han Chinese families lived: Zheng, Liang, Sun, Chen, Li, Yang, Jiang, Fu, and He. All were newcomers who moved from other places at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. There were no local prominent families. Far across the way is Quanzhou Houzhu Port.



After Guo Zhongyuan arrived at Baiqipu, he settled down to farm. The family genealogy Family Genealogy Doubts: Ancestral Land and House Deeds records: In the 14th year of Hongwu (1381), funds were prepared to purchase Sunfu Daitian, or the Sun family reclaimed land, located in Baiqi and other places in the 23rd du of Hui-an. It carried more than 1,000 shi in rent, and part of the autumn grain tax record is illegible. Here, "Sunfu Daitian" refers to the Sun family who lived at the foot of Longtou Mountain at that time. This is today's Daishang (Liandai) Village, and it is also where Guo Zhongyuan lived.



Guo Zhongyuan also built roads. His family genealogy, "Biography of Zhongyuan Gong," states that he "personally laid 300 li (steps) of stone roads for travelers." The Qiaowei stone bridge road was still in good condition in the 1960s.

The Guo family genealogy, "Preface to Re-adhering to Islam," says that Guo Zhongyuan built a mosque in Baiqi. He also collected many Islamic scriptures. The text states: "Since our ancestor settled in Baiqi, he kept thirty volumes of heavenly scriptures, founded a mosque, respected the teachings, and based his life on Allah."

However, Guo descendants who re-embraced Islam during the Qing Dynasty wrote this, and no earlier historical records confirm it.

4. Baiqi Stone Pavilion

The Baiqi Stone Pavilion (Baiqi shiting) was first known as Qiaowei Pavilion. People say Guo Zhongyuan built it during the Ming Dynasty's Hongwu era. It served as a resting pavilion at the Baiqi ferry crossing and is made entirely of granite. The pavilion's roof is umbrella-shaped, and its base is square. The pillars are in two layers: four inner pillars and twelve outer pillars. Together, they form two squares that look like the Chinese character "hui".











Legend has it that in 1417, during his fifth voyage to the Western Seas, Zheng He met Guo Zhongyuan at the Qingjing Mosque. Zheng He was invited to Baiqi, and Guo Zhongyuan welcomed him at the stone pavilion. This is why it's also called Jieguaan Pavilion, or "Welcoming Official Pavilion". But no documents record this event.

The stone pavilion was rebuilt twice during the Qianlong and Guangxu eras. A stele from its 1771 reconstruction (the 36th year of Qianlong) still stands today.



The Baiqi Stone Pavilion appeared in "China Tourism" magazine in November 1986. Back then, people still lived inside it. The pavilion's current look comes from its 2005 reconstruction.



5. Tomb of Guo Zhongyuan and His Wife

Guo Zhongyuan died in 1422 at the age of 75. His wife, Lady Chen, died in 1433 at the age of 82. They are buried at the foot of Longtoushan (Dragon Head Mountain), east of Xiadai Village. People commonly call it the "Stone Lion Cemetery".



The tomb of Guo Zhongyuan and his wife is a classic Song-Yuan Quanzhou Muslim Sumeru-pedestal style stone tomb (xumizuo shi mu). The Guo family called these tombs, which have a stone lid on a stone base, "Jiaomu" (religious tombs). They were also known as "Gaozai Mu" (cake-like tombs), representing Islam.





The stone tomb is made from granite, which is common in Quanzhou, and has five layers. The first layer has carvings of six-legged and ruyi patterns. The second layer shows continuous floral branches. The third layer features inverted lotus petals. On the fourth layer, the Chen family tomb on the left has carvings of lotus flowers and branches. The Guo Zhongyuan tomb on the right has Arabic inscriptions from Quran Chapter 55, verses 26 and 27:

Everything on Earth will perish; Only the essence of your Lord, full of majesty and honor, will remain forever.





This verse appears often on the tomb covers of Song and Yuan dynasty Muslim tombs in Quanzhou. It is also the most common carving on ancient Muslim tombs in Sanya.

A tombstone from the Quanzhou Maritime Museum collection has Quran Chapter 55, verses 26 and 27 inscribed on it:



Two stone tombs sit side by side on a stone platform. Behind them, a horseshoe-shaped retaining wall holds a cloud-and-moon shaped stone stele in its center. This shape also appears on Song and Yuan dynasty Islamic stone tombs in Quanzhou.



Stone carvings on both sides of the tomb look like stone lions and dragon heads.





Today, you can see many Song and Yuan dynasty Islamic Sumeru pedestal (xumizuo) style stone tombs similar to Guo Zhongyuan's tomb at the Quanzhou Maritime Museum, Qingjing Mosque, and Lingshan Holy Tomb. After the Ming Dynasty, the Guo clan of Baiqi and the Ding clan of Chendai in Quanzhou continued to use this style. You can also find similar styles in Ming dynasty Islamic tombs in southeastern regions, like the Puhading Cemetery in Yangzhou and Ding Henian's tomb in Hangzhou.

A typical Quanzhou Islamic Sumeru pedestal (xumizuo) style stone tomb:



From the 2005 edition of "Quanzhou Religious Stone Carvings."



From the 2005 edition of "Quanzhou Religious Stone Carvings."

The Song and Yuan dynasty Islamic Sumeru pedestal (xumizuo) stone tomb at the Quanzhou Maritime Museum is the most magnificent one found to date.



The Islamic Sumeru pedestal (xumizuo) style stone tomb at Quanzhou's Lingshan Holy Tomb.



The Sumeru pedestal (xumizuo) style stone tomb of the descendants of Quanzhou's Chendai Ding clan.



By Hangzhou's West Lake is the Islamic stone tomb with a Sumeru-style base (xumizuo) for the great poet Ding Henian. He died in 1424, just two years after Guo Zhongyuan.



An Islamic stone tomb with a Sumeru-style base in Yangzhou's Puhading Cemetery.



6. The Tomb of Guo Mengwei and His Wife.

Guo Mengwei was the second son of Guo Shichu, Guo Zhongyuan's eldest son. He died in 1480 at the age of 77. His wife, Ms. Huang, died in 1474 at the age of 69. After their deaths, they were buried right next to Guo Zhongyuan's tomb. Their tombs are also Islamic stone tombs with a Sumeru-style base, but they have no carvings. Behind the tomb is a stele commemorating its renovation in 1983.





Guo Mengwei's tomb, as seen in China Tourism magazine in November 1986.



A pair of stone lions stands next to the tombs of Guo Zhongyuan and Guo Mengwei.



7. The Family Tomb of Guo Shiyuan.

Guo Shiyuan was Guo Zhongyuan's second son. He died in 1407 at the age of 34. After his death, he was buried east of Lichun Village, in a place commonly known as the









Guo Shiyuan's tomb is also an Islamic stone tomb with a Sumeru-style base. The front of its lid has an intaglio cloud and moon pattern. The base has continuous branch patterns around its sides.



Next to Guo Shiyuan's tomb are two Islamic stone tombs with a Sumeru-style base. To the east is the tomb of his wife, Ms. Chen. To the west is the tomb of Ms. Zeng, wife of his eldest son, Guo Bangyong. Ms. Chen died in 1457; her stone tomb has no carvings. Ms. Zeng died during the Chenghua reign of the Ming Dynasty (1465-1487); her stone tomb has continuous branch patterns.





Also, behind Guo Shiyuan's tomb are stone tombs of his descendants:

The tomb of Guo Yiqin, Guo Shiyuan's great-grandson (fourth generation), who died in 1504.

This is the tomb of Guo Yiqin's first wife, Ms. Wang. Her death year is unknown. This is the tomb of Guo Yiqin's second wife, Ms. Li. Her death year is unknown. This is the tomb of Guo Xuyuan, Guo Yiqin's eldest son from the fifth generation. He died in 1526. The tomb of Guo Huaiqin, Guo Yiqin's third younger brother from the fourth generation, and his wife, Ms. Hu, was moved here in 1994. This happened because of construction at their original site. Guo Lianfu, from the fifth generation of the Guo family's Xin branch (fifth branch), and his wife, Ms. Pu, were moved here in 1997. This was due to construction at their original site. The gate to Guo Shiyuan Cemetery was closed when I visited. So, I could not see the tombs further inside.

Tomb of Guo Shichu and his wife.

Guo Shichu was Guo Zhongyuan's eldest son. He died in 1448 (the 13th year of the Zhengtong reign of the Ming Dynasty) at the age of 79. His wife, Ms. Wu, died in 1439 (the 4th year of the Zhengtong reign of the Ming Dynasty) at the age of 57. After they died, they were buried west of Tianyin Village. This place is commonly called the "Eldest Branch Public Cemetery." It is a four-tiered dolerite Sumeru pedestal (xumizuo) stone tomb.



From the 2005 edition of "Quanzhou Religious Stone Carvings."

In the 1970s, during land reclamation work at Baiqi, a granite stone carving was unearthed. It was a waist-section stone from a Sumeru pedestal (xumizuo) altar-style stone tomb. Arabic script on it reads: "He - Allah has supreme power, and you will all return to Him."



From the 2005 edition of "Quanzhou Religious Stone Carvings."

A typical Sumeru pedestal (xumizuo) altar-style Islamic stone tomb.



From the 2005 edition of "Quanzhou Religious Stone Carvings."

It is still unclear if these Islamic tombs were rebuilt by later generations. After the Kangxi Emperor's reign in the Qing Dynasty, the Guo clan of Baiqi once again converted to Islam. Guo Honglong, the first to convert, changed his father Guo Mucheng's Han-style coffin into an Islamic stone tomb. According to the "Genealogy of the Guo Clan's Main Branch":

Lord Mucheng had left the faith earlier. When his son Honglong converted, they renovated the tomb and changed his coffin burial to a Hui Muslim burial. It still looks like a bone tomb today.

Besides this record, no other Muslim stone tombs with a Sumeru pedestal-style tomb base and a tomb cover stone appeared in the Qing Dynasty. Qing Dynasty Muslim tombs changed to use brick or stone construction. The tomb base and cover were made with sanhe ash (a traditional Chinese mortar) to imitate Ming Dynasty tombs.

Three. Clan-ization?

In Professor Wang Ke's 2017 book, "The Vanishing Citizens: Modern China's 'Ethnic' Discourse and the National Identity of Minorities," in the first chapter, "From 'Muslim' to 'Chinese'," Professor Wang Ke introduced us to the Ding clan of Chendai, another large Hui Muslim group in Quanzhou. They achieved "localization" in the Ming Dynasty through "indigenization," "clan-ization," and "imperial examination integration." The Ding clan of Chendai, during their 8th, 9th, and 10th generations, gradually formed strict generational names, compiled genealogies, and achieved great success in the imperial examinations. They eventually stopped believing in Islam.

The Ding clan of Baiqi, however, was very different. Besides the Sumeru pedestal-style stone tombs and descriptions from Qing Dynasty descendants who reconverted about their ancestors' beliefs 400 years ago, the Guo clan of Baiqi in the early Ming Dynasty seemed to have fully integrated into the clan society of the Confucian system in Southern China. This is evident from their ancestral temple and genealogy.

One. Guo Clan Ancestral Temple.

The Guo clan ancestral temple of Baiqi was built by Guo Zhongyuan's eldest son, Guo Shichu, in 1432 (the 7th year of Xuande in the Ming Dynasty). It is commonly known as the "Grand Ancestral Hall" (dacitang). It was originally a "three-bay" traditional Southern Fujian house (dacu). During a renovation in the Qianlong era, it was expanded to a "five-bay" traditional Southern Fujian house (dacu). It was renovated again in 1873 (the 12th year of Tongzhi). In 1898 (the 24th year of Guangxu), the Grand Ancestral Hall (dacitang) was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt with donations from four Guo clan members during the Xuantong era and the early Republic of China period.











Exquisite and intricate Southern Fujian wood carvings.





















In the past, the Baiqi Grand Ancestral Hall (dacitang) enshrined Guo Deguang, Guo Zihong, Guo Zhongyuan and his wife, Guo Zhongyuan's five sons — Guo Shichu, Guo Shiyuan, Guo Shibi, Guo Shimin, Guo Shizhao — and their wives, and 16 ancestral tablets for Guo Mengjun (third generation of the eldest branch) and Guo Mengwei (fourth generation). After renovation in the early Republican era, the ancestral spirit tablets of four donors were also added.



In front of the Guo family temple, there are also the ruins of the 'Wumen' (Meridian Gate).



2. Guo Family Genealogy

Guo Zhongyuan had five sons; four were legitimate, and one was born to a concubine. So, at first, they were divided into four branches: Ren, Yi, Li, and Zhi. Later, Lord Xitian established the fifth branch, Xin. This formed the five major branches of the Baiqi Guo clan: Ren, Yi, Li, Zhi, and Xin. Among them, the eldest branch, Guo Shichu, lived in Baiqi. The second branch, Guo Shiyuan, and the fifth branch, Guo Shizhao, lived in Lichun. Later, the second branch expanded to Tiancen (Tianyin), Houhai, Doumentou, Liangmu, Houtang, and Jiakeng. The fifth branch lived in Liangmu. The third branch, Guo Shibi, lived in Shandou. The fourth branch, Guo Shimin, stayed in Daishang (Liandai), where his father lived. Later, the fourth branch expanded to Xiadai, Dashan, and Kepu (Jupu).



The Guo Family Genealogy was first compiled in 1436 (the first year of the Zhengtong reign of the Ming Dynasty) by Guo Zhongyuan's eldest son, Guo Shichu. In 1436, Guo Shichu wrote the 'Preface to the Family Genealogy'. It mentioned: "If we do not clarify the generations, order the seniority, and distinguish closeness here, then as branches multiply and generations pass, will not clan members meet like strangers?" This clearly stated that compiling the genealogy was to strengthen the cohesion of the 'clan'.

The genealogy also includes the 'Family Instructions of Lord Yixuan' left by Guo Zhongyuan before his death in 1422 (the 20th year of the Yongle reign).

All family heads must strictly observe propriety and law. This is to uphold the family's reputation and establish meritorious achievements. Seniority must be respected, and genders kept separate. Brothers and sisters live in peace, and annual sacrifices are abundant and pure. Children and grandchildren are humble and respectful, never lacking in filial piety. Do not get used to idleness; be diligent in your studies. Follow good deeds diligently and aspire to be bright and wise. Relatives have shown kindness, so do not stop giving them gifts and checking in. Servants perform their duties, and you must distinguish between good and bad among them. What is harvested from the fields and gardens, expenses should be kept in check. Neighbors live in harmony; do not deceive or destroy each other. All these points must not be violated. If you do not follow them, it is called evil. When we meet again in the future, even if you regret it, it will be hard to clear your name.

The text mentions These are all typical expressions of a Confucian clan society.



View of Baiqi Village.



View of Xiadai Village.

3. The third-generation ancestral house (zucu) in Kepu Village.

In 2013, the Quanzhou Underwater Archaeology Land Survey Team found an ancestral house (zucu) in Kepu Village, Baiqi Township. It showed an early style of "brick-and-stone construction" (chuzhuanrushi), a unique architectural feature of Southern Fujian. Red tiles and crushed stones filled the gaps between the granite blocks, laid in a staggered vertical pattern.

Elder Guo Jialin, a descendant of the Guo family, said this was the home of Guo Jianping (1419-1487). Guo Jianping was the third-generation ancestor, and the son of Guo Shiming, who was the fourth son of Guo Zhongyuan.







Three. Abandoning the Faith During the Ming Dynasty's Wanli Era.

In 1607, during the 35th year of the Ming Dynasty's Wanli reign, the Guo family stopped practicing Islam.

The Guo family genealogy, "Shi Hui Bian," states: "The family abandoned the faith by the eighth or ninth generation, likely during the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era." The "eighth or ninth generation" here is counted from Guo Deguang. If counted from Guo Zhongyuan, it would be the "sixth or seventh generation." "

The "Guo Shi Ben Fang Ben Zhi Shi Xi" records: "Our family abandoned the faith, likely in the 35th year of the Ming Dynasty's Wanli reign." "

The Guo family genealogy, "Fu Zun Hui Hui Jiao Xu," explains why they abandoned the faith. It says war caused burning and destruction, and they lost their religious leader (zhangjiao). The text states: "Our family respected it for generations, never forgetting it through the ages." "However, after the fifth generation, they suffered from the ravages of war. The religious leadership was lost. This led them to be influenced by other faiths, and they became ignorant of the true teachings."

The war mentioned here was likely the famous "Jiajing Wokou raids" during the Ming Dynasty. The Jiajing Wokou raids started in 1552, the 31st year of the Jiajing reign. Wang Zhi, a merchant from Huizhou, joined forces with pirate groups from Fujian. They led many "Wokou" (Japanese pirates) to invade Zhejiang and Fujian. Volume 384 of the "Veritable Records of Emperor Shizong of Ming" states: "Pirates from Zhangzhou and Quanzhou lured over ten thousand Japanese, who sailed more than a thousand ships..."

In 1556, the 35th year of the Jiajing reign, the "Wokou" attacked Quanzhou. They captured Chongwu City, 20 kilometers east of Baiqi. This city was built to defend against the Wokou. The Quanzhou Garrison Commander died in battle. Huian County was plundered many times. Battles also broke out repeatedly at Yashan, 5 kilometers north of Baiqi.

Yu Dayou and Qi Jiguang led their armies to Quanzhou to fight back in 1563, the 42nd year of the Jiajing reign. The "Wokou rebellion" in Quanzhou finally ended in 1569, the 3rd year of the Longqing reign.

At the same time, Quanzhou's other major Hui Muslim clan, the Chencai Ding clan, also stopped practicing Islam. The tenth-generation ancestor of the Ding clan, Ding Yanxia (1516-1597?), recorded in the clan genealogy, "Ancestral Teachings" (Zujiaoshuo), that during his childhood, the Chencai Ding clan still followed Islamic rules. These included namaz, fasting, not eating pork, ritual slaughter, and burial in the ground. But by the late 16th century, when Ding Yanxia wrote his works, the Chencai Ding clan had switched to wooden coffins. They no longer performed namaz, did not fast, did not perform ritual slaughter, and ate pork. After this, many members of the Chencai Ding clan passed the imperial examinations and built many ancestral halls. Islam completely disappeared in the 17th century.

Ding Yanxia's "Discourse on Clan Gathering" (Zongjushuo) from 1562 states that the Chencai Ding clan suffered a severe raid by Japanese pirates (Wokou) in 1561. They had heavy losses. Many Ding clan members moved into the city to escape the disaster. The Chencai Ding clan's eventual abandonment of Islam was likely related to the Jiajing Wokou raids.

Today, the temples of the Chencai Ding clan:



In fact, Islam was in decline throughout Quanzhou between the 16th and 17th centuries. The "Record of the Reconstruction of Qingjing Mosque" (Chongxiu Qingjing Si Beiji) from 1607 states: "Therefore, the Qingjing (Muslim) talk of heaven is not as good as the Buddhist talk of hell. Even those families who once upheld the faith now turn their backs and abandon it. This is why the religion declined and the mosque fell into disrepair. It is due to a gradual loss of direction, not the original intent of the religion!" "

The phrase mentioned here, "Even those families who once upheld the faith now turn their backs and abandon it," most likely refers to the Baiqi Guo clan and the Chencai Ding clan, who had recently left Islam.

Four. Returning to Islam during the Kangxi Reign of the Qing Dynasty.

1. Moving to Qingjing Mosque.

In 1709 (the 48th year of Kangxi's reign), Chen Yougong, the Grand Commandant (Zuodudu) and Regional Commander (Zongbingguan) of Fujian's Ting, Yan, and Shao areas, came to Quanzhou. He revived the faith and started a school at Qingjing Mosque for madrasa education. At that time, Guo Honglong, the eighth-generation member of the fourth branch of the Guo clan, moved from Baiqipu Hecuo to live at Qingjing Mosque. He did this due to "the division of strong trunk and weak branches," a clan internal division. He then converted to Islam. After Honglong converted, more and more Guo clan members who did business in Quanzhou city came to Qingjing Mosque to convert. As the number of converts grew, a mosque was built in Daishang Village, where the fourth branch of the Guo clan lived. This happened with Chen Yougong's support. According to the Fenyang Guo Family Tree of Branches Relocating to Tonghuai Street in Quanzhou:

During the Kangxi Jichou year (1709), Governor Chen Yougong served as a military official in Quanzhou. He re-established the faith. The Baiqi uncle and nephew came to the city to trade, and many people re-entered the faith. Mr. Chen built the Daishang Mosque.

After Guo Honglong entered the faith, most of his descendants moved to live near Quanzhou Qingjing Mosque. Others lived at Daishang Mosque. The Fenyang Guo Family Tree of Branches Relocating to Tonghuai Street in Quanzhou states that during the Qianlong era, Guo Honglong's grandson, Guo Shifu, lived near Quanzhou Qingjing Mosque. Another grandson, Guo Shili, lived at Daishang Mosque. The family genealogy "Biography of Yizhai Gong" records that Guo Shifu, in 1794 (the 59th year of Qianlong), renovated the mosque with Bai Yunhan, the Deputy General of Zhangzhou Left Camp.

Qingjing Mosque was first built in 1009 (the second year of Dazhong Xiangfu in the Northern Song Dynasty). Ahmad from Shiraz, Persia, rebuilt it in 1309 (the second year of Zhida in the Yuan Dynasty). Qingjing Mosque was originally named Ashab Mosque, which means "Mosque of the Holy Companions." The name "Qingjing Mosque" originally belonged to another mosque built in the Southern Song Dynasty, south of Quanzhou city. Later, steles from the original Qingjing Mosque were moved to the Ashab Mosque, causing the names of the two mosques to become confused.

During the Kangxi era, when the Baiqi Guo family re-entered the faith, Qingjing Mosque's main prayer hall, Fengtiantan, had already collapsed from long-term disrepair. Some Muslims, including the Baiqi Guo family, built houses and lived within the Fengtiantan ruins.







In 1936, Imam Zhang Yuguang, a graduate of Chengda Normal School, came to oversee Islamic affairs in Quanzhou. In 1937, he published "Islam's Entry into China and the General Situation of Islam in Quanzhou" in "Yuehua" magazine. He wrote that four Baiqi Guo households still lived inside the Qingjing Mosque's main prayer hall at that time.

This is Qingjing Mosque, as photographed by "China Tourism" in November 1986. The four Baiqi Guo households lived here until they were moved out during the 1986 renovation.



After Fengtiantan collapsed, Mingshantang, on the north side, became the prayer hall. In 1818, it was rebuilt as a traditional courtyard house (siheyuan). In 1871, it was rebuilt again as a small three-room building with Southern Fujian (Min-nan) characteristics. In 1952, it was rebuilt as a simple tiled flat-roof house with a cement and wood frame. In 1998, it was rebuilt to restore its 1871 appearance.





The Guo family genealogy "Preface to Re-adhering to Islam" states that after the Guo family re-entered the faith, over a hundred people joined Islam. This happened under the leadership of the eighth-generation descendant Guo Sizhi and the tenth-generation descendant Guo Zhiquan, and after education from Imams "Master Zhuang" and "Master Ge." Most of these new converts came from the fourth branch, to which Guo Honglong belonged.

The eighth-generation descendant Sizhi Gong, the tenth-generation descendant Zhiquan Gong, and their junior relative Jing Gong, along with several others of their generation, had already received teachings from Master Zhuang. They were then transformed by Master Ge. As a result, over a hundred people in our clan re-adhered to this faith. Master Ge's sincere intention was to feel Allah's great grace. He traced back to the ancestors' tradition of sincere fasting and namaz, and explained the error of raising and eating pigs.

But in 1807 (the 12th year of Jiaqing), Guo Zhaofen also wrote in the family genealogy, in the essay 'On the Renovation of the Yizhai Guo Gong Tomb,' that the Baiqi Guo clan still had not translated Islamic scriptures. He wrote: 'The scriptures compiled by the religion are like a guiding rope, but their sounds and characters are different, and they remain untranslated to this day. Mr. Li Zhongyi appreciated that they were not translated, finding in this the ancient truth.' "

2. Qing Dynasty Islamic Stone Tombs

After the Guo clan Muslims rejoined Islam in the Qing Dynasty, they no longer used the Sumeru pedestal-style stone tombs from the Ming Dynasty. At 'Haitanbian,' west of Houhai Village in Baiqi Township, are the tombs of Guo Shuxian, from the 15th generation, and his three sons. Guo Shuxian died in 1875, at the age of 67. The tomb is a platform made of sanhetu (a traditional Chinese mortar of lime, sand, and clay). On the platform are two sanhetu tombs. A granite carving is set horizontally in front of the tomb table. It has the 'General Creed' of Islam inscribed on it: 'I believe in Allah. He has all noble names and all virtues. I accept all His laws.' "



From the 2005 edition of "Quanzhou Religious Stone Carvings."



From the 2005 edition of "Quanzhou Religious Stone Carvings."

Modern tombs of the Baiqi Guo clan near the Lingshan Holy Tomb.





5. Islam and Local Beliefs

1. Regulations Prohibiting Folk Buddhist and Taoist Beliefs

When the Guo clan rejoined Islam in the Qing Dynasty, folk Buddhist and Taoist beliefs were already thriving in Baiqi. Because of this, the patriarchs of the four branches of the Guo clan, who followed Islam, tried to regulate customs and curb the growth of folk Buddhist and Taoist beliefs.

Guo Zhaofen, a descendant of Guo Honglong, included a series of regulations he wrote to curb Buddhist and Taoist beliefs in the revised 'Guo Clan Genealogy' of 1808 (the 13th year of Jiaqing). These regulations included 4 chapters and 48 articles: 'Listing Warnings to Descendants Against Reckless Talk About Ancestors' Religion,' 'Listing Prohibitions to Instruct Descendants,' 'Listing Items Not Used in Ancestor Worship,' and 'Listing Funeral Regulations and Prohibitions.' These regulations show some aspects of the Baiqi Guo clan's religious beliefs in the early 19th century.

The first chapter, 'Listing Warnings to Descendants Against Reckless Talk About Ancestors' Religion,' explains some misunderstandings that later generations of the Baiqi Guo clan had about Islam. These include:

One rule states,

Another rule is,

A rule says,

The second chapter,

The family must not use merit-making rituals to send spirit money (mingjin), spirit paper (mingzhi), paper effigies (mingren), or any paper offerings to the deceased. "

The family must not use nuns to perform rituals for

The family must not use divine or Buddhist healing methods.

The family must not use popular sorcerers for

The family must not use spirit money (mingjin) or spirit silver (mingyin) after ancestor worship. Guo Zhaofen later added a note,

The family must not use cremation or jar (urn) burial.

The family must not use string puppet shows (xianxi), which are marionette shows. Guo Zhaofen pointed out, "

The third chapter,

Ancestor worship must not use drums or music.

Wear plain clothes for rituals.

For rituals, when slaughtering animals and preparing tools, you must follow religious rules.

For rituals, do not use aquatic animals that do not lay eggs.

For rituals, do not use shellfish or crustaceans.

Do not use pork at home.

Chapter Four, titled 'List of Appropriate Prohibitions for Funeral Systems,' forbids folk Buddhist and Taoist beliefs during funerals. These include:

Do not use drums and music at funerals.

Do not use Taoist or Buddhist guides for funerals.

Do not offer paper money at funerals.

Do not erect banners at funerals, as this has become a bad practice.

2. Islam and Confucianism: Neither Betraying Nor Rigidly Adhering to Faith.

Read the books of sages, learn from their deeds, and neither betray nor rigidly adhere to your faith. Guo Zhaofen quoted this view from Confucian scholar Ding Zishen in the Jiaqing edition of the Qing Dynasty's 'Guo Family Genealogy'. Ding Zishen came from another branch of Hui Muslims in Quanzhou, the Chengdai Ding clan. He was a key figure in the Confucianization of the Chengdai Ding clan during the late Ming Dynasty.

Guo Zhaofen's 'Debate on Adapting to Hui Customs,' written in 1807 (the 12th year of Jiaqing) and found in the 'Guo Family Genealogy,' begins by listing three different religious beliefs. The first type is 'following Confucianism while also incorporating Taoist and Buddhist teachings,' which means Han customs. The second type was "Hui Muslims who also followed the Confucian way," referring to the Jin, Ding, Xia, Ma, and Die families in Quanzhou city who kept their Islamic faith. The third type was "Confucians who kept the Hui Muslim teachings," referring to the Guo clan. From this, we can see that the Baiqi Guo clan at that time already separated themselves from the Muslims in Quanzhou city. They believed they primarily followed Confucianism and kept Islam as a way to preserve their ancestors' customs.

In the four regulations set by Guo Zhaofen, it is also clear that these rules were not just to maintain the Islamic faith itself. They also aimed to make descendants follow their ancestors' religious customs through Confucian thought. The regulations repeatedly stressed that following their ancestors' Islamic customs was to follow the Confucian way:

"Previous generations already experienced this. Later generations of descendants should be warned not to forget family rules and not to bring shame to the Confucian way." "

"All close to Daoist, Buddhist, or evil cults should be completely rejected. The Confucian way should be upheld."

When sacrificing to ancestors, Guo Zhaofen wrote a rule: "Use Confucian rites for sacrifices as well." He later explained, "The pure and true religion (Islam) follows the rites of ancestral worship. But now, our clan first performs ancestral worship and then sacrifices." This further shows how the Baiqi Guo clan in the Qing Dynasty used both Confucianism and Islam.

Six. The Final Disappearance of Islam.

In the late Qing Dynasty, the mosque in Daishang Village collapsed due to long-term disrepair. The mosque then moved to the more remote Dashan Village, where the village's imam, "Uncle Tong," led religious affairs. "Uncle Tong" passed on the role to "Caoniao," who then passed it on to "Uncle Mao." These three generations of imams were all members of the Guo clan from Dashan Village and belonged to the same close family branch. "Uncle Tong" and "Caoniao" both studied at the Qingjing Mosque in Quanzhou. "Uncle Mao"'s name was Guo Xingfa. He was an imam trained by the Guo clan themselves.

From the 1930s to the 1940s, Dashan Village had over 30 Muslims. They were mostly clan members from the imam's own family branch, and nearly half of them were women. Every Friday, the Dashan Village Mosque holds Jumu'ah prayer. The imam recites the Quran in Arabic, then preaches Islamic teachings in the Minnan dialect. Whenever they slaughter cattle, they always ask the imam to recite scriptures.

At that time, Muslims in Dashan Village did not know much about Islamic teachings. Some also worshipped folk Buddhist and Taoist deities like Guan Di. The imam did not interfere.

In November 1986, China Tourism magazine photographed a handwritten Quran in Baiqi.



Guo Zhichao's "The Status of Islam in the Cultural Changes of Baiqi Hui Muslims," Guo Qiujun's "Hui'an Hui Muslims - Baiqi Guo," and Ye Wencheng's "Funeral Rites and Characteristics of Hui'an Baiqi Hui Muslims" recorded funeral rituals in Dashan Village during the 1930s and 1940s.

After a person died, their clothes were removed. A white sheet covered the body, which was then ritually cleansed. After the body was washed, male deceased were wrapped in white cloth. Female deceased wore a white long gown with a front opening, a white high-top hat, and white long socks. Three white cloths were used to tie the calves, abdomen, and chest separately. Then the eldest son carried the body to the ancestral hall of their branch, which served as a temporary mourning hall. The mourning bed was made of two long benches and three planks. An incense burner was placed on the mourning table. On both sides, there was a plate with twenty-four pieces of fried oil pastries (youxiang) made from rice flour. Some grieving families also placed a few plates of vegetarian dishes. At this time, the imam wore a blue pointed six-panel hat and a blue long gown. He sat cross-legged facing west on a folding chair in front of the mourning table and began to read the Quran.

Before the funeral procession, the deceased was placed into a temporary coffin (bian'guan). This coffin had wooden sides and a removable bottom. During the funeral procession, the temporary coffin was covered with a coffin shroud. The imam led the way, followed by three children. Four people carried the coffin behind them. Filial sons and daughters, wearing white mourning clothes and white mourning hats, followed. Finally, the mourners, who wore white cloth around their waists or arms (yaobai), followed.

After arriving at the cemetery, spices were sprinkled under the stone coffin. The stone coffin was made of four stone slabs, two long and two short. Its bottom was open to the earth. Four people stood at the four corners of the grave. They pulled open a red carpet to cover the grave. Then the white cloth strips on the deceased are lifted, the bottom board of the simple coffin is pulled out, and the deceased falls into the grave. Five pieces of red earth are placed on the deceased's head, both hands, and both feet. Seven stone slabs (qixingban) are placed on top. Earth is piled on, and some families will later cover it with mortar.

Before the 1940s, many Guo families in Baiqi had the custom of inviting an imam for the deceased. They handled the body and performed a quick burial according to Islamic customs. At that time, Baiqi Village hired Imam Tie Kaichen from Shouxian, Anhui. He mainly led religious ceremonies for funerals and ancestral worship. When Imam Tie was not there, a Guo family member named Guo Xiuye had studied scriptures for a few days with Imam Liu from Tianjin. His family had thirty volumes of Islamic scriptures. Imam Tie passed away during the Anti-Japanese War. From then on, the Guo family in Baiqi only had one imam left, Guo Xingfa. Collapse Read »

Reposted from the web

Summary: Halal Food Guide: Southern China — Rice Noodles, Hui Muslim Food and Local Flavor is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: 5. Beef rice noodles (niurou migan) in Manluanhui, Menghai, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan; bridge-crossing rice noodles (guoqiao mixian) in Mengzi; grass sprout bridge-crossing rice noodles (caoya guoqiao mixian) in Jianshui. The account keeps its focus on Southern China Food, Rice Noodles, Halal Food while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

1. Hot dry noodles (reganmian) in Jingzhou, Hubei; spicy beef rice noodles (hongyou niurou fen) in Wuhan; and beef noodles (niurou mian) in Xiangyang.

2. Fish maw noodles (yudu mian), beef noodles, smoked fish noodles (xunyu mian), and beef heart noodles (niuxin mian) in Nanjing, Jiangsu; spiced dried tofu noodles (xianggan mian) in Zhenjiang; and wonton noodles (huntun mian) and shredded chicken noodles (jisi mian) in Huai'an.

3. Eel shredded cold noodles (shansi lengmian), beef noodles, and lamb noodles (yangrou mian) in Shanghai.

4. Beef rice noodles and Sichuan-style beef noodles in Nanchong, Sichuan; minced meat noodles (zajiang mian) in Chengdu; beef offal rice noodles (niuza fen) in Tuqiao, Chengdu; and goose soup noodles (etang mian) in Mimou Town, Chengdu.

5. Beef rice noodles (niurou migan) in Manluanhui, Menghai, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan; bridge-crossing rice noodles (guoqiao mixian) in Mengzi; grass sprout bridge-crossing rice noodles (caoya guoqiao mixian) in Jianshui; beef rolled rice noodles (niurou juanfen) in Najiaying, Yuxi; spicy rice noodles (ran mixian) and lamb rice noodles in Zhaotong; pea starch jelly (wandou fen), cold rice noodles (liang mixian), and rice noodles (ersi) in Kunming; local cold chicken rice noodles (tu liangji mixian) in Dali Ancient City; braised meat rice noodles (menrou mixian) in Xiaguan, Dali; and Burmese fried tofu mixed noodles in Ruili.

6. Tibetan noodles (zangmian) from Hui Muslims in Lhasa, Tibet.

7. Beef brisket noodles (niunan mian) and chicken rice noodles in Huihui Village, Sanya, Hainan.

1. Hubei

1. Hot dry noodles (reganmian) in Jingzhou

Yingxi Hui Muslim Street is located inside Yingxi Gate, the northwest gate of the Tu City in Shashi, Jingzhou. In the early years of the Republic of China, some Hui Muslims from Nanyang, Henan, came to Shashi as refugees and settled on Yingxi Street. They built a mosque there in 1925. I ate hot dry noodles at an unnamed halal restaurant on Yingxi Street. The hot dry noodles in Shashi are different from those in Wuhan because they add sweet bean sauce (tianmianjiang).













2. Spicy beef rice noodles (hongyou niurou fen) in Wuhan

After the Wuchang Prefecture city was built during the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, the area outside Zhonghe Gate in the south of the city was originally a wasteland used as a material yard for building the city walls. In the late Ming Dynasty, a group of Hui Muslims who moved from Maguoyuan, Shaanxi, began to live here, working in cattle slaughtering, general goods, and the halal food industry. During the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty, another group of Hui Muslims from Mianyang, Hubei, moved here due to floods, and the number of Hui Muslims outside Zhonghe Gate gradually increased.

Before the demolition in 2020, there was a lively morning market on Qiyi Street every day, crowded and full of life. On Xiangbi Street (the eastern section of Bao'an Street), which intersects with Qiyi Street, there is a halal breakfast shop called "Qingzhen Dajia Hongyou Niurou Fen Mian Guan." It is open daily from around 6:00 or 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM. I ate the spicy beef thin rice noodles there.













3. Beef noodles (niurou mian) in Xiangyang

As the most important commercial hub in the middle reaches of the Han River, Fancheng has had Hui Muslim residents since the Yuan and Ming dynasties. The Hui Muslims in Fancheng were mainly concentrated on Jiaomen Street, where the mosque is located. When the Fancheng Mosque was rebuilt in 1792 (the 57th year of the Qianlong reign), there were 222 local Hui Muslim households who donated funds. In 2015, all of Jiaomen Street was demolished for new construction. Now, only a row of shops selling beef noodles and raw beef remains at the bridgehead of the Han River Bridge.

Early in the morning, we went to the bridgehead to eat beef noodles at Liu's shop from Jiaomen Street. Liu's is run by the son of Liu Donghan, an old imam at the Fancheng mosque, and it is quite famous. When I was in college, our halal cafeteria had a stall for Xiangfan beef noodles, and my impression back then was that it was really spicy! This time, I finally got to taste the authentic version. After eating the authentic version, I felt it was indeed a bit spicy, haha. We specifically asked for no chili, but the braised beef broth itself is a little spicy. But besides the spice, the beef is really fragrant! They must use plenty of meat, and it is stewed until very flavorful.







2. Jiangsu

1. Nanjing's fish maw noodles, beef noodles, smoked fish noodles, and beef heart noodles.

Lvliuju was founded in 1912 by Taoye Ferry on the banks of the Qinhuai River. It started as a high-end vegetarian restaurant, and people like Kong Xiangxi, Chiang Ching-kuo, Bai Chongxi, and the Soong sisters often dined here. After 1949, Lvliuju closed for a time. It did not reopen until 1963 at Yanggongjing on Taiping South Road, where they hired the famous chef Chen Bingyu to continue serving authentic vegetarian food. A major feature of Lvliuju is vegetarian dishes made to taste like meat. Their vegetarian chicken (suji) and vegetarian duck (suya), made from tofu skin, gluten, and dried bean curd sticks with Chinese herbal seasonings, are delicious.

In 1987, Lvliuju added halal dishes to its vegetarian menu and became a halal restaurant, though vegetarian food remains its specialty. In 1995, it was rebuilt on the same site into the current five-story building, becoming a large halal restaurant in Nanjing. We ate fish maw noodles at Lvliuju, which also contained mushrooms, bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, and green peas.







We ate at Jintongji Beef and Mutton Restaurant north of the Nanjing Confucius Temple, where we ordered a huge portion of Jintongji noodles with beef, beef tendon, beef tripe, and beef intestine, as well as smoked fish noodles. The black sweet beef was so delicious! It is very addictive, and the sweet smoked fish is also super tasty. (This is the old Jintongji shop; it has now moved to a new address.)









We had beef heart noodles at Xiaoyisi Noodle Shop on Luolang Lane in Nanjing (this is the old location; it has now moved to a new address). This shop has also been open for many years. It is a husband-and-wife business, and the owner is an uncle who wears a gold chain. Next to the noodle shop is the famous provincial cultural heritage site, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom architecture and murals on Luolang Lane.









2. Zhenjiang's dried tofu noodles (xianggan mian).

The ancient Runzhou Mosque (Runzhou libaisi) from the Yuan Dynasty in Zhenjiang was moved to Jianzi Lane in the city in 1602 (the 30th year of the Wanli reign) and has since been called the Jianzi Lane Mosque. In 2005, the Jianzi Lane Mosque was demolished due to the construction of the Zhenjiang First Building commercial pedestrian street, but there are still many halal restaurants nearby. We ate dried tofu noodles (xianggan mian) at Yang Dahai Steamed Bun Shop in the small alley north of Jianzi Lane. They had a slightly sweet taste, and the noodle broth was very much in the Jianghuai style.









3. Chicken shredded noodles (jisi mian) of Huai'an

Because navigating the Yellow River section of the Grand Canal was very dangerous, and waiting times to pass through locks after entering Shandong were too long, many merchants chose to leave their boats at Qingjiangpu in Huai'an, Jiangsu. They would cross the Yellow River and switch to horse-drawn carriages to continue north, making Qingjiangpu a transportation hub for southern boats and northern horses. Hui Muslims have been doing business on Yuehe Street in front of the Imperial Wharf since the Ming Dynasty, and the Qingjiang Mosque was built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty.

Eating wonton noodles at the entrance of the Qingjiangpu Mosque.







I ate chicken shredded noodles at Liu Si Noodle Shop. It had fish balls, beef balls, and squid inside. The fish balls were super delicious, the soup was excellent, and it felt great to finish the meal.











Heading south along the canal from Qingjiangpu, you reach the ancient town of Hexia, not far northwest of the Huai'an prefectural city. Hexia is the largest town in the suburbs of Huai'an. Its official historical name was Manpu, and it developed into an important canal town during the Song and Yuan dynasties. Because the salt production and quality in the coastal salt fields north of the Huai River were very high, many salt merchants from the northwest and Anhui came to the region in the late Ming Dynasty to work in the salt industry. The wealth brought by these merchants made Hexia a prosperous commercial center. Many Hui Muslims also came to settle in Hexia, and the Hexia Mosque was first built during the Ming Dynasty.

We had some very fragrant chicken shredded noodles at a halal snack shop on Zhugan Lane in Hexia Town. When eating noodles in Jiangsu, the soup is more important than the noodles themselves.





4. Shanghai

1. Shanghai's eel shredded cold noodles (shansi lengmian), beef noodles, and lamb noodles

Yixinzhai is an old shop on Pingliang Road in Yangpu District that opened in 1958. It is most famous for its pan-fried beef buns (niurou jianbao) and three-yellow chicken (sanhuangji). In the summer, they also sell shaved ice and cold noodles. I ate the eel shredded cold noodles here. The topping was made with two types of mushrooms and three shredded ingredients, and it was truly delicious.







At Zhang Xuchang Old Man Noodle Shop on Houjia Road, the lamb noodles and beef noodles are served with the toppings on the side. The beef comes with yellow curry, and the lamb is served in a clear white broth.













5. Sichuan

1. Nanchong beef rice noodles (niurou fen) and Sichuan-style beef noodles

The ancestors of Imam Feng Yong from the Nanchong Mosque moved to Nanchong from Shaanxi during the Qing Dynasty. During the Republic of China era, the Feng family joined forces through marriage with three other families: Yang Fangyun who ran "Red Lantern Dried Beef," Ma Yutu who ran "Ma Laizi Canned Beef," and Zhang Dechao who ran "Beef Crispy Cakes." The Imam's grandfather, Feng Zifeng, founded the "Shixian" brand on Fu Street and opened a halal restaurant. Today, Imam Feng Yong's family still runs an authentic Sichuan halal food business at the entrance of the mosque.

At the Nanchong Mosque, people eat beef rice noodles or beef tripe rice noodles for breakfast every day.







You can also eat Sichuan-style beef noodles here.



2. Chengdu's minced meat noodles (zajiangmian).

There is a halal hot pot restaurant called Dawude on Renhou Street near Kuanzhai Alley. Most local halal restaurants in downtown Chengdu do not serve breakfast, but this is one of the few I know that does. The owner is a Hui Muslim from Qingchuan, Guangyuan. I had the minced meat noodles (zajiangmian) here, and they tasted very authentic.









3. Beef offal rice noodles (niuzhafen) in Tuqiao, Chengdu.

After the Huangchengba Muslim community was dissolved, Tuqiao Town in the northwest suburbs became the closest traditional Muslim community to downtown Chengdu. Many local Hui Muslims come here for Friday namaz. Although Tuqiao Town has gone through demolition, the traditional mosque and the halal snack shops at its entrance are still there, so it remains very lively. I arrived in Tuqiao before the Friday namaz and had beef offal rice noodles (niuzhafen) at a snack shop by the entrance.







4. Goose soup noodles (etangmian) in Mimou Town, Chengdu.

Mimou Town is located in the Qingbaijiang District, on the border between Chengdu and Guanghan. Hui Muslims have lived here since the Ming Dynasty. After the Kangxi period, many Hui Muslims from Shaanxi and Hunan moved to the area around Mimou Town and built six mosques one after another.

Unlike the heavily developed ancient city of Guanxian in Dujiangyan, Mimou Town has no traces of tourism. It is full of daily life and keeps its own pace. I had goose soup noodles (etangmian) here.







V. Yunnan

1. Beef rice noodles (niurou migan) in Manluanhui, Menghai, Xishuangbanna.

The Paxi Dai people live in two villages in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna: Manluanhui and Mansaihui. In the Dai language, "man" means village. The Paxi Dai call themselves "Paxi." They follow Islam and observe the faith, but they speak the Dai language, use the Dai script, and make halal Dai-style food. You could say they have kept their Hui Muslim identity while blending into Dai culture.

We had a halal Dai-style breakfast in Manluanhui at a restaurant called Paxi Dai. In the morning, Paxi Dai people mainly eat beef rice noodles (niurou mixian) and flat rice noodles (migan). We ordered the flat rice noodles. The variety of side dishes here is really rich, including pea tips, chives, bean sprouts, and various dipping sauces. The best part is that their beef is delicious! It is a little sweet and very fragrant.



















2. Crossing-the-bridge rice noodles (guoqiao mixian) in Mengzi.

In Mengzi, I ate at a very popular halal crossing-the-bridge rice noodles (guoqiao mixian) restaurant called Yitiange. They have copper pot crossing-the-bridge rice noodles ranging from 12 to 50 yuan. We ordered the 50-yuan deluxe version, which came with 26 small plates. The broth and rice noodles can be refilled as much as you want. The plates included raw fish slices, raw beef slices, raw quail eggs, shrimp, dried beef (niuganba), beef tongue, cold duck slices, cold beef slices, crispy beef fat, braised beef, grass sprouts, chrysanthemum, pea paste, bean sprouts, bean curd skin, chives, cilantro, mint, chopped green onions, melon tips, ginger, garlic, chili, and chili sauce. The variety is the most complete I have ever eaten!













3. Jianshui's grass sprout bridge-crossing rice noodles (guoqiao mixian).

I ate the local specialty, grass sprout bridge-crossing rice noodles, on Mashi Street near the Chaoyang Tower in the old town of Jianshui.











4. Yuxi Najiaying's beef rolled rice noodles (juanfen).

I ate beef rolled rice noodles in Najiaying, Yuxi, in the morning.









5. Zhaotong's spicy oil rice noodles (ran mixian) and lamb rice noodles.

I ate spicy oil rice noodles at the entrance of the Zhaotong East Mosque (Dongdasi).





I ate lamb rice noodles across from the Zhaotong East Mosque. Many places in Yunnan serve beef rice noodles, but this was my first time eating the lamb version.







6. Kunming's pea starch jelly (wandoufen), cold rice noodles (liang mixian), and thick rice noodles (ersi).

I ate cold pea starch jelly, a mix of thick and thin, on Shuncheng Halal Street in Kunming.







Imam Ma Cong treated us to Niangniang cold rice noodles at the entrance of the Jinniu Street Mosque in Kunming; we had one bowl each of rolled rice noodles and rice noodles, and they tasted amazing.





In the late 19th century, as Hui Muslim caravans traveling through Kunming and Dali to Myanmar and Thailand flourished, Hui Muslims from western Yunnan, such as those from Weishan in Dali, began to settle in the Qingyun Street area of Kunming. In 1899 (the 25th year of the Guangxu reign), Hui Muslims from western Yunnan in Kunming and the Xing Shun He firm, founded by Yuxi Hui Muslims, jointly raised funds to build the Chongshan Guild Hall at the east end of Qingyun Street. Later, Dali Hui Muslims merged the Zhuiyuan Hall, Chengyi Hall, and Baozhen Hall with the Chongshan Guild Hall. In 1919, it was renamed Chongshan Society by order of Yunnan Governor Tang Jiyao. It was officially renamed the Yixigong Mosque in 1942, and in 1951, it was also known as the Kunming Overseas Chinese Mosque.

I ate Dali thick rice noodles at the entrance of the Kunming Yixigong Mosque in the morning.









7. Dali Ancient City's local cold chicken rice noodles.

Zaihuishou is a very famous halal snack shop in Dali Ancient City, and its specialty is cold chicken rice noodles.





8. Dali Xiaguan's braised meat rice noodles.

I ate braised meat rice noodles on the Hui Muslim street in Xiaguan, Dali.







9. Ruili's Burmese fried tofu mixed noodles.

Between the opening of the border in 1985 and its closure in 2020, many Burmese Muslims came to Ruili to do business, forming a Burmese halal snack street in the East Alley of Baijing, Ruili. The Muslims in Ruili are mainly Bamar Muslims, an ethnic group formed by the intermarriage of South Asian Muslims and the Bamar people. After the British occupied Myanmar in the 19th century, a large number of South Asian Muslims came to make a living, spreading to almost every city in Myanmar. Burmese Muslims speak Burmese and share similar customs with the Burmese people, and they make up the largest group of Muslims in Myanmar.

The paste on this auntie's face is called thanaka. It is made by grinding yellow fragrant wood branches into powder and mixing it with water. It keeps mosquitoes away and feels cool on the skin.

In front of her are various types of mixed noodles, ranging from thick to thin: nan ji, lat, and thay thout. The white ones are glass noodles (ja zan). I ate mixed noodles made with Burmese fried tofu.







6. Tibet

1. Tibetan noodles from the Tibetan Hui Muslims in Lhasa

In the southeast of the ancient Barkhor city in Lhasa, there is an area called Hebalin, which used to be a forest on the banks of the Lhasa River. Many Muslims live here who speak Tibetan, wear Tibetan clothes, and eat Tibetan food. They are also called Hebalin Tibetan Hui Muslims. Most of these Tibetan Hui Muslims are descendants of Hui Muslim officers and soldiers from the Qing army stationed in Tibet after the 18th century.

I ate Tibetan noodles at a Tibetan Hui Muslim restaurant called Yibire Steamed Bun Shop in the small alleys of Hebalin.











7. Hainan

1. Beef brisket noodles and chicken rice noodles of the Huihui people in Sanya

The Ha family of the Sanya Huihui people traces their ancestry back to Pu Chengshipeng, Pu Chengxiang, Pu Chengxi, Pu Chengfu, and Pu Chengrui. According to Ha Bingzhong, a seventh-generation descendant of Pu Chengshipeng born in 1871, Pu Chengshipeng's father moved from Shaanxi to Guangta Street in Guangzhou, then brought his whole family to Dadan Port in Yazhou, Hainan, before moving to Huihui Village in Sanya during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

The Ha Xuanren Beef Brisket Noodle Shop opened by the Ha family in Huihui Village is very famous.







I had chicken rice noodles at the Li Family Rice Noodle shop in Huixin Village, Sanya, in the morning. It was super fresh!





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Reposted from the web

Summary: Halal Food Guide: Northern China — Noodles, Hui Muslims and Local Flavor is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: 12. Black goat oil-splashed mixed noodles (heishanyuguoyouroubanmian) from Toksun, Xinjiang; yellow noodles with roasted meat (huangmiankaorou) from Flaming Mountains; Hui Muslim home-style mixed noodles (banmian) from. The account keeps its focus on Northern China Food, Noodles, Halal Food while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

1. Hand-rolled noodles (shouganmian) from Lingyuan, Liaoning; hand-rolled noodles (shouganmian) from Kaiyuan; cold noodles (lengmian) from Suizhong.

2. Stir-fried oat noodle cones (chaoyoumianwowo) from Zhangjiakou, Hebei.

3. Beijing's braised lamb with Sichuan peppercorn sauce noodles (shaoyangrouhuajiaocuanmian), beef noodles (niuroumian), soybean paste noodles (zhajiangmian), and sliced noodles (daoxiaomian) from Xiguanshi.

4. Shredded chicken cold noodles (jisiliangmian) from the Northwest Corner of Tianjin.

5. Cold broth oat noodles (liangtangyoumian) from Hohhot, Inner Mongolia.

6. Fermented bean paste noodles (jiangmiantiao) from Bo'ai, Henan; stir-fried broth noodles (qiangguomian) from Kaifeng.

7. Sliced noodles (daoxiaomian) from Datong, Shanxi; picked-tip noodles (tijianmian) from Taiyuan.

8. Beef pulled noodles (niurouchemiant) from Xixiang, Shaanxi; steamed noodles (zhengmian) from Ankang; lamb topping noodles (yangrousaozimian) from Shuhe.

9. Lamb and small dough flake soup (lianguoyangrouxiaojiupian) from Yinchuan, Ningxia.

10. Lentil sparrow-tongue noodles (biandouqueshemian) and riverside dough flakes (heyanmianpian) from Lanzhou, Gansu; old-style braised noodles (laolumian) from Linxia; old-style stir-fried dough flakes (laochaomianpian) from Dahejia; cold noodles (liangmian) from the Flower Festival (hua'erhui) at Songmingyan.

11. Fermented bean paste dough flakes (jiangshuimianpian) and lamb intestine noodles (yangchangmian) from Xining, Qinghai; meat sauce dry-mixed noodles (roujiangganbanmian) from Xunhua.

12. Black goat oil-splashed mixed noodles (heishanyuguoyouroubanmian) from Toksun, Xinjiang; yellow noodles with roasted meat (huangmiankaorou) from Flaming Mountains; Hui Muslim home-style mixed noodles (banmian) from Urumqi; bean noodles (doudoumian) and eggplant noodles (qiezimian) from Shanshan County; pigeon and turnip noodles (geziqiamgumian) from Yarkant; big bowl wild mushroom lamb soup noodles (dawanyemoguyangroutangfan) from Hami; wild mushroom mixed noodles (yemogubanmian) from Bayanbulak Town; stir-fried twisted fish noodles (baochaochouyumian) from Zhaosu.

1. Liaoning

1. Hand-rolled noodles (shouganmian) from Lingyuan

Lingyuan sits at the border of Hebei, Liaoning, and Inner Mongolia. It was originally called Tazigou. Since the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, Hui Muslims from Shandong and Hebei continuously traveled through the Great Wall gap at Xifengkou to reach the northeast. Lingyuan was their first stop after leaving the pass, and some Hui Muslims settled there. The Lingyuan mosque was built during the Qianlong reign. According to the stone tablet inside, Hui Muslim doctor Zhang Lichen and others cured the illness of a Mongol prince in the Harqin Left Banner. The prince then donated the land and money to build the Lingyuan mosque.

I stopped at a small eatery at the entrance of the Lingyuan mosque and ordered the owner's recommended stir-fried shredded meat with hand-rolled noodles (shouganmian). In the Northeast, the portions are truly large and affordable. A bowl of noodles only costs five yuan and is very satisfying.







2. Hand-rolled noodles (shouganmian) from Kaiyuan

Most Hui Muslims in Kaiyuan migrated here during the Qing Dynasty's expansion into the Northeast. The Old City mosque was built in 1406 (the fourth year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty) and is the oldest mosque in the Northeast. We had a bowl of egg hand-rolled noodles (shouganmian) at Lingtou Niu next to Kaiyuan People's Park. It cost 8 yuan and was a very comfortable meal.







3. Cold noodles (lengmian) from Suizhong

Suizhong is right next to Shanhai Pass and is the southwestern-most county in Liaoning. Starting in the 18th century, more than ten Hui Muslim families, including the Zhang, Ding, Li, and Jin families, moved to Suizhong from Hebei Province. The first mosque was built in 1737 (the second year of the Qianlong reign) below the Kuixing Pavilion in the southeast of Suizhong city. We ate local-style cold noodles (lengmian) in Suizhong; they were delicious, cheap, and perfect for cooling off.







2. Hebei

1. Stir-fried oat noodle cones (chao youmian wowo) in Zhangjiakou

The Xinhua Street Mosque in Zhangjiakou was originally called the Shenggou Mosque. It was built in 1863 (the second year of the Tongzhi reign) with funds raised by over eighty Hui Muslim families from Ningxia who came to Zhangjiakou for the camel trade, which is why it is also known as the Camel Workshop Mosque (Tuofang Qingzhensi). These Ningxia Hui Muslims were mainly from the Ma, Liu, Li, Du, Wu, Wang, and Ding families. They used camels to transport furs, silk, tea, and other goods for merchants, traveling between Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Gansu, Mongolia, and Russia.

I ate stir-fried oat noodle cones at Binbin Snacks across from the Xinhua Street Mosque.







3. Beijing

1. Braised beef noodles, soybean paste noodles (zhajiangmian), and roasted lamb with Sichuan peppercorn sauce noodles (shao yangrou huajiao cuanmian) in Beijing

I had braised beef noodles, a small bowl of beef, and sweet and sour radish (tangcu xinlimei) at Baodu Xiaobaimao on Dongzhimen Inner Street. They gave such a huge portion of beef in the small bowl that it completely covered the noodles, which was so satisfying! I wasn't even hungry by the time night came.







I usually like to go to Liu's Men-ding (a type of pan-fried bun) at Hongmiao for their soybean paste noodles.







I ate roasted lamb with Sichuan peppercorn sauce noodles at the Drum Tower (Gulou) on Donggong Street. Beijingers often eat roasted lamb and make their own Sichuan peppercorn sauce, but it is rare to see them combined. I really love this way of eating it; it is very satisfying.





2. Sliced noodles (daoxiaomian) in Xiguanshi

The Hui Muslims of Xiguanshi came to Beijing in the early Ming Dynasty following the Prince of Yan on his northern campaign. Because they were near the main trade route from Beijing to Zhangjiakou and were skilled in martial arts, the Hui Muslims of Xiguanshi opened many security escort agencies outside Beijing's Qianmen Gate starting in the Qing Dynasty. They specialized in protecting merchants from the five northwestern provinces, primarily serving wealthy Shanxi merchants. People say the character Li Wuye, known for his magic slingshot in the story "Shigong An," was a Hui Muslim from Xiguanshi. The depictions of the archer Li Guoliang and the Dongguangyu Escort Agency outside Qianmen in the book "Yongzheng Jianxia Tu" vividly show the life of the Xiguanshi Hui Muslim escort agencies during the Qing Dynasty.

Because of their close ties with Shanxi, you can find halal sliced noodles and Bashang oat noodles in Xiguanshi that are hard to find in the city. We ate sliced noodles at an old shop in the village and also ordered beef tongue and meat-stuffed tripe (doubaorou). I had been craving sliced noodles ever since I had them in Datong, and I was finally able to eat them again.





4. Tianjin

1. Shredded chicken cold noodles (jisi liangmian) at the northwest corner.

I had a bowl of shredded chicken cold noodles with a childhood friend at Huancheng Noodle Restaurant, plus a plate of century egg with tofu (pidan doufu). It was very refreshing. Almost no other halal restaurant in Beijing makes cold noodles better than this one.





5. Inner Mongolia

1. Cold broth oat noodles (liangtang youmian) in Hohhot.

I ate cold broth oat noodles at Xiangcunxiang Youmian on Niujie Street. They serve oat noodles four ways: with hot lamb broth, cold beef broth, mixed with vegetables, or stir-fried with meat. You can choose between oat noodle rolls (youmian wowo) or regular noodles. I find the cold broth version very satisfying in the summer. When eating, first pour vinegar and chili oil over the vegetables and fried sauce, mix it well, and then add the oat noodle rolls. It is very refreshing.











6. Henan

1. Fermented bean broth noodles (jiang miantiao) in Bo'ai.

The Xiguan Mosque in Bo'ai was built during the Yuan Dynasty and is known as the "First Mosque of Northern Henan." We ate the local specialty, fermented bean broth noodles. These are made by boiling the liquid squeezed out during tofu production into a broth, then adding soybeans, peanuts, celery, and crushed sesame paste. It tastes sour and fragrant, and it feels even better to eat in the summer.







2. Stir-fried broth noodles (qiangguo mian) in Kaifeng.

The Dongsimen Night Market in Kaifeng is at the intersection of Dongdajie Street and Jiefang Road. The market itself is small, but the atmosphere is great, with locals coming to eat and chat. We ate the classic stir-fried broth noodles at the night market.







7. Shanxi

1. Knife-cut noodles (daoxiao mian) in Datong.

The History of Yuan (Yuan Shi) records that in 1324, the first year of the Taiding era, the emperor ordered mosques to be built in Shangdu and Datong, granting 40,000 ingots of currency. This makes the Datong Mosque one of only two mosques from the Yuan Dynasty with official imperial records.

Yingze Street is a snack street in Datong with several halal restaurants. Most of the halal snacks here are only served in the morning, so it is best to come for breakfast. We ate knife-cut noodles with dried tofu and beef meatballs at Fengji Breakfast Shop. Datong's knife-cut noodles are probably the most famous. We tried them, and they lived up to their reputation; the texture of the noodles is excellent. People in Datong like to pair their knife-cut noodles with various braised meats and soy-sauce-marinated foods, which makes the flavor and texture very rich.







2. Poked noodles (tijian mian) in Taiyuan.

After the Ming Dynasty, Taiyuan gradually formed the "Ten Great Surnames of the Hui Muslims." During the Qing Dynasty, Taiyuan had over 100 local Hui Muslim households, plus more than 10 households of Hui Muslims who came from Suiyuan to do business, totaling five or six hundred people. After the Zhengtai Railway opened in 1907, the number of Hui Muslims coming to Taiyuan from Hebei increased significantly.

Yiqingyuan is a large halal restaurant in Taiyuan, where I ate hand-picked noodles (tijianmian). Shanxi has a truly rich variety of wheat-based foods. Hand-picked noodles (tijianmian) are made by using chopsticks to flick the dough into the pot. They are served with two types of sauce: meat gravy and tomato-egg sauce. This bowl of noodles only cost five yuan.







8. Shaanxi

1. Xixiang beef pulled noodles (che mian)

Xixiang County is located in the middle of the Hanzhong Basin in southern Shaanxi, nestled between the Qinling Mountains and the Bashan Mountains. The Muma River, a tributary of the Han River, flows through the county seat. Starting from the Ming Dynasty, Hui Muslims from Pingliang, Gansu, traveled to settle in Xixiang. During the Kangxi and Qianlong eras, the Hui Muslim population continued to grow. Local friends (dost) enthusiastically took us to eat.

Halal restaurants in Xixiang are mainly concentrated around the West Gate area. We ate the local specialty, braised beef pulled noodles (che mian), at an imam's (ahong) shop.







2. Ankang steamed noodles (zhengmian)

Ankang is the largest Muslim community in southern Shaanxi. Hui Muslims have lived there since the Ming Dynasty, and by the Republican era, seven mosques had been built. Ankang also has the richest halal food in southern Shaanxi.

In the morning, I ate steamed noodles (zhengmian) at Huang's Steamed Noodles, the most popular spot at the entrance of Gulou Street. Unlike the cold noodles (liangpi) in Xi'an which are seasoned with raw vinegar, Ankang steamed noodles (zhengmian) use boiled, cooked vinegar. Steamed noodles (zhengmian) usually include chili oil, but I didn't add any because I can't handle much spice.











3. Shuhe lamb mince noodles (saozimian)

Shuhe Ancient Town is the last town the Han River passes through before flowing from southern Shaanxi into Hubei. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, when Han River shipping was booming, it was an important commercial post. The town was filled with merchants and shops. Hui Muslims moved to Shuhe to settle during that time, and there are still several hundred households there today.

I ate lamb mince noodles (saozimian) on the street in Shuhe Town.







9. Ningxia

1. Yinchuan lamb pot-pinched noodles (xiao jiupian)

I ate lamb pot-pinched noodles (xiao jiupian) at Fuyuan Noodle Restaurant on Zhongxin Lane in Yinchuan. Lamb pot-pinched noodles (xiao jiupian) are made by three people pinching the dough into a large pot at the same time. Seeing the pieces of dough flying into the pot is quite a spectacular sight.









10. Gansu

1. Lanzhou mung bean sparrow-tongue noodles (biandou queshe mian) and river-bank noodle pieces (heyan mianpian)

After the 1980s, many Dongxiang people moved to Lanzhou to make a living, settling mostly in the Baishu Lane, Jiangouyan, and Shangxiyuan areas of Xiaoxihu. I had a small bowl of lentil sparrow-tongue noodles (biandou queshe mian) at Zhonghua Hand-Grabbed Lamb King in Jiangouyan. This place is very popular in Xiaoxihu. You have to share a table at noon, but the environment and service are great, and they refill your water often.





There are many restaurants side-by-side on Jiangouyan Street, and I also ate river-bank noodle slices (heyan mianpian) here. River-bank noodle slices originated in Guanghe County, Linxia. They evolved from stir-fried noodle slices (chao mianpian), but the flavor is much richer.





2. Linxia's old-style braised noodles (lao lu mian)

I ate old-style braised noodles in Linxia. The old-braised noodles were very rich and had a thick, hearty texture.





3. Dahejia's old-style stir-fried noodle slices (lao chao mianpian)

Dahejia is on the border of Gansu and Qinghai. Once you cross the Yellow River Bridge, you are in Minhe, Qinghai. People from the Bonan, Dongxiang, Salar, Han, Hui Muslims, and Tibetan ethnic groups live here. The town has many Dongxiang hand-grabbed lamb restaurants and Bonan waist-knife shops. We ate old-style stir-fried noodle slices here. My standard order whenever I visit the Hehuang region is hand-grabbed lamb (shouzhua) and noodle slices. This long-standing restaurant is crowded at noon. Most people eat cold noodles, but some order river-bank or old-style stir-fried noodles. Their kettles are filled with beef broth, and they put chopped green onions and salt in empty bowls so you can pour the broth and drink it right away.







4. Tofu cold noodles (doufu liangmian) at the Songmingyan Flower Festival

Every year during the Flower Festival, the entrance to the Songmingyan scenic area turns into a big market. It is very lively and sells everything. Before going into the mountains to listen to the folk songs (hua'er), we ate tofu cold noodles at the entrance.







11. Qinghai

1. Xining's fermented vegetable noodle slices (jiangshui mianpian) and lamb intestine noodles (yangchang mian)

A local friend in Xining recommended Dongxiang Jinhai Hand-Grabbed Lamb on Yangjia Lane. We ate fermented vegetable noodle slices there, and the pickled radishes and eight-treasure tea (babao cha) were free. It turned out to be the best meal we had on this trip! It was cheap and delicious, and the service was excellent. Every two minutes, a waiter would come by with a kettle to ask if we needed more tea. Zaina Bu really liked the fermented vegetable broth (jiangshui) and basically drank it all in one go.









Nilo Food City on the fifth floor of Xining's Wangfujing department store gathers many local halal snacks. It is clean, hygienic, and cheap. We ate the Qinghai-style lamb intestine noodles.







2. Dry mixed noodles with meat sauce from Xunhua.

Here in Xunhua, even the beef noodle shops have small private rooms; the environment is really quite good. After ordering, they served meat broth and tea first, and we also ordered a platter of cold dishes. Besides the thread chili (xianlajiao), people in Xunhua also love eating tiger-skin chili (hupilajiao). While waiting for the bus earlier, I noticed the grandpas and grandmas shopping were all carrying a bag of tiger-skin chili.

Dry-mixed noodles with meat sauce (roujiangganban) should be a specialty here in Qinghai. I had it before at a Salar restaurant in Beijing called A-Gong Noodle House, but this time it felt more authentic. The noodles were thin and chewy, the sauce was especially fragrant, and this meal cost less than twenty yuan, which is great value.









12. Xinjiang.

1. Black goat meat stir-fried with noodles (guoyou rou banmian) from Toksun.

The most popular spot in Toksun town is Lao Si Hao. It is packed at meal times, with locals and people who traveled specifically from Turpan. Their specialty is black goat meat stir-fried with noodles. The black goat is a local specialty that lives on the cliffs of the Tianshan Mountains. It is much more expensive than regular lamb, but the taste and texture are truly different. I think it is much better.









2. Yellow noodles (huangmian) with grilled meat from Flaming Mountain.

Eating yellow noodles with grilled meat in Flaming Mountain Town. Flaming Mountain Town is famous for its yellow noodles with grilled meat, and the whole street sells them. The most famous shop is called 'Flaming Mountain Famous Yellow Noodle and Grilled Meat Shop,' but it was fully booked when we arrived, so we ate at the place across the street. We ordered a mix of yellow noodles and cold starch noodles (liangpi). The grilled meat is taken off the skewers and placed on top of the yellow noodles. It is very refreshing in the summer and feels perfect for the climate of Flaming Mountain.









3. Home-style mixed noodles (banmian) from a Hui Muslim family in Urumqi.

Our first meal back in Urumqi featured four types of mixed noodles: celery with meat, onion (piyazi) with cherry radish, eggplant with meat, and pickled vegetables with meat. It was wonderful. This time, the hand-pulled noodles (latiaozi) were made using the coiled method, where the dough is rolled out and then coiled to rest.











4. Bean noodles (doudou mian) and eggplant noodles from Shanshan County.

Eating bean noodles and eggplant noodles in Shanshan County, Turpan. People in Turpan really love beans, including bean soup rice (doudou tangfan), bean dumplings (doudou ququ'er), and bean mixed noodles.













5. Pigeon and turnip (qiamagu) noodles from Yarkant (Shache).

We ate pigeon with the Yarkant Muqam Art Troupe at the 'Muqam Hometown Restaurant.' This is a famous place for eating pigeon in Yarkant.







6. Large bowl of wild mushroom and lamb soup rice (tangfan) from Hami.

Eating Hui Muslim-style large bowl of wild mushroom and lamb soup rice in Hami. It is called a large bowl, but it is actually a large basin. When you order, the portion is based on the amount of lamb, with a minimum of half a kilogram, served with fried dough (youxiang) and various side dishes. This was my first time eating lamb soup with rice (yangrou tangfan) in such a generous portion, and it felt so warm and comfortable.









7. Wild mushroom noodles (banmian) in Bayanbulak Town.

I ate wild mushroom noodles in Bayanbulak Town, Bayingolin Prefecture. In the summer, the whole town is covered in wild mushrooms drying in the sun.









8. Stir-fried hand-rolled noodles (cuoyumian) in Zhaosu.

I had a plate of stir-fried hand-rolled noodles at the Zhaosu food street. The Huo surname among Hui Muslims comes from "Khwaja," which means "Hoja."





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Reposted from the web

Summary: Halal Food Guide: Beijing — South Asian and Middle Eastern Halal Restaurants is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: I have organized some dishes I ate at various South Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants in Beijing, hoping this helps you when ordering. The account keeps its focus on Beijing Halal Food, Middle Eastern Food, South Asian Food while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

I have organized some dishes I ate at various South Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants in Beijing, hoping this helps you when ordering.

1. The Levant

Falafel (fried chickpea balls)

Falafel is known as the national dish of Egypt, Israel, and Palestine. These fried chickpea balls likely originated in the Nile Delta of ancient Egypt and spread to the Levant through trade in the port of Alexandria. In the Levant, falafel changed from being made with fried fava beans to fried chickpeas. To make falafel, soak the chickpeas overnight, grind them with parsley, cumin, cilantro, and other spices, shape them into balls, and deep-fry them. After frying, the inside of the falafel remains soft.

Falafel in pita bread at the Jordanian restaurant Al Safir:





Falafel at the Arabic fast-food restaurant Taiba:



Falafel at the Palestinian restaurant Zayton:





Kibbeh (fried meat balls)

Kibbeh is made of cracked wheat wrapped around a filling of minced meat, chopped onions, and Middle Eastern spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Kibbeh is the North Levantine dialect version of the classical Arabic word kubbah, which translates literally to "ball." Kibbeh is most famous in Aleppo, northern Syria, where there are 17 different varieties. Besides the original flavor, they can be made with yogurt, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, or cherry sauce.

Yogurt kibbeh at the Jordanian restaurant Al Safir:



Kibbeh at the Lebanese restaurant Alameen:



Mahashi (stuffed vegetables with rice and meat)

Mahashi is made by stuffing Lebanese zucchini (kusa) and eggplant with minced meat and rice, then cooking them in tomato sauce, cumin, and broth. Mahashi is a classic Ottoman dish found throughout former Ottoman territories from the Balkans to the Levant (the eastern Mediterranean coast) and Egypt, with each region having its own unique way of making it. Mahashi is a common dish served at weddings, family gatherings, and during Eid al-Fitr.

Mahashi at the Lebanese restaurant Al Ameen:



Lahmacun (meat flatbread)

Lahmacun comes from Arabic and translates literally to "meat with dough." During the Ottoman era, lahmacun spread from the Arab world to Turkey, Armenia, and other former Ottoman regions. Because of this, it is also called "Turkish pizza" or "Armenian pizza," though the basic method is always a thin flatbread topped with minced meat.

Lahmacun at the Turkish restaurant Rumi's Secret:



Lahmacun at the Arabic fast food shop Taiba:



Lahmacun at the Turkish restaurant Doner & Kebab:



Lahmacun at the Turkish restaurant Kubei:



Lahmacun at the Turkish restaurant Dardanelles:



Za'atar Manakeesh flatbread

Manakeesh is a type of Arab flatbread. Za'atar is a Levantine spice blend made from Syrian oregano (also called Lebanese oregano), toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, and thyme, mixed with olive oil before eating. Syrian oregano is also considered the hyssop mentioned in the Bible. People in Syria and Lebanon often find wild oregano in the fields, pick the leaves to dry in the sun, and then grind them into a powder to make the spice. Za'atar has an earthy taste with a hint of citrus and nuttiness. It feels very unique the first time you eat it.

Za'atar Manakeesh flatbread at the Arabic restaurant Taiba:



Mandi lamb rice

Mandi originated in Yemen and is popular in the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, and the Levant. Mandi is usually made with rice, meat (lamb, camel, or chicken), and Hawaij spice. Hawaij is also a specialty spice from Yemen used for cooking, soups, and coffee. Its main ingredients are cumin, black pepper, turmeric, and cardamom. The texture of Mandi is drier than regular curry rice.

Mandi lamb rice at the Syrian restaurant BRBR:



Mandi lamb rice at the Syrian restaurant One Thousand and One Nights:



Chickpea yogurt salad (Fatteh)

Fatteh means "crushed" in Arabic. It is a snack from the southern Levant region, found in Damascus, Beirut, Jordan, and Palestine, but not in the northern Levant. The main ingredient of Fatteh is crushed flatbread (Khubz). It is topped with yogurt, steamed chickpeas, olive oil, and other ingredients, then sprinkled with cumin. Sometimes it includes eggplant, carrots, chicken, or lamb.

Fatteh at the Palestinian restaurant Zayton:



Tabbouleh salad

Tabbouleh is a Levantine Meze (appetizer). It is made of chopped parsley, tomatoes, mint, onions, and bulgur (crushed dried wheat). It is seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. The word "tabbūle" in Levantine Arabic comes from the ancient Aramaic root "t-b-l," which means "to season" or "to dip." Tabbouleh salad comes from the mountains of Lebanon and Syria. Wheat grown in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon was once known as the best for making bulgur.

Tabbouleh at the Palestinian restaurant Zayton:



Tabbouleh salad at the Syrian restaurant BRBR:



Chickpea dip (hummus)

Hummus is short for the Arabic term "ḥummuṣ bi ṭaḥīna" (chickpeas with sesame paste). Hummus is a mix of chickpeas, sesame paste (tahini), olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. It is very popular across the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

Lamb hummus at the Jordanian restaurant Al Safir:



Hummus at the Arabic fast food shop Taiba:



Hummus at the Turkish restaurant Xiting Xiuse:



Hummus at the Turkish restaurant Kubei (in the middle):



Beef hummus at the Palestinian restaurant Zayton:



Pine nut hummus at the Syrian restaurant One Thousand and One Nights:



Eggplant dip (baba ghanoush)

To make baba ghanoush, you roast eggplant until soft, mash it, and add olive oil and lemon juice. Sometimes people also add sesame paste, onions, or tomatoes.

Baba ghanoush at the Syrian restaurant BRBR:



Lentil soup

Lentil soup is made from lentils and has a very long history. You can use many types of lentils for lentil soup, including green, brown, red, yellow, and black lentils. Genesis chapter 25 mentions, "Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way." This refers to red lentil soup.

Lentil soup at the Lebanese restaurant Al Ameen:



Lentil soup at the Arabic fast food shop Taiba:



Lentil soup at the Syrian restaurant BRBR:



Lentil and wheat grain soup at a Turkish mother's home:



Lentil soup at the Turkish restaurant Rumi's Secret:



Lentil soup at the Turkish restaurant Xiting Xiuse:



Lentil soup at the Azerbaijani/Turkish restaurant Doner & Kebab:



Kofta meatballs

The word kofta comes from the Persian word "kufte," which means "ground meat." Kofta recipes appeared in early Arabic cookbooks, originally as large lamb meatballs with saffron and egg yolk.

Kofta meatball soup at the Syrian restaurant One Thousand and One Nights:



2. Maghreb Chapter (Tunisia)

Harira bean soup

Harira bean soup is a classic appetizer in the Maghreb region (Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia). It is most commonly made for breaking the fast during Ramadan. Every region makes Harira differently. The version we had included tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, lamb, and various spices.

Harira bean soup at the Tunisian restaurant La Medina:



Brik pastry

Brik pastry is a North African Berber dish that was later brought to Israel by Tunisian Jews. The filling usually contains eggs, tuna, harissa sauce (Harissa), and parsley. It is then wrapped in a crispy dough called Malsouka or Warka and deep-fried.

Brik pastry at the Tunisian restaurant La Medina:



Couscous

Couscous (Couscous) is a staple of Berber cuisine. It is made by rubbing semolina into millet-sized grains and then drying them in the sun. Couscous was first seen in North Africa between the 11th and 13th centuries. The famous 13th-century Andalusian scholar and gourmet Ibn Razin al-Tuyibi first recorded the method for making couscous in his book, The Andalusian Cookbook.

Couscous at the Tunisian restaurant La Medina:



North African sausage (merguez)

North African sausage (Merguez) is made with lamb and beef, mixed with cumin, harissa sauce, chili, and other spices. It is usually grilled. Merguez sausage was first seen in the 12th century in Andalusia, which was southern Spain under Arab rule, and later spread throughout North Africa.

North African sausage (merguez) at the Tunisian restaurant La Medina:



Tajine pot (tajine)

The tagine (Tajine) is a North African Berber specialty that appeared in the 9th-century classic One Thousand and One Nights. Modern tagines are made of pottery, sometimes glazed. They have a round, flat bottom and a conical or domed top. This design allows evaporated steam to return to the bottom, and water can be added through a hole in the lid.

Tajine at the Tunisian restaurant La Medina:



3. Turkey Chapter

Pide pizza

Pide may come from the ancient Greek word "pítta" and refers to three types of bread in Turkey. One is a flatbread similar to Arabic pita, one is a soft leavened bread served during Ramadan, and the third is a large boat-shaped pizza. To make Pide pizza, you put various cheeses and meats on dough and bake it in an oven.

Lamb and cheese Pide at Dardanelles:



Three-topping Pide with cheese, meat, and vegetables at Rumi's Secret:





Spinach Pide at Xiting Xiuse during Ramadan:



Beef and cheese Pide at Xiting Xiuse:



Assorted Pide at Desert Rose:



Double cheese Pide at Kubei:



Mevlana meat Pide at Kubei:



Sultan's Delight (Hünkar Beğendi)

Sultan's Delight (Hünkar Beğendi) is a dish that started in the Ottoman palace. It uses rich lamb stew served over creamy roasted eggplant puree and is quite rare in Beijing.

Sultan's Delight at Turkish Mom:



Beef sausage fried eggs (Sucuklu yumurta)

The "Sujuk" in Sucuklu yumurta first appeared in the Compendium of the Turkic Dialects. It is made by grinding beef, adding tail fat and other fats, stuffing it into casings, tying it with string, and letting it ferment gradually.

Sucuklu yumurta at the Turkish/Azerbaijani restaurant Xiting Xiuse:



Pottery kebab (Testi kebabı)

Testi kebabı is a popular way of eating in central Anatolia and the west-central Black Sea region. You put beef, mushrooms, tomatoes, and shallots into a clay pot, seal the opening with bread, and slow-cook it in an oven. After the stew is ready, sear it in butter on an iron plate. Then, crack open the clay pot and toss the bread and the stew inside onto the plate. The aroma is incredible!

Sucuklu yumurta at the Turkish/Azerbaijani restaurant Xiting Xiuse:



Simit bagel

The earliest record of the simit bagel in Istanbul dates back to 1525. According to the famous 17th-century Ottoman traveler Evliya Celebi, there were 70 simit bakeries in Istanbul in the 1630s.

Simit at the Turkish restaurant Kubei:



Baklava dessert

Baklava is the most famous dessert of the Ottoman Empire, developed by the royal chefs at the Topkapi Palace. On the 15th day of Ramadan each year, the Ottoman Sultan would attend a ceremony called 'Baklava Alayı' to distribute trays of Baklava to the Janissaries. Baklava is a flaky pastry made by layering very thin unleavened filo dough, filled with crushed pistachios, walnuts, syrup, or honey.

Baklava from a Turkish mom:



Baklava at Kubei:



Baklava at Desert Rose:



Salty yogurt drink (Ayran)

Ayran is a drink made by mixing yogurt, salt, and water. You can also add mint or carbonated water. It is perfect with grilled meat in the summer. The word Ayran comes from Turkic and first appeared in the 'Compendium of the Turkic Dialects' written by Mahmud al-Kashgari in the 1070s.

Ayran at Xiting Xiuse:



Ayran at Kubei:





4. Caucasus Chapter

Karabakh Pilaf

Karabakh is a region on the border of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Its name comes from the Turkic word 'Kara' (black) and the Persian word 'Bagh' (garden). Most people living there now are Azerbaijanis. The Karabakh Pilaf we ate was stewed lamb with apricots. The rice is yellow because it is stained with saffron juice. When I was in Baku before, I ate this apricot and saffron pilaf while listening to Azerbaijani mugham music. It felt very familiar to eat it again this time.

Karabakh Pilaf at the Turkish/Azerbaijani restaurant Xiting Xiuse:



5. South Asia

Samosa curry pastry (samosa)

Muslim merchants from Central Asia brought the samosa to South Asia from Persia during the 13th and 14th centuries. Around 1300, the Delhi Sultanate scholar Amir Khusro wrote that princes and nobles in the Delhi Sultanate enjoyed "samosas made with meat, clarified butter (ghee), and onions."

Samosa at the Kolkata restaurant Saduri:





Samosa at the Pakistani restaurant Khan Baba:



Thin yogurt drink (lassi)

Lassi comes from the Sanskrit word 'lasika,' which originally meant serum. Lassi comes in sweet and salty versions. The sweet version is mainly found in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Sindh, while the salty version is widely distributed across other parts of North India.

Lassi at the Kolkata restaurant Saduri:



Vegetable yogurt (raita)

Raita is a Hindi word formed by combining the Sanskrit words 'rajika' and 'tiktaka,' meaning 'black mustard seeds' and 'pungent.' This is because making raita involves frying black mustard seeds and cumin, mixing them into chopped vegetables, and then adding them to yogurt.

Raita at the Kolkata restaurant Saduri:



Fried curry (bhuna)

Bhuna means 'to fry' in Urdu. It usually includes onion, ginger, and garlic. When cooking, the curry is fried in hot oil until it becomes a paste. I think it tastes better than regular curry.

Beef bhuna at the Kolkata restaurant Saduri:



Stewed curry (korma)

Korma is a type of curry stewed with coconut milk or yogurt. The word 'korma' comes from the Turkic word 'qawirma,' which originally meant to fry, but evolved into the Urdu word for stew. Korma is a classic Mughal court dish that originated in the 16th century. People say Shah Jahan ate korma with his guests at the banquet celebrating the completion of the Taj Mahal.

Vegetable korma at the Kolkata restaurant Saduri:



Lamb korma at Mirch Masala:



Spice blend curry (masala)

Masala is a famous South Asian spice blend. Its main ingredients are garlic, ginger, onion, chili, and tomato. There is no fixed recipe for masala tea, but it usually includes black tea, milk, sugar, cardamom, black pepper, and ginger. Other spices include cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds, and cloves.

Masala fish stew at the Pakistani restaurant Khan Baba:



Masala tea at the Indian Kitchen:



Potato rice crepe (dosa) with potato sauce and masala curry at the Indian Kitchen:



Masala lamb at the Kolkata restaurant Sadhu:



Pickled chickpea curry (achari chana masala) at the Pakistani restaurant Lahore Restaurant:



Clay pot (handi)

Handi is a popular way to eat curry in northern South Asia. It uses many rich spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. The biggest difference from regular South Asian curry is that handi does not use ginger, but uses garlic and onions instead.

Lamb handi at the Pakistani restaurant Khan Baba:



Chicken pickled curry (achari handi) at the Pakistani restaurant Khan Baba:



Curried chickpeas (dall chana)

Dal means split in Sanskrit. In South Asia, it refers to hulled legumes, including chickpeas, peas, and lentils. You can eat them dry or with soup.

Curried chickpeas (dall chana) at the Pakistani restaurant Khan Baba:



Biryani rice

Biryani is a Persian loanword in Urdu. It likely originated in the Mughal court. People say Mughal royal chefs created it by combining Indian spicy rice with Persian pilaf. Mughal documents mention both biryanis and pilaf (pulao), and the two terms were interchangeable at the time. People generally think biryani contains more spices and has a stronger curry flavor than pilaf.

Biryani at the Pakistani restaurant Zam Zam:



Biryani at the Pakistani restaurant Khan Baba:



Biryani at the Pakistani restaurant Lahore Restaurant:



Biryani at the restaurant Mirch Masala:



Raisin pilaf (shejhani pulao)

Although rice has been grown in Eurasia for a very long time, the style of cooking rice in a large pot only became popular from Andalusia to Afghanistan during the Abbasid Caliphate. The word pilaf (pilāv) comes from Persian. The earliest record of pilaf dates back to the 10th-century writings of the Persian scholar Ibn Sina, which is why some people call him the father of modern pilaf. After the 16th century, pilaf became popular in India as the Mughal Empire flourished.

Shejhani Pulao at the Kolkata restaurant Sadri:



Tikka grilled meat chunks

Tikka comes from the Turkic word tikkü, which means piece. The Mughal Empire brought this style of grilling spiced, boneless meat or vegetable chunks to India. The most common version is chicken tikka.

The tikka platter at the Pakistani restaurant ZAM ZAM includes mint chicken (Haryali Tikka), lamb tikka, beef tikka, and fish tikka.



Grilled salmon tikka at the Kolkata restaurant Sadri:



Grilled tofu (Paneer Tikka) at the Indian Little Kitchen.

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Reposted from the web

Summary: Qinghai — Ping’an, Xunhua and Xining Muslim Heritage is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2021 Dragon Boat Festival, I visited Ping'an, Xunhua, and Xining in Qinghai. My main goal was to visit the traditional historical mosques and gongbei buildings there, and I gained a lot. The account keeps its focus on Qinghai Travel, Hui Muslims, China Mosques while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

During the 2021 Dragon Boat Festival, I visited Ping'an, Xunhua, and Xining in Qinghai. My main goal was to visit the traditional historical mosques and gongbei buildings there, and I gained a lot.

I stayed overnight at Ping'an Station (Ping'anyi).

I took a late flight to Xining Airport, then took a taxi to the Daqingzhen Kanguo Barbecue restaurant in the Ping'an District of Haidong to eat pan-roasted meat (kanguo). They have many types of pan-roasted meat, including lamb, tripe, intestines, and chicken. We had the pan-roasted lamb head and also ordered the wheat kernel porridge (mairen zhou), which is a must-have at Qinghai barbecue shops.

The restaurant layout features small private rooms common in Qinghai town restaurants. Even for two people, you can pull the curtain for privacy, which feels quite nice. After ordering, they brought out free pickles, radishes, mung bean jelly (liangfen), and boiled tea (aocha). The servers were very friendly. I had a few bites of the jelly and some tea, and then the pan-roasted meat arrived. Besides a whole lamb head, it came with potatoes, corn, and vermicelli, so we didn't really need to order any staple food. I finished with a bowl of wheat kernel porridge and felt very satisfied.















The next day, I had lamb offal soup (yangzasui) with flatbread (bingzi) at the Shalihai Lamb Offal shop on the main street of Ping'an, Haidong. Across the street is the Ping'an food street, Ping'anfang Pedestrian Street. I bought some handmade yogurt at the Hongshuiquan Starch Jelly (niangpi) shop inside. Hongshuiquan is where the most famous Hongshuiquan Great Mosque in Haidong is located.









The Upper and Lower Gongbei of Shangma Family in Bazanggou.

I took a Didi taxi from Ping'an to the famous Upper and Lower Gongbei of the Shangma family in Bazanggou, Haidong. The Upper Gongbei of the Shangma family is on the peak of Woniu Mountain, so it is also called Woniu Mountain Gongbei. It is the tomb of Ma Diangong (1643-1715), a leader of the Khufiyya Sufi order (menhuan).











The Lower Gongbei of the Shangma family in Bazanggou is the tomb of Xian Chengde (known as Chuanli Taiye), the third-generation sheikh of the Khufiyya Xianmen menhuan. Xian Chengde built this gongbei during the Jiaqing reign. Shortly after it was completed in 1812, he passed away (returned to Allah), and his followers buried him there. In 1895, the fifth-generation sheikh of the Xianmen, Xian Linyuan, also passed away and was buried in the Lower Gongbei.









We were warmly received at the Lower Gongbei of Shangmazhuang and were given fried dough (youxiang) and clear-stewed meat.







Yangulu Gongbei.

At noon, I chartered a car from Ping'an District, Haidong, to the famous Yangulu Gongbei in Xunhua. After a two-hour drive, we crossed the mountains from the Huangshui Valley into the Yellow River Valley and arrived at the Gongboxia Dam pier. When we reached the pier, a boat was about to depart. It carried a large family of Hui Muslims from Linxia who were visiting the gongbei, and we took the boat together to the gongbei pier.





To get from the pier to the gongbei, you have to walk along a mountain path by the Yellow River, but it has been widened in recent years and is much easier to walk than before.



At the end of the mountain road, there are over 30 houses built in 1985 with community funds to provide food, lodging, and rest for those visiting the gongbei. We performed wudu (abudaisi) here, listened to the advice of the Salar uncle who guards the gongbei, and prepared to head toward the cliff leading to the shrine.











After crossing the final stone threshold, we reached three rest pavilions built below the gongbei during the Guangxu reign. Not far above them stands the hexagonal, pointed-roof gongbei pavilion.





Going down the mountain is actually much harder than going up because it is a vertical cliff. You cannot see the path at all, so you have to feel your way with your feet, step by step. It is often hard to find where to place your next step, and halfway down, my calves started shaking from the intense tension. In the end, it took us even longer to reach the foot of the mountain than it did to climb up.



At the foot of the mountain, we were warmly welcomed by the Salar guardians of the gongbei. We ate delicious braised meat bowls (huiwan), steamed buns (momo), old-stock chicken (laotangji), and hand-grabbed lamb chops (shouzhuayangpai), and drank plenty of clear tea. The Yangulu Gongbei is currently guarded by four Salar families who have lived here for generations. Food and lodging are free for all believers who visit, and the income mainly comes from charitable donations (nietie).







After a full meal, we said goodbye to our warm Salar friends, returned to the pier, and took a boat to leave Yangulu.



Xunhua County Town

In the evening, we traveled from Yangulu to Xunhua County town, bought some handmade yogurt with rapeseed oil, and then ate some Salar dry-mixed beef noodles.

Here in Xunhua, even the beef noodle shops have small private rooms; the environment is really quite good. After ordering, they served meat broth and tea first, and we also ordered a platter of cold dishes. Besides the thread chili (xianlajiao), people in Xunhua also love eating tiger-skin chili (hupilajiao). While waiting for the bus earlier, I noticed the grandpas and grandmas shopping were all carrying a bag of tiger-skin chili. Dry-mixed noodles with meat sauce (roujiangganban) should be a specialty here in Qinghai. I had it before at a Salar restaurant in Beijing called A-Gong Noodle House, but this time it felt more authentic. The noodles were thin and chewy, the sauce was especially fragrant, and this meal cost less than twenty yuan, which is great value.

















The Yellow River at the Xunhua section.



In the morning, we had a bowl of beef noodles in Xunhua County town, then set off to visit the beautiful traditional Salar mosques.







Qingshuihedong Mosque

Qingshuihedong Mosque is the main mosque (haiyisi) of the Qingshui Gong of the Salar Eight Gongs. It was first built in 1425 and has been rebuilt many times throughout history.









Mengda Mosque

Mengda Mosque is located in Dazhuang Village, Mengda Township, Xunhua, Qinghai. It was first built in 1408 (the sixth year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty) and expanded three times during the Qing Dynasty. It is the main mosque (haiyisi) of the Mengda Gong, one of the Salar Eight Gongs.







The Yellow River at the Mengda section.









Tashapo Mosque

Tashapo Mosque was first built in 1480 (the sixteenth year of the Chenghua reign of the Ming Dynasty) and rebuilt in 1755 (the twentieth year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty).









Labian Mosque

Labian Mosque was first built during the Qianlong era. The main hall was rebuilt in 2015, leaving only the call-to-prayer tower (xuanlilou) and the two side gate towers as the original ancient structures.



Zhangga Mosque

Zhangga Mosque was first built in 1406 (the fourth year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty) and was rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty.







Kewa Mosque

Kewa Mosque was first built in 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty) and expanded during the Qing Dynasty. It is the main Friday mosque (jumuasi) for the Salar people's eight gong (gong) and nine man (man) groups.









At Kewa Mosque, we were warmly welcomed by a Salar imam. He gave us a detailed introduction to the mosque and its wall paintings, and even cut up a melon for us to eat. I want to thank the imam here!





Returning to the county town.

At noon, we ate stir-fried beef and dough paste (jiaotuan) at a Salar family farmhouse restaurant in the county town. Dough paste (jiaotuan) is made by stir-frying flour until cooked, boiling it with water, and then adding refined vegetable oil. It tastes very fragrant. In Xunhua, Salar family eateries are divided into tea restaurants and farmhouse restaurants. The tea restaurants have a wider variety of dishes, but if you want authentic Salar food, I recommend going to a farmhouse restaurant.











Then we went to the Jiezi Town fried dough twist (sanzi) market to buy Salar-style fried dates (youzao). These are large dates wrapped in dough and fried. One bite is full of date juice.









Jiezi Grand Mosque Quran Collection Hall

I was very lucky to visit the Quran Collection Hall at Jiezi Grand Mosque. I saw the handwritten Quran that the Salar people brought with them when they migrated from the Samarkand area to Xunhua over 700 years ago.

The Quran consists of 30 volumes, stored in two rhinoceros-hide cases. Historically, this set of the Quran was kept by the religious leader known as the 'Gazi'. When the Gazi system was abolished in 1896, the Quran remained in the care of the Gazi's descendants. People say in 1894, Ma Qishao (Ma Anliang) from Linxia seized the Quran. However, on his way back to Linxia from Xunhua, he encountered a violent storm and could not cross the mountains, so he had to return the Quran. During the Republic of China era, the Quran was seized by Ma Bufang. It was not returned to Han Wushiba, a descendant of the Jiezi Gazi, until the 1950s.

In 1954, the Quran was sent to Syria for an international exhibition, where it made a great impression on the Islamic world. After the '58 Religious Reform' in 1958, the burning of religious texts began. On the advice of the 'Salar Social History Investigation Group' then conducting research in Xunhua, the Quran was sent to the Cultural Palace of Nationalities under the guise of participating in a 10th-anniversary national exhibition. It was stored in the basement of the Cultural Palace for the next twenty years, only returning to Jiezi Grand Mosque in 1982.

The Quran I photographed.







The uncle who showed us around the collection hall is telling us about the migration route of the Salar people.



The Quran was photographed in 1933 by the American missionary Reverend Carter Holton (Hai Yingguang). Reverend Holton lived in the Hehuang region for many years between the 1920s and 1940s. Reverend Holton loved photography and left behind over 5,000 photos of the ethnic customs in the Gansu and Qinghai regions. In the early 1990s, his second daughter donated them all to the Harvard University Library, where they can now be viewed on the library's official website.









Imam Hai holds the Quran himself.



The Quran kept in the collection hall.





After the Salar people settled in Jiezi Town, the descendants of the highest Salar scholar, Sulimanisha Hai, hand-copied this using specially mixed ink and a tamarisk (gelimu) reed pen; it is over 600 years old.



A manuscript from the 17th to 18th century, wrapped in cowhide.









Printed and published in Iran, it contains 18 grams of gold.





Camel Spring (Luotuo Quan).

Next to the Quran collection hall is Camel Spring, the first place the Salar people settled after migrating from Central Asia to Xunhua. In Salar legend, Ahman and Qarman originally lived near Samarkand. Because they were oppressed by their ruler, they led their people while pulling a white camel. The camel carried a bowl of soil from their hometown, a pot of water, and a Quran. They crossed the Tianshan Mountains heading east and finally arrived in Qinghai. When they reached Aotusi Mountain near Jiezi, they were very tired and decided to stop and rest. In the middle of the night, Qarman discovered the camel was missing. They searched everywhere and finally found the camel lying on the ground turned into stone, with water flowing from its mouth. They unloaded the water, soil, and Quran from the camel and began to recite the Quran. When they tasted the spring water flowing from the camel's mouth, they found it very sweet, exactly the same as the water they had brought with them. They compared it to the soil they brought and found it was also exactly the same, so they decided to settle down here.









Several traditional Salar fence houses (libalou) were built in the Camel Spring scenic area. The fence house is called "baliaoyi" in the Salar language and has two floors. The upper floor is for guest rooms and bedrooms, while the lower floor is for storage and livestock pens. The fence walls use honeysuckle branches and pine boards, covered with a mixture of three types of soil, and the main structure is made of high rammed brown earth walls or a mix of stone and brick.













The Camel Spring scenic area features a restored Qing Dynasty Salar courtyard house, with a living room in the center of the main house, heated brick beds (kang) on both sides, and Arabic calligraphy hanging in the middle.

















Jiezi Gongbei.

Hidden in the cemetery on the north side of the Great Mosque of Jiezi, the Jiezi Gongbei is the only historical relic left in Jiezi. Currently, only the lower brick section remains, featuring exquisite brick carvings and an inscription stating it was "rebuilt in the first year of Xianfeng," which is 1851. Collapse Read »

Reposted from the web

Summary: Qinghai — Ping’an, Xunhua and Xining Muslim Heritage is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: It is very precious that Pastor Carter Holton, who was preaching in Xunhua in the 1930s, took photos of the Jiezi Gongbei that have been well-preserved for over 80 years. The account keeps its focus on Qinghai Travel, Hui Muslims, Halal Food while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.







It is very precious that Pastor Carter Holton, who was preaching in Xunhua in the 1930s, took photos of the Jiezi Gongbei that have been well-preserved for over 80 years.











Night in Xunhua County.

In the evening, we had the local specialty, colostrum milk (jiaonai), in the county town. Colostrum milk (jiaonai) is the milk produced by a cow within three days of giving birth, mixed with regular milk and steamed. It has a texture like egg custard, but a very unique taste. Some people might not be used to it, but many elderly grandparents in Qinghai love it.







At night, we ate barbecue at the East Gate Food Street in the county town. We ordered half a jin of grilled lamb chops, a clay pot dish, and a grilled flatbread (kaomo). Zainabu also ordered a bowl of fermented vegetable juice (jiangshui) on the side. Having a little barbecue at night is quite comfortable.



















There are three main types of breakfast in Xunhua: beef noodles, lamb offal soup (yangzasui) with flatbread, and steamed buns with fermented rice wine (baozi laozao). We had breakfast at the Xiuying Baozi Laozao Restaurant on Jishi Street. Actually, the steamed bun and fermented rice wine shops here sell many other things. I saw that what people ate the most were stewed vegetable bowls (huiwan) and deep-fried dough sticks (youtiao). The stewed vegetable bowl (huiwan), also called mixed vegetables (huicai), mainly contains radishes, potatoes, vermicelli, and meat. We had eaten it before at the Yangu Road Gongbei. You can also drink milk, eat starch noodle soup (fentang), black rice porridge, and other things.

















The Gasan Antique Shop in the county town has all kinds of ritual water jugs (tangping hu), which are quite interesting.









Suzhi Mosque.

The Suzhi Mosque in Xunhua, Qinghai, was first built in 1460 (the fourth year of the Tianshun reign of the Ming Dynasty) and expanded during the Qing Dynasty. It is currently a cultural relic protection unit of Qinghai Province.







Ahetan Mosque.

Although the Ahetan Mosque is located in Hualong County, north of the Yellow River, it is still a Salar ethnic mosque and belongs to the Suzhi Gong, one of the eight Salar Gongs, just like the Suzhi Mosque.





In the main hall of the mosque, we received a warm welcome from the imam.



Setting off for Xining.

At noon, we had a home-style mixed clay pot (shijin tu huoguo) in Xunhua County. It had a rich variety of vegetables, and there was actually a lot of meat hidden underneath. Two people were very full after finishing a small pot.











In the afternoon, we headed from Xunhua to Xining Airport. Halfway there, we received news that our flight was canceled due to heavy rain in Beijing, so we had to change our flight and head to downtown Xining instead.

With a few extra hours on our hands, we went to the Niluo Food City on the fifth floor of the Xining Wangfujing Department Store to have some snacks. Niluo Food City is not the kind of messy snack stall area often seen in shopping malls. It gathers many local halal snacks and is clean, hygienic, and cheap. We ate Qinghai specialties like wheat kernel porridge (mairen zhou), lamb intestine noodles (yangchang mian), and fermented oat milk tea (tianpeizi naicha). It felt very pleasant to have some snacks here after getting tired from walking around the mall.



















Zainab tried river snail rice noodles (luosifen) for the first time at Nile Food City, haha. This shop is very clean and hygienic, and local Hui Muslim girls love to eat here.











Zainab couldn't stop thinking about the homemade yogurt (suannai) from Yangjia Third Alley after drinking it last year, so she made sure to have some this time while visiting Xining. Zainab loves this pure yogurt (suannai) that has no added sugar or rapeseed oil.







Collapse Read »

Reposted from the web

Summary: Beijing Autumn Diary — Mosques, Halal Food and Muslim Heritage is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: After a night tour of the mummy exhibition at the Century Altar, I went to Jiasan Steamed Buns (baozi) at Baiyunguan for lamb pita bread soup (yangrou paomo). The account keeps its focus on Beijing Halal Food, Beijing Mosques, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

September 3, Jiasan Steamed Buns (baozi) at Baiyunguan.

After a night tour of the mummy exhibition at the Century Altar, I went to Jiasan Steamed Buns (baozi) at Baiyunguan for lamb pita bread soup (yangrou paomo). I also ordered a water basin soup (shuipen) without vermicelli but with extra dried tofu, eight-treasure sweet porridge (babao tianxifan), pickles, lamb skewers, and Bingfeng soda.













Several ways to eat pita bread soup (paomo): mouth soup (koutang), water-surrounded city (shuiweicheng), separate serving (danzou), wide soup (kuantang), dry soak (ganpao), and one-split-two (yikai'er).

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September 4, Wang's at Xilou Hutong.

Early in the morning, I finished walking through the morning market outside Dongzhimen and had breakfast at Wang's in Xilou Hutong. I had a meat-filled baked bun (huoshao jiarou), tofu pudding (doufunao), and soy milk. I was afraid of rain, so I didn't eat in the alley, but it didn't rain at all after I finished.













September 4, Making big plate chicken (dapanji) at home.

In the afternoon, I had big plate chicken (dapanji) at home. I bought a free-range chicken at the Changying halal supermarket on Friday. Today, I cut it up, and Zainab stir-fried the big plate chicken (dapanji). We also made some delicious belt noodles (pidaimian). After eating, we drank some warm brick tea (zhuancha). It was perfect for the weather between late summer and early autumn.



















September 5, Xingshengzhai in Baiwanzhuang.

At noon, I went to Xingshengzhai in Baiwanzhuang. It is located in the commercial area planned in 1953 for this "first residential area of New China." This was China's earliest practice of the "neighborhood unit" design concept, where several open residential communities share one commercial area. Because there is a courtyard, we could eat outside. It was perfect for the cool weather after today's rain. We ordered stir-fried chicken cubes with bean paste (jiangbao jiding), pan-fried tofu (guota doufu), and fermented bean curd (madoufu). We also grilled vegetable rolls. There are really not many halal restaurants in downtown Beijing where you can eat in a courtyard.

















September 7, Qingu in Changying.

I just went to Changying and asked, but there is no news about the Friday prayer (jumu'ah) yet. Then I bought a sugar-rolled fruit (tangjuanguo) and had a beef stone pot bibimbap at Qingu. It was delicious.





September 9, Received mooncakes sent by Imam Feng Yong from the Nanchong Mosque in Sichuan.

I received mooncakes sent by Imam Feng Yong from the Nanchong Mosque in Sichuan. There were traditional large hemp cakes (damabing), as well as beef and five-nut mooncakes. The beef mooncakes are filled with beef, fresh eggs, nuts, sesame, walnuts, white sugar, rapeseed oil, sesame oil, kumquat, Nanchong salt, and Sichuan peppercorns. The flavor is very rich. This is also part of the Nanchong municipal-level intangible cultural heritage.















September 9, Ziguangyuan affordable canteen on Meishuguan Houjie.

After work, I went to the Ziguangyuan affordable canteen on Meishuguan Houjie. There were few vegetable dishes, and the main focus was roast duck. They also had some stir-fried, stewed, and steamed dishes (zhengwan). Unfortunately, the stir-fried dough bits (chaogeda) were only available in a three-fresh version, which I couldn't eat because of my shrimp allergy. I ordered stewed beef, a mix of stewed kelp knots, bean curd sheets, and lotus root, stewed meatballs, and steamed hairtail. It tasted like home cooking, perfect for when you don't want to cook after work, and the price is not expensive. The waiters were enthusiastic. There was free watermelon, and they also gave us some steamed jujube cake (zenggao).











September 10, Eid al-Adha (Qurban) lamb.

After getting home from work, I immediately started stewing the Eid al-Adha (Qurban) lamb I had stored in the freezer. I skimmed the foam and used a pressure cooker to save time. Then I stir-fried eggplant with fermented beans and king oyster mushrooms. After the lamb was stewed, I used the lamb broth to stew some cabbage and tofu. It was quite fragrant.













September 11, Turkish restaurant Qubbe.

A new Turkish restaurant called Qubbe recently opened next to Xiting Xiuse. The head chef is from the Turkish Embassy. Our Beijing jamaat gathered there for dinner last night. The food was delicious, and it was a joy to see old friends (dosti) and meet new ones.

For appetizers, we ordered chicken soup, lentil soup, and mushroom soup—a classic start. For salads, we ordered feta cheese salad, shepherd's salad, chicken Caesar salad, and arugula salad.

For starters, we ordered hummus (chickpea puree), mutebbel (eggplant yogurt dip), babagannush (sesame eggplant dip), and tomato sauce eggplant.

For main dishes, we ordered thin flatbread (lavash), minced meat flatbread (lahmacun), black cumin sesame bread, hollow bread, double cheese pizza (pide), Mevlana meat pizza (pide), and doner kebab sandwiches. Their oven is fantastic!

For meat, we ordered a mixed grill platter for ten people. It included spicy Adana kebab, regular meat kebab, chicken skewers, lamb skewers, grilled chicken chops, and grilled lamb chops. It was quite a sight! We also ordered filet mignon and Iskender roast beef.

For dessert, we had classic baklava, milk pudding, and the amazing Turkish Mado ice cream. Mado is a famous Turkish ice cream chain from the city of Kahramanmarash in southeastern Turkey. They used to have shops in Yiwu and Guangzhou, and now they have finally opened in Beijing. It is likely the most authentic Turkish ice cream in China, made entirely with goat milk from their hometown of Kahramanmarash.



















September 12, breakfast at Turkish restaurant Qubbe.

I visited Qubbe again this morning to try the Turkish breakfast. The chef from the Turkish Embassy was there. We had three types of olives, six types of cheese, and five types of dips. It was very rich, and every cheese had a different texture and level of sweetness or sourness. We paired it with thin flatbread and the classic Turkish sesame bagel (simit).

The earliest record of the simit bagel in Istanbul dates back to 1525. According to the famous 17th-century Ottoman traveler Evliya Celebi, there were 70 simit bakeries in Istanbul in the 1630s.

We also ordered salty yogurt drink (ayran) and an appetizer platter, which included spicy chopped tomato (Antep ezme), tomato sauce eggplant, hummus (chickpea puree), mutebbel (eggplant yogurt dip), and babagannush (sesame eggplant dip).



















September 14, Uyghur restaurant Baizuan in Shilihe.

Before hitting the night market, we ate at Baizuan in Shilihe. We had roasted meat (guirou langman), kebabs (kawap), yogurt, pigeon soup, and old Koman pomegranate juice. The kebabs (kawap) tasted excellent this time! The pigeon soup had plenty of chickpeas, which I was very happy with.



















September 19, Middle Eastern snack shop Taiba.

In the evening, I went to Taiba, a Middle Eastern snack shop that opened in July at Sanlitun SOHO. I had been to their Guijie branch before. The atmosphere really reminds me of Chungking Mansions in Hong Kong! We ordered lentil soup, a meat platter with hummus, fried chickpea balls (falafel), and za'atar manakeesh flatbread.

The za'atar manakeesh flatbread is worth mentioning. Manakeesh is a type of Arab flatbread. Za'atar is a Levantine spice blend made from Syrian oregano (also called Lebanese oregano), toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, and thyme, mixed with olive oil before eating. Syrian oregano is also considered the hyssop mentioned in the Bible. People in Syria and Lebanon often find wild oregano in the fields, pick the leaves to dry in the sun, and then grind them into a powder to make the spice. Za'atar has an earthy taste with a hint of citrus and nuttiness. It feels very unique the first time you eat it.

















September 20, Lanzhou snack shop Lan Jiu Shi Qi.

After seeing the Palace Museum's Dunhuang exhibition in the afternoon, I went to the Lanzhou snack shop Lan Jiu Shi Qi inside the Rainbow Shopping Mall at Olympic Park in the evening. It felt like a virtual trip to Gansu. This shop has a wide variety of snacks and is great for friends who love spicy food. We ordered mixed vegetable stew (huicai), sausage-stuffed noodles (fazi mianchang), braised noodles (lumian), a mix of saucy tofu skin and oyster mushrooms, half a portion of lamb skewers, apricot skin tea (xingpishui), yogurt with crushed walnuts and sunflower seeds, and packed a grilled meat sandwich (roujiamo) to go. The mixed vegetable stew and sausage-stuffed noodles were the best. The stew had many meatballs and fried meat patties (jiasha), which had a great texture. The texture of the braised noodles wasn't great, and the apricot skin tea was a bit too sweet and harsh on the throat. Everything else was pretty good. The place was packed at night, and we had to wait for a table.



















September 21, making hand-pulled noodles (latiaozi) at home.

I bought groceries to make Lagman at home. Zainab made the noodles while I made the cowpea with meat and the western-style spicy eggs. We worked together perfectly!















September 22, Xilaishun.

At Xilaishun in Hepingmen, I had soy-sauce stir-fried chicken cubes (jiangbao jiding), white-braised fish fillets, mixed wild mountain vegetables, five-flavor bitter melon, and jasmine bamboo fungus soup. The soy-sauce stir-fried chicken cubes and bamboo fungus soup are things I eat often. The chicken is quite sweet, so people from regions outside the Lu cuisine tradition might not be used to it. The white-braised fish fillets weren't as milky white as the ones at Tianjin Yuquan Restaurant, but the taste was okay. The five-flavor bitter melon was very spicy.















September 24, Muyixuan.

A new food street called Shibaojie opened in Xidan Friendship Shopping Mall, featuring Muyixuan and Pamir Big Plate Chicken (dapanji). Now there are places to eat when I'm in the Xidan area. At Muyixuan, we had our usual order: the lamb spine and lamb tail hot pot. We picked the meat off the lamb spine and gnawed on the lamb tail; each had its own charm. Then we had a zucchini pancake (hutuzi) with two cold side dishes. It was quite good.











September 24, Xinyuezhai in Douban Hutong.

Autumn rain, beef noodles with extra meat at Xinyuezhai.









September 25, Liangtaoxuan Hezhou Noodle Restaurant.

I'm used to eating at Baizuan in Shilihe, but today I went to the Liangtaoxuan Hezhou Noodle Restaurant next to it. I ordered the special mixed noodles and cold side dishes. The meat broth is free to refill. The mixed noodles were delicious! The noodles have a great texture and the meat is not dry at all. After eating here, the hand-pulled noodles (lamian) shop near my office just doesn't taste as good anymore. The atmosphere in the shop is also very nice, and they even have a photo of the old Hua Mosque (Lao Hua Si) in Linxia hanging on the wall.

I have to complain about Luying Street in Shilihe. It used to be a one-of-a-kind food street in Beijing that brought together restaurants from all over the country. Instead of promoting it, the local authorities replaced the unique, attractive storefront signs with boring, generic ones. If you plan to visit both the Panjiayuan and Daliushu antique markets on the weekend, Shilihe is a perfect place to stop for lunch.





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