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Summary: This travel note introduces Beautiful Traditional Javanese Mosque. Between the 15th and 16th centuries, Islam became the dominant religion on the islands of Sumatra and Java through the efforts of Sufi Muslim missionaries, settled Muslim merchants, and Sultan rulers. It is useful for readers interested in Java Mosques, Muslim Travel, Islamic Heritage.

Between the 15th and 16th centuries, Islam became the dominant religion on the islands of Sumatra and Java through the efforts of Sufi Muslim missionaries, settled Muslim merchants, and Sultan rulers. In the process of converting from Buddhism, Hinduism, and traditional animism to Islam, the original traditional cultures and Islamic cultures mutually accommodated and merged, forming an "Indonesian traditional Islamic culture" that includes music, dance, clothing, architecture, and etiquette.

For tourists who want to understand Indonesian traditional Islamic culture, traditional mosque architecture is the most accessible channel. During the Qingming and May Day holidays in 2019, I visited several traditional mosque buildings on the island of Java, hoping to share these buildings to let everyone appreciate the charm of Indonesian traditional Islamic culture.

Existing Indonesian traditional mosques can be roughly divided into three styles: Javanese, Banjarese, and Minangkabau. The Javanese style, popular from the 15th to 18th centuries, is characterized by its multi-layered Tajug pyramid-shaped roof, Serambi front porch, and Bedug drum used for the call to prayer. Most traditional mosques in Indonesia are of the Javanese style. The Banjarese style in southern Borneo and the Minangkabau style in western Sumatra developed from the Javanese style, but their roofs have steeper slopes than the Javanese style. The Banjarese style does not have a front porch, and the mihrab is a separate building.

After the 19th century, Dutch colonizers introduced the "Moorish Revival" (also known as "Indo-Saracenic") architectural style, prevalent in European colonial regions of Southeast Asia, to Indonesia. Many traditional mosques were renovated and rebuilt in the 19th century, adding Indian mosque domes, pointed arches, and vertical minarets.

Here are some Javanese traditional mosques I visited:

I. Demak Great Mosque: 1466

II. Kudus Al-Aqsha Mosque: 1549

III. Banten Great Mosque: 1566

IV. Mataram Great Mosque: 1575

V. Surakarta Great Mosque: 1768

VI. Yogyakarta Great Mosque: 1773



Demak Great Mosque: 1466



Kudus Al-Aqsha Mosque: 1549



Banten Great Mosque: 1566



Mataram Great Mosque: 1575



Surakarta Great Mosque: 1768



Yogyakarta Great Mosque: 1773

I. Traditional Gates

The gates of early Javanese traditional mosques directly inherited from the Buddhist/Hindu architecture of the Majapahit era, with Candi Bentar and Kori Agung being the most distinctive types.

Candi was originally a type of Hindu/Buddhist mosque architecture on Java, Bali, and Lombok. Candi Bentar means "split Candi," where a Candi is split symmetrically down the middle, with a road laid out in between. In fact, Candi Bentar does not have doors installed in the middle; it serves as a passage from the secular space to the sacred space, creating a sense of solemnity before entering the main building.

The Candi Bentar gates of Javanese traditional mosques are built with tiered red bricks in the Majapahit style. The Al-Aqsha Mosque in Kudus and the Panjunan Mosque in Cirebon are the most famous. I visited the Al-Aqsha Mosque in Kudus, built in 1549, this time.









The Kori Agung gate is also called the Paduraksa gate in Hindu/Buddhist architecture and is the main gate for entering the sacred space from the secular space. The Kori Agung gate originated from the ancient Indian Gopuram gate and was widely used in ancient Javanese Hindu/Buddhist temples after the 8th to 9th centuries. After the 15th century, it was adopted by mosques, palaces, and cemeteries of the Islamic Sultanate, but without the elaborate decorations of Hindu/Buddhist architecture.

The Kori Agung in Javanese traditional mosques is actually a tiered Candi building in the Majapahit style, made of red bricks, with intricately patterned wooden doors. The Al-Aqsha Mosque in Kudus, built in 1549, and the Mataram Great Mosque in Yogyakarta, built in 1575, which I visited this time, both have Kori Agung.













II. Main Hall Roofs

The pyramid-shaped multi-layered roof of Javanese traditional mosques is called Tajug, which is very similar to the Hindu pagodas in Bali. This architectural structure originated from Indian and Chinese cultures and existed before the arrival of Islam in Java, resulting from the integration of Indonesian indigenous culture and Islamic culture.

Tajug roofs generally have two to five layers and can be connected to the base or separated. When separated, the lower layer serves as the prayer hall, and the upper layer is used as a classroom. The decoration at the very top of the roof is called Mustoko or Memolo. The most traditional Mustoko is made of clay. Some have been replaced with metal during recent restorations. After the 19th century, some Mustoko were also replaced with Indian-style domes.









III. Main Hall Pillars

The main halls of Javanese traditional mosques do not bear weight on walls but are supported by four pillars connected to the highest roof layer. These four pillars are called Soko Guru. Each pillar is connected to the foundation by a stone base called Umpak. These bases prevent the wooden pillars from absorbing groundwater and also act as shock absorbers during earthquakes.











IV. Main Hall Interior

North of the mihrab niche in the main hall is the Minbar, a pulpit for preaching, which is in the style of a traditional Javanese carved wooden throne.















Some important mosques also have a structure called Kholwat or Maksuroh south of the mihrab, which is a place for important figures such as the Sultan or the Grand Imam to pray. Ordinary people are not allowed to enter.





V. Front Porch

The front porch, Serambi, is located in front of the main hall and is integrated with it. The front porch is mainly used for shade and rain protection. People also pray in the front porch during Friday congregational prayers.



















VI. Call to Prayer Drum and Minaret

Early Javanese traditional mosques had almost no minarets; instead, the Bedug drum in the front porch was beaten to serve as a call to prayer. Today, in Javanese traditional mosques, the Bedug drum is still beaten every Friday and during Ramadan to call for prayer and to break the fast.













In the 16th century, the only Javanese traditional mosque with a minaret was the Al-Aqsha Mosque in Kudus, built in 1549. This tower is not in the Persian pointed-arch style at all but is a Javanese traditional Majapahit-style tower. The Bedug drum used for the call to prayer is placed at the top of the tower. Today, a similar style of drum tower, Bale kulkul, still exists in Bali, used to signal attacks, fires, or public events.



By the 17th century, the Banten Great Mosque in western Java had a minaret designed and built in 1632 by a Chinese person named Cek-ban-cut. This minaret is still not a Persian pointed-arch style but is a unique type that combines Mughal style with the local Javanese Hindu/Buddhist Candi architectural style. view all

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Summary: This travel note introduces Sixteen Traditional Mosques in Jiangsu (Part 1). 1. Xianhe Mosque: Rebuilt in 1390. It is useful for readers interested in Java Mosques, Muslim Travel, Islamic Heritage.

I. Yangzhou

1. Xianhe Mosque: Rebuilt in 1390

2. Majian Lane Mosque: 1714

3. Gaoyou Mosque: Rebuilt in 1864

4. Lingtang Ancient Mosque: Rebuilt in 1924

II. Zhenjiang

1. Shanxiang Mosque: Rebuilt in 1873

2. Jianzi Lane Mosque Ming and Qing stone carvings

3. Qing Dynasty mihrab at the mosque outside the South Gate

4. Xinhe Street Mosque: 1930

III. Nanjing 1. Jingjue Mosque: Rebuilt in 1877

2. Caoqiao Mosque (formerly Taiping Road Mosque): rebuilt in 2005.

3. Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque.

4. Hushu Mosque: rebuilt in 1896.

5. Liuhe Changjiang Road Mosque: rebuilt during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty.

IV. Huai'an

1. Qingjiang Mosque: rebuilt in 1870.

2. Hexia Mosque: rebuilt in the late Qing Dynasty.

3. Wangjiaying Mosque: rebuilt in 1985.

I. Yangzhou

1. Xianhe Mosque: Rebuilt in 1390

Xianhe Mosque in Yangzhou, along with Phoenix Mosque in Hangzhou, Lion Mosque (Huaisheng Mosque) in Guangzhou, and Qilin Mosque (Qingjing Mosque) in Quanzhou, is known as one of the four great ancient mosques in the southeast. It was founded in 1275 (the 12th year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty) by the sage Puhading from the Western Regions before his passing. It was rebuilt in 1390 (the 23rd year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty) by Ha San, renovated in 1523 (the 3rd year of the Jiajing era) by the merchant Ma Zongdao and the imam Ha Ming, and repaired again in 1791 (the 56th year of the Qianlong era).

The gate tower features a single-eave, ridge-roofed, hard-hill style, with some wooden components remaining from the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty drum-shaped stone bases in front of the gate are very exquisite and rare among mosques in the country.







The courtyard of Xianhe Mosque follows a small patio layout, rather than the quadrangle layout common in northern mosques. Xianhe Mosque divides the lecture hall, the main prayer hall, and the gate into three small, independent patio courtyards. Furthermore, a moon-viewing pavilion and a veranda were built outside the south gable of the main prayer hall, giving the mosque a garden-like atmosphere.













Main prayer hall of Xianhe Mosque



















There is a 745-year-old ancient ginkgo tree inside Xianhe Mosque, which is the oldest surviving ginkgo tree in Yangzhou.









2. Majian Lane Mosque: 1714

There is a Majian Lane Mosque on Majian Lane in the East Gate Street of Yangzhou. According to the Gu family genealogy of the Hui people, the Majian Lane Mosque was built in 1714 (the 53rd year of the Kangxi era) by Gu Yuanbing, the 24th-generation descendant of the ancient Bo Ding.

Majian Lane Mosque originally had dozens of rooms, including a gate hall, a memorial archway, a main prayer hall, a reception hall, a water room, side rooms, and dormitories. Currently, two main prayer halls, a reception hall, and a water room remain.

In the early years of the Republic of China, the mosque housed the second Yangzhou branch of the Beijing "Zhenzong Newspaper" and an Islamic book and newspaper room. In 1932, Liu Binru, a famous imam in Yangzhou and one of the founders of the China Islamic Association, along with Hua Ruzhou, then a director of the Jiangdu County Hui Association, established the "China Islamic Scripture Translation Institute" here, dedicated to the translation of the Quran. Liu Binru, who was proficient in Arabic and Persian, was responsible for translating the original Arabic text, while Hua Ruzhou was responsible for translating the summaries from the English version by the Indian Muslim scholar Muhammad Ali, which were attached before the text of each section of the Quran. On January 1, 1935, the "Chinese Translation of the Quran with Ali's Summaries" was officially published, with an initial print run of 2,000 copies, sold by major bookstores across the country.

In 1933, the Yangzhou Islamic Association founded the Hui Cultural School here, presided over by Liu Binru. In addition to teaching Arabic, it also offered Chinese, English, and arithmetic, equivalent to the level of higher primary to junior high school, replacing the traditional scripture hall teaching form of individual instruction with large-class lectures. Teachers included Hua Jinhou, the imam of Majian Lane Mosque who was proficient in Arabic, Imam Ruan Dechang, Lan Baohua, the imam of the Hui Hall outside the East Gate, and Liu Binru. They also hired Hui Association members Shen Junchen and Zhang Shaozhe to teach Chinese and arithmetic, and Hua Ruzhou to teach English. There were more than 30 students, but it closed after one year due to a lack of funds.





Between 1934 and 1935, the missionary Bi Jingshi visited Majian Lane Mosque and saw the reading room set up inside, which contained many Muslim magazines, as well as the Quran translated by Wang Jingzhai and a portion of the Quran translated by the two translators mentioned above, Liu Binru and Hua Ruzhou. At the same time, he also took a picture of the "Gu Gong Memorial Monument" erected in the mosque in 1931, which stated that Gu Su had served as a mosque trustee for 11 years, repaired the water room and shops for the mosque, and built a new greenhouse, making great contributions to the mosque.

In the autumn of 1946, the Yangzhou Hui Youth Association founded the Shengsheng Primary School in the mosque, with Liu Binru serving as the chairman of the board. The school system was a complete primary school. When it opened, it initially set up 3 multi-grade classes, enrolling 150 students. It offered free tuition to the children of Hui families, provided books for particularly needy families, and also provided free care for children from non-Hui families in financial distress. Most of the teachers were unemployed Hui youths. It closed in the summer of 1949.

In 1958, the mosque was converted into a factory workshop and occupied by a craft sign factory, a sack factory, and a brush factory. It was not until 1997 that the mosque property was recovered, and in 2008 it was listed as a municipal cultural relic protection unit.







3. Gaoyou Mosque: Rebuilt in 1864

Gaoyou Mosque is a very beautiful traditional mosque, small and exquisite, with the beauty of a water town. The date of the mosque's origin is unknown, but there is an ancient cypress tree in the courtyard that is over two hundred years old. In 1864 (the 3rd year of the Tongzhi era), village elders Ma Guixing, Liu Xingtian, and Ma Hongxing rebuilt the mosque. There is a stone inscription on the current gate that reads "Rebuilt in the middle of winter in the second year of Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty."

It is a great pity that the mosque gate was locked when we went. We asked a nearby ramen restaurant, and they said it only opens during Jumu'ah. It seems we will have to wait for another opportunity to visit inside.















4. Lingtang Ancient Mosque: Rebuilt in 1924

At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, a mosque was built in "Huihui Bay" by the Gaoyou Lake in Lingtang, but it was later destroyed by floods. In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the mosque was moved to Yangdazhuang, and in the early Qing Dynasty, it was moved to its current location. It was rebuilt in 1844 (the 24th year of the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty), expanded again in 1921, and completed in 1924.















The golden osmanthus tree next to the kiln hall was planted when the local elder Xue Yukuan and his wife Xue Yangshi were married and asked an imam to recite the Nikah. It has a history of more than 130 years.

















The exhibition hall of Lingtang Mosque displays a water bottle (tangping) sent by the Jizhaoying Mosque in Nanjing during the Qing Dynasty, a water bottle from the Republic of China, a copper Xuande censer, a blue and white porcelain incense burner, as well as a steamer and a bucket from the mosque's water room in the 1950s. The steamer was used to boil hot water, and the bucket had a hole at the bottom; pulling out the wooden plug on the hole allowed for a shower.

















The mosque is also the inheritance site of the Yangzhou intangible cultural heritage "Huihui Customs of Lingtang Hui Township."



II. Zhenjiang

1. Shanxiang Mosque: Rebuilt in 1873

Zhenjiang Shanxiang Mosque, also known as the West City Mosque or the Great West Mosque, has an unknown founding date. It was expanded during the Kangxi era, destroyed by the Taiping Rebellion in 1853 (the 3rd year of the Xianfeng era), and rebuilt in 1873 (the 12th year of the Tongzhi era). According to the "History of Islam in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu," based on the recollections of the late Imam Tan Yuanshen, who lived to be over eighty, he heard from his grandfather and the elders in the faith that before the expansion at the end of the Kangxi era, the West City Mosque only had three thatched huts. At that time, the area around the mosque was sparsely populated and vast; one could see the Zhenjiang city tower to the east and Yuntai Mountain to the west.

After Zhenjiang opened as a treaty port, the area outside the West Gate became a bustling commercial district. In 1865, the British established a concession by the river, and with the opening of the Shanghai-Nanjing Railway, the area outside the West Gate developed further. Hui people continuously came to do business and settled around Shanxiang Mosque.

In 1902 (the 28th year of the Guangxu era), the Hui people of Zhenjiang raised funds to expand Shanxiang Mosque. The current mosque is the layout after this renovation.

Shanxiang Mosque consists of a small patio and a large patio (courtyard). Entering the main gate is the first small patio; passing through the front hall is the second small patio, with the side leading to a side gate and the front facing the second gate. Passing through the second gate is the third small patio, followed by a corridor leading into the large patio (courtyard) composed of the prayer hall, the south lecture hall, and the opposite hall. This layout of large and small patios is very characteristic of the Jianghuai region.

Main gate



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The front hall was used as a classroom for Muyuan Primary School during the War of Resistance Against Japan. The plaque above was written by Imam Hua Guilin in 1984, and the couplet was written by the famous Beijing Arabic calligrapher Li Wencai in 2010.







Door pier outside the front hall



Rockery in the second small patio



Second gate







The side gate hall has a green screen door facing it, with the circular characters "Qingzhen" (Pure and True) written in the center.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the mosque was smashed and then occupied, leaving only the side gate hall guarded by the old mosque caretaker Ma Zhonglin. The occupying unit tried to drive Ma Zhonglin away with various excuses, but he refused them all, eventually spending ten difficult years there. During these ten years, all the Hui people in Zhenjiang stored funeral supplies in this gate hall, and held and managed the deceased there. At that time, only the old man Ma Zhonglin washed the bodies of the deceased, stood for the Janazah dua, and went up the mountain to the grave to recite dua. He also slaughtered poultry for the elders in the side gate hall every morning.

In 1981, the old man Ma Zhonglin passed away. Afterward, Tan Quanhong and Zhang Dagui successively slaughtered poultry for the elders in the side gate hall every morning. In that same year, the occupying unit began to vacate, and Shanxiang Mosque was finally recovered.







The third small patio outside the second gate









Large patio (courtyard). There is a cross-shaped path in the courtyard, planted with pine and ginkgo trees. There were once two ginkgo trees over two hundred years old in the courtyard, which were sawed down in 1958 to support the Great Leap Forward steel production.





Shanxiang Mosque was once an important base for printing and publishing religious books in the country. From the Qianlong to the Tongzhi eras of the Qing Dynasty, more than 20 types of philosophical and doctrinal books, including "Baoming Zhenjing," "Tianfang Dianli," "Guizhen Zongyi," and "Huihui Yuanlai," were successively woodblock-printed in hundreds of editions and transported to all parts of the country by water and land. To this day, the National Library of China, the Central University for Nationalities Library, and Peking University Library all house editions of books from Zhenjiang Shanxiang Mosque.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Shanxiang Mosque was severely damaged; no scriptures, woodblock editions, plaques, couplets, furniture, decorations, or various cultural relics survived.



















The opposite hall, with calligraphy hanging in the center and calligraphy scrolls.













Traditional winding corners





The alley name comes from the Persian word Baba, which is what the Hui people often call Baba.



2. Jianzi Lane Mosque Ming and Qing stone carvings

Jianzi Lane Mosque, originally named Guyun Mosque, was founded on Fumin Street in Ren'an Lane and was a mosque in Zhenjiang during the Yuan Dynasty. According to the "Zhishun Zhenjiang Gazetteer" of 1333 (the 4th year of the Zhishun era of the Yuan Dynasty), there were 59 Hui households with 374 people in Zhenjiang during the Yuan Dynasty. The famous Yuan Dynasty Hui poet Sa Dula served as the Darughachi (the administrator holding the seal) of the Zhenjiang Road Record Office for 3 years in 1328 (the 1st year of the Tianli era of the Yuan Dynasty). According to the Guangxu "Dantu County Gazetteer," Sa Dula stabilized prices in Zhenjiang, opened granaries to help the people, suppressed powerful servants, and broke superstitions, doing many good deeds. In addition, in 1326 (the 3rd year of the Taiding era of the Yuan Dynasty), Zhemaluding, a scholar from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, served as a professor of Confucian studies in Zhenjiang Road, which was the highest official position in charge of education at that time.

Guyun Mosque was destroyed at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, rebuilt during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, and moved to Jianzi Lane in the city in 1602 (the 30th year of the Wanli era), from which it was called Jianzi Lane Mosque. It was renovated three times in 1850 (the 30th year of the Daoguang era), 1904 (the 30th year of the Guangxu era), and 1909 (the 1st year of the Xuantong era).

In 1958, Jianzi Lane Mosque was occupied by a knitting factory and a color printing factory. From the 1970s to the early 1980s, the color printing factory and other units successively demolished the main prayer hall, the main hall, the water room, and other buildings, rebuilding them into factory buildings. The stone tablet "Guyun Mosque Monument Record," written by the Jinshi Li Yiyang in 1620 (the 48th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty) and treasured in the mosque, was used to mix cement, and the handwriting was destroyed and blurred. The calligrapher of the Wanli renovation monument was Ma Zhiqi, a Hui person from Xinye, Henan. Ma Zhiqi was the second-place winner (Bangyan) in 1610 (the 38th year of the Wanli era). He was good at poetry and calligraphy. From the Wanli to the Chongzhen eras, he wrote renovation monument records for the Xiaopi Yuan Mosque in Xi'an, Shaanxi, the Datong Mosque in Shanxi, the Jinshifang Street Mosque in Beijing, and the Chengguan Mosque in Wudu, Gansu. In 1982, the Zhenjiang Islamic Association restored the stone tablet and moved it to Shanxiang Mosque, so the stone tablet was finally preserved.

It was not until 1993 that the printing factory occupying the mosque moved out, and in 1994 the Islamic Association recovered the property rights of Jianzi Lane Mosque. In 2005, Zhenjiang built the First Building Commercial Pedestrian Street, and Jianzi Lane Mosque was completely demolished. A new Guyun Mosque was built on Xuefu Road, and the Wanli renovation stone tablet, the ancient well railing, and three Qing Dynasty renovation tablets from the original Jianzi Lane Mosque were placed in the courtyard for preservation.











3. Qing Dynasty mihrab at the mosque outside the South Gate

In addition to the relics of Jianzi Lane Mosque, Guyun Mosque also houses the mihrab prayer direction tablet from the kiln hall of the mosque outside the South Gate of Zhenjiang.

The mosque outside the South Gate of Zhenjiang was at the east end of Miaojia Lane. It is speculated to have been built in the early Qing Dynasty and was an east-facing quadrangle. Opposite the mosque gate was a row of tall elm trees, dense and covering the sky. The prayer hall and the opposite hall were both three bays wide. There were tall ginkgo trees on both sides in front of the hall, with guest rooms to the south and a water room, kitchen, and rack room to the north.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the imam of the mosque outside the South Gate was an Imam Ma from Henan. In the early 1920s, he was hired by Muslims in Shou County, Anhui, and after that, the imam of the mosque outside the South Gate was succeeded by Imam Wan Shourong. The daily affairs of the mosque were managed by Jin Zhiguang of the Xinchangheng Cloth Store and Xia Songfu, the father of Xia Rongguang. During the Republic of China, the firewood and rice market outside the South Gate was very prosperous, and there were more than 50 settled Hui households.

In 1937, the mosque outside the South Gate was destroyed by the flames of war. The mihrab prayer direction tablet in the kiln hall was preserved in the home of Hua Baoren next to the mosque until it was moved to Guyun Mosque in 2005.

The lotus-shaped Arabic script on the mihrab is the "Tasmiyah," which means "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful." The Arabic script in the middle is from the Quran, Chapter 2, Verse 163, and the diamond-shaped carved characters at the bottom are in Kufic Arabic calligraphy: Prostrate yourselves, worship your Lord.



4. Xinhe Street Mosque: 1930

Xinhe Street Mosque is the only Ikhwan mosque in Jiangsu, built in 1930. Zhenjiang Hui people are also used to calling it the "Jinde Association." This was originally a private residence purchased with donations from Muslims in both Shanghai and Zhenjiang, so it is a Jiangnan residence with three courtyards and two side rooms.

The Ikhwan sect was introduced to Jiangnan in the 1920s. In 1926, Imam Ha Decheng and others initiated the establishment of the "Jinde Association" organization at the Xiaotaoyuan Mosque in Shanghai to promote Ikhwan doctrines. Fa Jiesan (1872-1958), a local Hui person from Zhenjiang who went to Shanghai, accepted the Ikhwan's propositions after discussing doctrines with Imam Ha Decheng. After returning to Zhenjiang, he performed prayers in his home according to Ikhwan rituals. Later, funds were raised in both Shanghai and Zhenjiang to build an Ikhwan mosque on Xinhe Street.

After the Ikhwan sect was introduced to Zhenjiang, it was generally difficult for the middle-aged and elderly to accept, but many young people accepted it. However, at that time, the new and old sects lived in peace and did not interfere with each other.

The Xinhe Street Mosque of that year had a stone plaque embedded horizontally on the gate, engraved with the sign "Mosque," which no longer exists. The existing building is a small three-bay house with three courtyards and two side rooms. There is a roofed patio between the first and second courtyards, the second and third courtyards are connected by a garden gate, and the third courtyard is a two-story building.

At that time, the Zhenjiang Jinde Association held a dinner every Saturday night after prayers and invited imams to give sermons (Waz). Anyone who came to listen to the lecture would be invited to the dinner, and the expenses were borne by members who invited imams to commemorate their ancestors.

At that time, the Jinde Association also used winter and summer vacations to organize "Hui Children's Scripture Classes," and Muslims of all sects sent their children to the classes to study scriptures.

After the mosque was built, many famous imams were hired to preside over religious affairs. In 1947, the famous Li Si Imam, Li Zhenji from Anhui, came to Xinhe Street Mosque from the Luohe Mosque in Henan. According to Mr. Xia Rongguang's recollection, Li Si Imam, who was nearly seventy years old at the time, had a kind and benevolent appearance and a well-cultivated demeanor. When explaining doctrines, regardless of the listener's level, everyone could be inspired by it. Therefore, more and more elders from other neighborhoods came to the mosque to pray Jumu'ah. In the autumn of 1949, Li Si Imam returned to Luohe from Zhenjiang.

In 1950, Imam Zhang Zhushu, then 43 years old, came to Xinhe Street Mosque to serve as the imam. Imam Zhang Zhushu was from Xiangfan, Hubei. In Mr. Xia Rongguang's recollection, Imam Zhang Zhushu was proficient in doctrines and had profound modern knowledge. When explaining doctrines, he could closely relate to reality, and his language was vivid, simple, and easy to understand. He could attract ordinary elders and was also appreciated by intellectuals. Local Muslims in Zhenjiang praised him as an imam of the new era. In 1953, Imam Zhang Zhushu was hired by the Fuyou Road Mosque in Shanghai to serve as imam and left Zhenjiang.

Afterward, Xinhe Street Mosque was presided over by the old man Tan Jizhen for prayers and affairs until 1958, when Xinhe Street Mosque was merged into Shanxiang Mosque. Later, it became a dormitory for the Forestry Machinery Factory, and then it has been abandoned ever since.











III. Nanjing

1. Jingjue Mosque: Rebuilt in 1877

Jingjue Mosque was founded in 1388 (the 21st year of the Hongwu era) and is the earliest mosque in Nanjing. It was burned down in 1430 (the 5th year of the Xuande era) and was rebuilt at the request of Zheng He. During the Taiping Rebellion, Jingjue Mosque was destroyed, and its components were moved to the vassal mansion. Later, it was rebuilt in 1877 (the 3rd year of the Guangxu era) and renovated in 1879 (the 5th year of the Guangxu era) to form its current layout.

In the early years of the Republic of China, the wealthy Nanjing couple Jiang Xiudong and his wife funded the construction of the north and south lecture halls and the hall building for Jingjue Mosque, and it was repaired again in 1957. During the Cultural Revolution, Jingjue Mosque was occupied by a rubber company and the No. 3 Rubber Factory. The only remaining Ming Dynasty stone archway was demolished, and plaques, couplets, and stone tablets were wantonly destroyed. It was reopened after repairs in 1982 and 1984, and the archway was rebuilt in 1985.





Ming Dynasty ancient well; the well railing is the original object from 1706 (the 45th year of the Kangxi era).







Looking at the second hall from the second gate.



Second hall





The main hall of the second hall in 2017



The main hall of the second hall in 2018, with changed furnishings. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This travel note introduces Sixteen Traditional Mosques in Jiangsu (Part 2). The mihrab of the main prayer hall was built in 2001. It is useful for readers interested in Java Mosques, Muslim Travel, Islamic Heritage.









The mihrab of the main prayer hall was built in 2001.



2. Caoqiao Mosque (formerly Taiping Road Mosque): rebuilt in 2005.

The current Caoqiao Mosque in Qijiawan is 40 meters away from the original Caoqiao Mosque. In 1997, because the widening of Dading Lane occupied the Caoqiao Mosque, the Jianye District government proposed a land swap, which the Islamic Association agreed to. In 2003, after the historic buildings of the Caoqiao Mosque and the Taiping Road Mosque were demolished, the architectural components of the main hall and the second hall of the Taiping Road Mosque were rebuilt at the new site, and completed in 2005. The current name of the 'Cultural Relics Protection Unit' is 'Former Taiping Road Mosque'.

Caoqiao Mosque was built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, destroyed by fire during the Taiping Rebellion, and rebuilt in the early years of the Tongzhi reign. Because it is located in Qijiawan, a residential area for Muslims, the Caoqiao Mosque community is the most prominent in Nanjing. During the Cultural Revolution, Caoqiao Mosque was occupied by a factory and later rented to the Nanjing Woodware Factory, suffering severe damage. In 2003, Caoqiao Mosque was completely demolished.

Taiping Road Mosque was originally named Huapailou Mosque. Legend has it that it was built by Chang Yuchun in the early Ming Dynasty, destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion, and later rebuilt. After the old mosque was demolished in 1924, Nanjing wealthy merchant Jiang Guobang and his brothers donated funds to rebuild a new mosque on the south side, which was still called Huapailou Mosque. When the road was widened in 1931, the gate tower was demolished. Huapailou was renamed Taiping Road, and Huapailou Mosque was also renamed Taiping Road Mosque. In 1945, the China Islamic National Salvation Association moved into the Taiping Road Mosque and was renamed the China Islamic Association. Its first chairman was Bai Chongxi, and it was the highest Islamic organization in the country at the time until it moved to Taipei in 1949. During the Cultural Revolution, the Taiping Road Mosque was occupied by the 'Cultural and Martial Rebel Headquarters' and the 'Religious Circles Labor Service Agency'. It was reclaimed in 1978, reopened in 1980, designated as a municipal cultural protection unit in 1982, and demolished in 2003. The components of the main hall and the second hall were used to build the new Caoqiao Mosque.



Taraweeh during Ramadan in 2016.

























3. Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque.

Next to Anleyuan is an abandoned Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque. I could not find any information about the Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque, only that a Wuben Primary School was founded here in 1917, until it was taken over by the government in 1951. Later, the mosque was occupied by the Wire and Cable Factory as a staff dormitory, which it remains to this day.









4. Hushu Mosque: rebuilt in 1896.

Hushu Mosque was first built in 1392 (the 25th year of Hongwu), destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion, and the main hall was rebuilt in 1896 (the 22nd year of Guangxu). In 1911, five tile-roofed rooms were built on the left side in front of the main hall: the left was the water room, the right was the dormitory, and the middle was the guest hall. In 1919, three rooms of the front hall, five rooms of the main hall, and two rooms of the east wing of the main gate were renovated.

Around 1932, a primary school for Muslim children was established inside Hushu Mosque, and it moved out of the mosque in 1956. In 1964, the main hall of Hushu Mosque was demolished during the 'Four Clean-ups Movement', and it was occupied by the Hushu Straw Bag Factory, Hushu Hardware Factory, and Hushu Supply and Marketing Cooperative during the Cultural Revolution. The main hall was rebuilt in 1988. The roof of the main hall of Hushu Mosque was originally a palace-style building with flying eaves and upturned corners, but it was rebuilt with a flat roof after the renovation.







The gate pier from the original construction in 1392.







Ginkgo tree transplanted in 1689.









5. Liuhe Changjiang Road Mosque: rebuilt during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty.

Liuhe Changjiang Road Mosque was originally named Chengqingfang Mosque, also known as Liuhe North Mosque and Da Family Mosque. It was built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. Its architectural style imitated the Liuhe South Gate Mosque. It was destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion and rebuilt during the Guangxu reign. In 1928, Madam Da (the aunt of Da Pusheng), the widow of wealthy merchant Wang Zuochen, donated funds to build the Wuxin Pavilion on the original site of the Wangyue Tower.

The Muslims in Liuhe are mainly of the Da family. Grand Imam Da Pusheng served as the imam at the mosque around 1900 and founded the Liuhe County Muslim Guangyi Primary School in the mosque, creating a new model for the transition from traditional scripture teaching to modern classroom teaching. During the Cultural Revolution, the mosque was occupied for a long time by the Liuhe County Military Control Committee and the Cultural Troupe, and was later reclaimed.

Imam Xue of the mosque is particularly enthusiastic.



The brick and stone screen wall built in 2009 is embedded with the 9 stone tablets currently preserved in the mosque.























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IV. Huai'an

1. Qingjiang Mosque: rebuilt in 1870.

The most important wharf in Qingjiangpu is next to the Yue Gate. Because Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong landed here during their southern tours, it is called the Imperial Wharf. Since the Ming Dynasty, Muslims have been doing business on Yuehe Street in front of the Imperial Wharf, gradually forming the Yuehe Street Muslim community in Qingjiangpu, with the Qingjiang Mosque at its center.

Qingjiang Mosque was originally named Yuanpu Mosque and was first built during the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty. It was expanded in 1799 (the 57th year of Qianlong). In 1860 (the 10th year of Xianfeng), the Nian Army captured Qingjiangpu, and the mosque was destroyed. The imam, Ma Huanwen, unfortunately passed away from illness while raising funds for the reconstruction. Fortunately, Jiang Hengqing, an elder from Nanjing, took over and organized everyone to raise funds, finally managing to rebuild the main hall in 1870 (the 9th year of Tongzhi).























The 'Tablet Record of the Reconstruction of the Mosque Main Hall' from 1870 (the 9th year of Tongzhi) in the mosque tells the history of the Qingjiang Mosque.





2. Hexia Mosque: rebuilt in the late Qing Dynasty.

Hexia Mosque was first built in the Ming Dynasty. It was burned down in 1860 (the 10th year of Xianfeng) when the Nian Army captured Huai'an, and was later rebuilt. After 1966, Hexia Mosque stopped its activities and the buildings were damaged. Activities were resumed in 1986, and major repairs were carried out recently.











When we went there, there was no one at Hexia Mosque. Imam Sha runs a beef and mutton shop on the other side of the town and only goes to the mosque when there is something to do.



3. Wangjiaying Mosque: rebuilt in 1985.

Wangjiaying Mosque was first built during the Yongzheng reign. It was originally three thatched huts next to Hehuawang in Wangjiapo. At the end of the Daoguang reign, it moved to the south bank of the Salt River, with Imams Chang Tingzhang and Dai Mingxuan presiding over religious affairs.

Imam Chang Tingzhang was known as 'Chang San Taiye'. He was originally from Jining, Shandong, and was born in 1785 (the 50th year of Qianlong) in Taoyuan County, Huai'an Prefecture, Jiangsu (now Siyang). When he was young, he studied in Lingzhou, Gansu (now Lingwu County, Ningxia), and after completing his studies, he visited various places in Jining, Shandong, to continue his studies. In 1810 (the 5th year of Jiaqing), the 26-year-old Imam Chang Tingzhang was invited to preside over religious affairs at Wangjiaying Mosque. Imam Chang Tingzhang had deep research into Arabic classics, astronomy, and medical theory. According to the 'Wangjiaying Annals', during the Daoguang reign, a Tao Sanye who came from Hangzhou for his reputation died in Huai'an. Because of the hot summer, in order to be responsible to the deceased's family, Imam Chang Tingzhang personally bought a boat and escorted the body down the Grand Canal to Hangzhou.

In 1860 (the 10th year of Xianfeng), the Nian Army entered Wangjiaying and burned down the mosque. In 1867 (the 6th year of Tongzhi), Imam Dai Jingzhai, the son of Imam Dai Mingxuan, presided over the construction of a few thatched huts, and later, with everyone's donations, a main hall with three thatched rooms was built.

In 1870 (the 9th year of Tongzhi), Imam Chang Tingzhang passed away, and Imam Dai Jingzhai presided over religious affairs. In 1884 (the 10th year of Guangxu), the thatched huts were converted into tile-roofed houses. Because Imam Chang Tingzhang studied at the Jahriyya Daotang in Lingzhou, Ningxia, when he was young, Wangjiaying Mosque subsequently hired five Jahriyya imams from Ningxia to preside over religious affairs and teach scriptures. Subsequent imams also went to Ningxia for further studies, making Wangjiaying Mosque one of the nine major branches of the Banqiao Daotang of the Jahriyya, and it has a very close relationship with the Banqiao Daotang in Wuzhong, Ningxia.

In 1912, the mosque built a new gate, a south lecture hall, a kitchen, and a water room. In 1920, with the funding from the Jingshan Tang in Gansu and the sale of dozens of willow trees from the public cemetery, the three-room tile-roofed eaves in front of the main hall were rebuilt, and three new east lecture halls were built.

In 1958, Wangjiaying Mosque moved to the east of Wangying West Road, and in 1961, it finally moved to its current location because the bank requisitioned the land to build a building. In 1966, the plaques and couplets of the main hall were all smashed and burned, the burial box was destroyed, and the main hall was occupied by a shoe and hat factory as a warehouse.

In 1979, under the leadership of Imam Ge Weili, Wangjiaying Mosque was rebuilt in an antique style, completed in 1985, and underwent two renovations and expansions in 2003 and 2006, becoming what it is today.

Imam Ge Weili was born in 1924, went to Ningxia to study in 1937, became the imam of Wangjiaying Mosque after completing his studies in 1945, served as 'Imam' in 1966, and later served as vice chairman of the Jiangsu Islamic Association and chairman of the Huai'an Islamic Association. Now the religious work of Wangjiaying Mosque is taken over by Imam Fan Weiming, a disciple of Imam Ge Weili.















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