Reposted from the web

Summary: Muslim Travel Guide China 2026: Songpan Jiuzhaigou Mosques, Hui Muslims and Tea Horse Road History is presented here as a clear English account for Muslim readers, starting with this scene: Today is the third day of Ramadan in Beijing's Niujie. I won't be running around during this month. I want to stay calm, focus on my worship, keep studying the Quran and Hadith to enrich myself, and do some writing. It keeps the original names, food details, mosque details, photographs, and cultural context while focusing on Jiuzhaigou Travel, Sichuan Muslims, Mosque History.

Today is the third day of Ramadan in Beijing's Niujie. I won't be running around during this month. I want to stay calm, focus on my worship, keep studying the Quran and Hadith to enrich myself, and do some writing.

This doesn't mean you can't travel during Ramadan. The Prophet encouraged travel. Allah created a beautiful world, and people need to reflect on it and feel the power of Allah.

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet said: Travel, and you will be healthy and safe. Go on expeditions, and you will become wealthy.

However, your intentions for travel must be right. Dangerous trips, like those taken just for the thrill, do not have the protection of Allah. In my view, they only satisfy personal desires and are meaningless. If an accident happens because of this, it is a sad thing.

Abu Imran narrated that some companions of the Prophet told me: Whoever sleeps on a flat roof and falls to their death does not have the protection of Allah. Whoever drowns while crossing the sea during a storm does not have the protection of Allah.

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet said: Whoever leaves home has two flags at their door. One flag is held by an angel. The other flag is held by a devil. If someone leaves to seek the pleasure of Allah, the angel carries the flag and follows them. They remain under the protection of the angel until they return home. If someone leaves home and angers Allah, the devil carries the flag and follows them. They remain under the flag of the devil until they return home.

Therefore, we should try to avoid traveling to areas where the epidemic is severe.



—— Hello, Travel ——

In March, I went to Jiuzhaigou and Songpan County in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan. There were many reasons to visit Sichuan. First, Sichuan cuisine is one of my favorite styles. Halal Sichuan restaurants are rare in Beijing, where you mostly find hot pot skewers (chuanchuan huoguo). But hot pot alone doesn't capture the essence of Sichuan food. To eat authentic halal Sichuan cuisine, you have to come to Sichuan.

Second, Sichuan has a diverse human and geographical environment. It has Tibetan areas, Qiang autonomous counties, and other minority settlements. The scenery is pleasant, and the cities have a rich atmosphere of daily life. Of course, what attracts me most is the long history of Hui Muslim culture in Sichuan. Many old mosques in Sichuan were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties and still retain their ancient style. The level of religious practice in Sichuan is actually severely underestimated by outsiders. Many fellow Muslims don't know that there are Hui Muslims in Sichuan, and they are very devout. Every year, many Muslims (dosti) from Sichuan are among those who go on the Hajj.

The history of Hui Muslims in Sichuan began in the Yuan Dynasty. Sayyid Ajjal Shams al-Din served as the administrator of the Sichuan Branch Secretariat for nine years. His third son, Husayn, and fourth son, Shams al-Din Umari, both served as officials in Sichuan. During the Ming Dynasty, many Hui soldiers and merchants from Gansu, Shaanxi, and Yunnan moved to Sichuan. Currently, Hui Muslims in Sichuan are mainly concentrated in Chengdu, Guangyuan, Langzhong, Xichang, and Songpan. There are 133 mosques in Sichuan today.

Sichuan is a major tourist province with many beautiful sights. The most famous is Jiuzhaigou. However, my interest is entirely in halal travel. Beautiful scenery alone wouldn't make me visit. The focus of this halal trip is Songzhou Ancient City in Songpan County, about 50 kilometers from Jiuzhaigou. Songpan is a place where many Hui Muslims live, and there are many mosques with traditional architectural styles that attract me. Of course, there is also halal Sichuan food.



You can take a plane or a bus from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou. I recommend the bus. It saves money, as the ticket is only a little over 100 yuan, and the trip takes about 7-8 hours. If you fly, the flight time is 1 hour, but when you add the time to get to and from the airport, it isn't much faster than the bus. The Jiuzhaigou airport is built between Songpan and Jiuzhaigou, far from the scenic area. You still need to take a taxi, which usually costs 200-300 yuan in peak season, and there are long lines.

If we take the halal route, we pass through Wenchuan and Songpan on the way from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou. After the Wenchuan earthquake, the area was rebuilt and is even more prosperous than before. On the road, I saw the Wenchuan Grand Mosque, which is a new mosque with a dome style.

Songzhou Ancient City



From Chengdu Chadianzi Bus Station

Take a bus to Songpan County Songzhou Bus Station

The trip takes about 6 hours. Songzhou Ancient City in the county is a famous historical and cultural city in Sichuan. It was an important frontier town and the gateway to western Sichuan. There is no entrance fee for the ancient city, and there is plenty of halal food inside.



Looking around, 90 percent of the restaurants inside and outside Songzhou Ancient City are halal. They mostly serve local Sichuan flavors, with some Northwest Chinese dishes. Prices in the ancient city are quite cheap, costing about 50 to 60 yuan per person for a meal, which is much cheaper than Jiuzhaigou.



This shop is one of the popular restaurants recommended by locals. It specializes in yak beef soup pot (yaoniurou tangguo), but we were interested in home-style Sichuan dishes, so we didn't eat there.



The minaret (xuanlita) by the river in the distance is the Songpan North Mosque (Songpan Qingzhen Beisi), about one kilometer away from Songzhou Ancient City on foot.

Songpan North Mosque



The North Mosque was built in the 22nd year of the Guangxu reign (1896) with funds donated by the Hui Muslim tea merchant Ma Jian. It was destroyed in the third year of the Xuantong reign and rebuilt with collected funds in the eighth year of the Republic of China. The prayer hall was rebuilt in 2005. A plaque with the inscription 'Promote Religion and Build the Nation' by Bai Chongxi hangs in the middle of the Moon-Watching Pavilion (Wangyuelou). The mihrab inside the hall features wood carvings and paintings in the decorative style of the Gansu region. It was not damaged during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.







Screenshot from 'Architectural Art of Chinese Islam, Volume 2'.

A comparison of the original appearance of the North Mosque and its current state. The plaque in the middle inscribed by Bai Chongxi is no longer there.





















Guangzhaoting Gongbei



Guangzhaoting Gongbei was built to commemorate the 29th-generation descendant of the Prophet, Huazhe Abudonglaxi. It is located at the foot of the mountain in the north corner of Dongyu Village, east of Songpan County, one kilometer from Songpan Ancient City. Huazhe Abudonglaxi came to China from Mecca in the early Qing Dynasty to spread the Qadiriyya (Gaderenye) school, a history spanning nearly 400 years. At that time, the sage and his companions traveled by sea to spread the faith in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and the five Northwest provinces. They spent two years in Songpan and left in the 18th year of the Kangxi reign (1679). During the Xianfeng reign, Ma Daojin, the sixth-generation successor of the Great Gongbei, presided over the construction of the Gongbei at the place where he lived. The current main building was rebuilt in 1994 with a total investment of over 1.4 million yuan.

I filmed a short video of my visit to Guangzhaoting Gongbei.



Among the many Qadiriyya Gongbei, I have visited the National Gongbei in Linxia, Luling Mosque in Xixiang, Shaanxi, and Baba Mosque in Langzhong, Sichuan. I have written articles about two of them:

Luling Mosque: The Resting Place of the Qadiriyya Grand Master.

A Halal Travel Guide to Langzhong Ancient City, Sichuan.



There are several other Qadiriyya Gongbei in Sichuan, namely the Houxi Gongbei and Qianxi Gongbei in Wuping, the Datanjing Gongbei in Guangyuan, and the Erlangshan Gongbei in Guangyuan.







Lighting incense is very important in the Qadiriyya menhuan. It is usually done morning and evening. Practitioners must follow five rules: diligent study of precepts, begging for food, diligent practice, frequent bathing, and lighting incense.





















































On the mountain behind Guangzhaoting Gongbei, there is another Gongbei called Yinxian Gongbei, also known as Yinxian Pavilion or the Upper Gongbei. It is located on the east bank of the Minjiang River, 3 li from Songpan city, and is the tomb of the Arab Nuh Runjini (Chinese name Ma Guangzu). It is usually closed and requires someone from the Gongbei to bring a key to open it. There was no one at the Gongbei when we arrived, so we did not go.

Xiashuiguan Halal Street



Halal Street is inside the ancient city of Songzhou. It is easy to find on foot because the ancient city is small. Since there are halal restaurants everywhere, Halal Street does not feel particularly special, though it does house the Chengguan Mosque.





On Halal Street, there is a halal beef and mutton market along with several snack shops, most of which are run by merchants from Northwest China.

Chengguan Mosque





Songzhou Chengguan Mosque was formed by merging the Upper Mosque and the Lower Mosque. The Lower Mosque was built during the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1379), and the Upper Mosque was built in the first year of the Xianfeng reign (1851). The Upper Mosque was once occupied by the Minshan Village collective, and the Lower Mosque was used as a canteen for the Zhongjiang No. 2 Village before being taken over by the Chengguan Kindergarten. In 1987, the land for the Chengguan Mosque was returned. It covers 4 mu of land with a building area of over 2,400 square meters.























There are many Sichuan-style halal restaurants in the ancient city. We walked into a tea restaurant and ordered a few local specialties. The shop was full of Tibetan people. Eating in the ancient city felt like being in Lhasa; the whole atmosphere was very similar.









Cold-tossed diced rabbit (lengchi tuding)

Cold-tossed diced rabbit is a famous Sichuan dish. The rabbit meat is diced, cooked, and then cooled. Although it looks full of chili peppers, you can eat the peppers as a vegetable. It is not spicy at all, but very fragrant and goes well with rice.



Green pepper chicken (qingjiao laziji)

Spicy chicken is another Sichuan specialty. The chicken is paired with the aroma of chili and Sichuan peppercorns, making it hard to stop eating.

Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area



You can reach the outside of Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area by bus from Songpan in two hours. You can stay near the scenic area that night. There are three halal restaurants outside the scenic area, a few hundred meters apart. Two are noodle shops, and one is a Sichuan restaurant called Huixiangzhai, run by Hui Muslims from Songpan.



Huixiangzhai

Huixiangzhai serves yak feasts and home-style Sichuan dishes, but the prices are on the high side, averaging about 100 yuan per person. If you eat the yak beef hot pot, the price is even higher, around 200 yuan per person. However, since it is in a scenic area where logistics are difficult, this is understandable.





Twice-cooked yak beef (huiguo yaoniurou)

Twice-cooked yak beef is the best Sichuan dish at this restaurant. We ordered it twice. You must eat twice-cooked beef when you come to Sichuan.



Stir-fried wild mushrooms (chao yeshengjun)

The weather in Jiuzhaigou in early March is still quite cool, so there are not many wild mushrooms. After May or June, a large amount of fresh mushrooms will be on the market.



Jiuzhaigou is a 5A-level scenic area. Tickets booked online are 192 yuan per person. The day we arrived was International Women's Day, so women were admitted for free. We took a sightseeing bus from the entrance to the top of the mountain and then toured from the top down. The whole trip was comfortable, and we did not have to walk too much, though hiking enthusiasts can also walk.



In 2017, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Jiuzhaigou, causing some damage to the scenic area. After several years of restoration, it has mostly recovered. 80% of the scenic area has reopened, and we did not see any traces of earthquake damage during our visit. However, this reminds us that if you want to visit, you should go early, as you never know when an accident might happen.



Nuorilang Waterfall

Nuorilang Waterfall was a filming location for the ending of the 1986 version of Journey to the West, where the monk Tang Seng and his disciples walked above the falls. I loved watching that show as a kid, and standing at the foot of the waterfall today felt like traveling back to my childhood. It was a wonderful experience.





Jiuzhaigou is in a Tibetan area filled with Tibetan villages you can visit. There are no halal restaurants there, so you need to bring your own food. I think one day is enough to explore from morning until night. It is a bit cold and the altitude is high on the mountain, so be prepared.



These photos are original shots from my phone with no editing. The blue you see with your own eyes is even deeper than in the pictures. Jiuzhaigou is one of the top ten scenic spots in China and a World Natural Heritage site. It is definitely worth a visit.



It was still snowing in Jiuzhaigou in March, and the scenery after the snow was beautiful. There are fewer tourists in the off-season, and you can visit Jiuzhaigou in any season. However, the park gets extremely crowded during the peak summer season, and hotel prices skyrocket. I suggest traveling during the off-peak season so you have a better experience.

My wife made a short video featuring both of us briefly. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: Muslim Travel Guide China 2026: Songpan Jiuzhaigou Mosques, Hui Muslims and Tea Horse Road History is presented here as a clear English account for Muslim readers, starting with this scene: Today is the third day of Ramadan in Beijing's Niujie. I won't be running around during this month. I want to stay calm, focus on my worship, keep studying the Quran and Hadith to enrich myself, and do some writing. It keeps the original names, food details, mosque details, photographs, and cultural context while focusing on Jiuzhaigou Travel, Sichuan Muslims, Mosque History.

Today is the third day of Ramadan in Beijing's Niujie. I won't be running around during this month. I want to stay calm, focus on my worship, keep studying the Quran and Hadith to enrich myself, and do some writing.

This doesn't mean you can't travel during Ramadan. The Prophet encouraged travel. Allah created a beautiful world, and people need to reflect on it and feel the power of Allah.

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet said: Travel, and you will be healthy and safe. Go on expeditions, and you will become wealthy.

However, your intentions for travel must be right. Dangerous trips, like those taken just for the thrill, do not have the protection of Allah. In my view, they only satisfy personal desires and are meaningless. If an accident happens because of this, it is a sad thing.

Abu Imran narrated that some companions of the Prophet told me: Whoever sleeps on a flat roof and falls to their death does not have the protection of Allah. Whoever drowns while crossing the sea during a storm does not have the protection of Allah.

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet said: Whoever leaves home has two flags at their door. One flag is held by an angel. The other flag is held by a devil. If someone leaves to seek the pleasure of Allah, the angel carries the flag and follows them. They remain under the protection of the angel until they return home. If someone leaves home and angers Allah, the devil carries the flag and follows them. They remain under the flag of the devil until they return home.

Therefore, we should try to avoid traveling to areas where the epidemic is severe.



—— Hello, Travel ——

In March, I went to Jiuzhaigou and Songpan County in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan. There were many reasons to visit Sichuan. First, Sichuan cuisine is one of my favorite styles. Halal Sichuan restaurants are rare in Beijing, where you mostly find hot pot skewers (chuanchuan huoguo). But hot pot alone doesn't capture the essence of Sichuan food. To eat authentic halal Sichuan cuisine, you have to come to Sichuan.

Second, Sichuan has a diverse human and geographical environment. It has Tibetan areas, Qiang autonomous counties, and other minority settlements. The scenery is pleasant, and the cities have a rich atmosphere of daily life. Of course, what attracts me most is the long history of Hui Muslim culture in Sichuan. Many old mosques in Sichuan were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties and still retain their ancient style. The level of religious practice in Sichuan is actually severely underestimated by outsiders. Many fellow Muslims don't know that there are Hui Muslims in Sichuan, and they are very devout. Every year, many Muslims (dosti) from Sichuan are among those who go on the Hajj.

The history of Hui Muslims in Sichuan began in the Yuan Dynasty. Sayyid Ajjal Shams al-Din served as the administrator of the Sichuan Branch Secretariat for nine years. His third son, Husayn, and fourth son, Shams al-Din Umari, both served as officials in Sichuan. During the Ming Dynasty, many Hui soldiers and merchants from Gansu, Shaanxi, and Yunnan moved to Sichuan. Currently, Hui Muslims in Sichuan are mainly concentrated in Chengdu, Guangyuan, Langzhong, Xichang, and Songpan. There are 133 mosques in Sichuan today.

Sichuan is a major tourist province with many beautiful sights. The most famous is Jiuzhaigou. However, my interest is entirely in halal travel. Beautiful scenery alone wouldn't make me visit. The focus of this halal trip is Songzhou Ancient City in Songpan County, about 50 kilometers from Jiuzhaigou. Songpan is a place where many Hui Muslims live, and there are many mosques with traditional architectural styles that attract me. Of course, there is also halal Sichuan food.



You can take a plane or a bus from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou. I recommend the bus. It saves money, as the ticket is only a little over 100 yuan, and the trip takes about 7-8 hours. If you fly, the flight time is 1 hour, but when you add the time to get to and from the airport, it isn't much faster than the bus. The Jiuzhaigou airport is built between Songpan and Jiuzhaigou, far from the scenic area. You still need to take a taxi, which usually costs 200-300 yuan in peak season, and there are long lines.

If we take the halal route, we pass through Wenchuan and Songpan on the way from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou. After the Wenchuan earthquake, the area was rebuilt and is even more prosperous than before. On the road, I saw the Wenchuan Grand Mosque, which is a new mosque with a dome style.

Songzhou Ancient City



From Chengdu Chadianzi Bus Station

Take a bus to Songpan County Songzhou Bus Station

The trip takes about 6 hours. Songzhou Ancient City in the county is a famous historical and cultural city in Sichuan. It was an important frontier town and the gateway to western Sichuan. There is no entrance fee for the ancient city, and there is plenty of halal food inside.



Looking around, 90 percent of the restaurants inside and outside Songzhou Ancient City are halal. They mostly serve local Sichuan flavors, with some Northwest Chinese dishes. Prices in the ancient city are quite cheap, costing about 50 to 60 yuan per person for a meal, which is much cheaper than Jiuzhaigou.



This shop is one of the popular restaurants recommended by locals. It specializes in yak beef soup pot (yaoniurou tangguo), but we were interested in home-style Sichuan dishes, so we didn't eat there.



The minaret (xuanlita) by the river in the distance is the Songpan North Mosque (Songpan Qingzhen Beisi), about one kilometer away from Songzhou Ancient City on foot.

Songpan North Mosque



The North Mosque was built in the 22nd year of the Guangxu reign (1896) with funds donated by the Hui Muslim tea merchant Ma Jian. It was destroyed in the third year of the Xuantong reign and rebuilt with collected funds in the eighth year of the Republic of China. The prayer hall was rebuilt in 2005. A plaque with the inscription 'Promote Religion and Build the Nation' by Bai Chongxi hangs in the middle of the Moon-Watching Pavilion (Wangyuelou). The mihrab inside the hall features wood carvings and paintings in the decorative style of the Gansu region. It was not damaged during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.







Screenshot from 'Architectural Art of Chinese Islam, Volume 2'.

A comparison of the original appearance of the North Mosque and its current state. The plaque in the middle inscribed by Bai Chongxi is no longer there.





















Guangzhaoting Gongbei



Guangzhaoting Gongbei was built to commemorate the 29th-generation descendant of the Prophet, Huazhe Abudonglaxi. It is located at the foot of the mountain in the north corner of Dongyu Village, east of Songpan County, one kilometer from Songpan Ancient City. Huazhe Abudonglaxi came to China from Mecca in the early Qing Dynasty to spread the Qadiriyya (Gaderenye) school, a history spanning nearly 400 years. At that time, the sage and his companions traveled by sea to spread the faith in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and the five Northwest provinces. They spent two years in Songpan and left in the 18th year of the Kangxi reign (1679). During the Xianfeng reign, Ma Daojin, the sixth-generation successor of the Great Gongbei, presided over the construction of the Gongbei at the place where he lived. The current main building was rebuilt in 1994 with a total investment of over 1.4 million yuan.

I filmed a short video of my visit to Guangzhaoting Gongbei.



Among the many Qadiriyya Gongbei, I have visited the National Gongbei in Linxia, Luling Mosque in Xixiang, Shaanxi, and Baba Mosque in Langzhong, Sichuan. I have written articles about two of them:

Luling Mosque: The Resting Place of the Qadiriyya Grand Master.

A Halal Travel Guide to Langzhong Ancient City, Sichuan.



There are several other Qadiriyya Gongbei in Sichuan, namely the Houxi Gongbei and Qianxi Gongbei in Wuping, the Datanjing Gongbei in Guangyuan, and the Erlangshan Gongbei in Guangyuan.







Lighting incense is very important in the Qadiriyya menhuan. It is usually done morning and evening. Practitioners must follow five rules: diligent study of precepts, begging for food, diligent practice, frequent bathing, and lighting incense.





















































On the mountain behind Guangzhaoting Gongbei, there is another Gongbei called Yinxian Gongbei, also known as Yinxian Pavilion or the Upper Gongbei. It is located on the east bank of the Minjiang River, 3 li from Songpan city, and is the tomb of the Arab Nuh Runjini (Chinese name Ma Guangzu). It is usually closed and requires someone from the Gongbei to bring a key to open it. There was no one at the Gongbei when we arrived, so we did not go.

Xiashuiguan Halal Street



Halal Street is inside the ancient city of Songzhou. It is easy to find on foot because the ancient city is small. Since there are halal restaurants everywhere, Halal Street does not feel particularly special, though it does house the Chengguan Mosque.





On Halal Street, there is a halal beef and mutton market along with several snack shops, most of which are run by merchants from Northwest China.

Chengguan Mosque





Songzhou Chengguan Mosque was formed by merging the Upper Mosque and the Lower Mosque. The Lower Mosque was built during the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1379), and the Upper Mosque was built in the first year of the Xianfeng reign (1851). The Upper Mosque was once occupied by the Minshan Village collective, and the Lower Mosque was used as a canteen for the Zhongjiang No. 2 Village before being taken over by the Chengguan Kindergarten. In 1987, the land for the Chengguan Mosque was returned. It covers 4 mu of land with a building area of over 2,400 square meters.























There are many Sichuan-style halal restaurants in the ancient city. We walked into a tea restaurant and ordered a few local specialties. The shop was full of Tibetan people. Eating in the ancient city felt like being in Lhasa; the whole atmosphere was very similar.









Cold-tossed diced rabbit (lengchi tuding)

Cold-tossed diced rabbit is a famous Sichuan dish. The rabbit meat is diced, cooked, and then cooled. Although it looks full of chili peppers, you can eat the peppers as a vegetable. It is not spicy at all, but very fragrant and goes well with rice.



Green pepper chicken (qingjiao laziji)

Spicy chicken is another Sichuan specialty. The chicken is paired with the aroma of chili and Sichuan peppercorns, making it hard to stop eating.

Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area



You can reach the outside of Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area by bus from Songpan in two hours. You can stay near the scenic area that night. There are three halal restaurants outside the scenic area, a few hundred meters apart. Two are noodle shops, and one is a Sichuan restaurant called Huixiangzhai, run by Hui Muslims from Songpan.



Huixiangzhai

Huixiangzhai serves yak feasts and home-style Sichuan dishes, but the prices are on the high side, averaging about 100 yuan per person. If you eat the yak beef hot pot, the price is even higher, around 200 yuan per person. However, since it is in a scenic area where logistics are difficult, this is understandable.





Twice-cooked yak beef (huiguo yaoniurou)

Twice-cooked yak beef is the best Sichuan dish at this restaurant. We ordered it twice. You must eat twice-cooked beef when you come to Sichuan.



Stir-fried wild mushrooms (chao yeshengjun)

The weather in Jiuzhaigou in early March is still quite cool, so there are not many wild mushrooms. After May or June, a large amount of fresh mushrooms will be on the market.



Jiuzhaigou is a 5A-level scenic area. Tickets booked online are 192 yuan per person. The day we arrived was International Women's Day, so women were admitted for free. We took a sightseeing bus from the entrance to the top of the mountain and then toured from the top down. The whole trip was comfortable, and we did not have to walk too much, though hiking enthusiasts can also walk.



In 2017, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Jiuzhaigou, causing some damage to the scenic area. After several years of restoration, it has mostly recovered. 80% of the scenic area has reopened, and we did not see any traces of earthquake damage during our visit. However, this reminds us that if you want to visit, you should go early, as you never know when an accident might happen.



Nuorilang Waterfall

Nuorilang Waterfall was a filming location for the ending of the 1986 version of Journey to the West, where the monk Tang Seng and his disciples walked above the falls. I loved watching that show as a kid, and standing at the foot of the waterfall today felt like traveling back to my childhood. It was a wonderful experience.





Jiuzhaigou is in a Tibetan area filled with Tibetan villages you can visit. There are no halal restaurants there, so you need to bring your own food. I think one day is enough to explore from morning until night. It is a bit cold and the altitude is high on the mountain, so be prepared.



These photos are original shots from my phone with no editing. The blue you see with your own eyes is even deeper than in the pictures. Jiuzhaigou is one of the top ten scenic spots in China and a World Natural Heritage site. It is definitely worth a visit.



It was still snowing in Jiuzhaigou in March, and the scenery after the snow was beautiful. There are fewer tourists in the off-season, and you can visit Jiuzhaigou in any season. However, the park gets extremely crowded during the peak summer season, and hotel prices skyrocket. I suggest traveling during the off-peak season so you have a better experience.

My wife made a short video featuring both of us briefly. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: The Beijing Central Axis was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2024, and its buffer zone includes important Islamic cultural heritage sites. This article records mosques, old Muslim community traces, monuments, streets, and heritage context preserved in the source.

Beijing Central Axis: A Masterpiece of China's Ideal Capital Order was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2024, with designated heritage and buffer zones. I have visited several religious heritage sites within these buffer zones and would like to share them with you.

Houhai Mosque: Built in the Qing Dynasty, rebuilt in 1946.

Huiying Mosque: Built in 1759, relocated and rebuilt in 2010.

Qianmen Mosque: Built in the late Ming Dynasty, renovated in the Qing Dynasty.

Mishi Hutong Mosque: Renovated in 1940.

Dongsi Mosque: Built in 1447 (the 12th year of the Zhengtong reign of the Ming Dynasty).

Huashi Mosque: Built in 1414 (the 12th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty).

Jiantang Wang Huihui Plaster Shop: Established during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty.

Yipinxian Bathhouse: Republic of China era.

Ma Yinglong Eye Medicine Shop: 1923.

Dadao Wang Wu Yuanshun Security Firm: Early years of the Guangxu reign.



Houhai Mosque

Address: No. 18, East Bank of Xihai.

Date: Built in the Qing Dynasty, rebuilt in 1946.

Current status: Residential housing.

Houhai Mosque sits on the north bank of the river connecting Houhai and Xihai, east of Desheng Bridge, so it is also called Desheng Bridge Mosque. Houhai Mosque is said to have been built in the Qing Dynasty. The current building was rebuilt in 1946 and features a typical Western style from the Republic of China era. Due to history, it has now become a crowded residential compound.

The mosque gate faces south and is a Western-style gatehouse. Once inside, the main prayer hall is on the west side. The main hall has a modified hip roof. It originally had a front porch, but it is now enclosed, though traditional painted decorations remain on the porch. According to the Survey of Beijing Mosques, there were traces of the words "Qingzhensi" (Mosque) on the west wall of the hall, but when I visited, a building had been constructed outside the west wall, making it impossible to find a viewing angle.

When I visited, the owner of the southernmost room inside the main hall was renovating, which allowed me to see the interior. The biggest surprise was that the renovation removed the outer layer of the wall, revealing traditional calligraphy of scriptures on the wall facing the direction of prayer.



















Huiying Mosque

Address: No. 24 Dong'anfu Hutong.

Date: Originally built in 1759, relocated and rebuilt in 2010.

Status: Not open to the public.

Huihuiying Mosque is the only mosque officially built by the Qing government. In 1759, after Emperor Qianlong defeated the White Mountain faction of the Khojas, he summoned the Hui Muslim leaders, led by the Eight Peers of the Hui Region, to the capital. The high-ranking nobles and begs among them were managed by the Lifan Yuan and lived in private residences, while the ordinary Hui Muslims were organized into the Hui People's Company under the Left Wing of the Plain White Banner of the Imperial Household Department, known in Manchu as hoise niru (Hui people's company), and settled in the Hui camp outside the West Chang'an Gate.

Construction of the Hui camp began in 1759 with 147 rooms, and after more Hui artisans and performers arrived in the capital, it was expanded to 310 rooms in 1763. After the Hui camp was built, Qianlong had a mosque constructed on its west side, which was completed in 1764. Qianlong inscribed the Stele of the Imperial-Built Hui People's Mosque and placed it in the mosque, writing: The Hui people gather here for prayer, and the begs who come to pay tribute every year all worship with joy, seeing something they have never seen in the Western Regions. Until the beg system was abolished in 1884, this was the place where begs from all over Xinjiang performed their religious duties during their annual visits to the capital.

The main hall of the Huihuiying Mosque is a square pavilion with a double-eaved, four-cornered pyramidal roof, which is unique among all mosques in Beijing.



In 1912, Yuan Shikai was elected President and chose Zhongnanhai as the presidential palace. Soon after, Zhu Qiqian, Minister of the Interior, oversaw the conversion of the Baoyue Tower at the southern end of Zhongnanhai into the Xinhua Gate, the main entrance to the presidential palace, while also expanding the street in front of the palace and building a decorative wall across the street. Because it was right next to the Baoyue Tower, the gate and main hall of the Huihuiying Mosque were forced to be demolished. After the main hall was demolished, the congregation had nowhere to pray, so they rebuilt a small hall on the original site.

Because the government stopped paying stipends to the banner people in the early Republic of China, the Huihuiying community lived in poverty, so the rebuilt hall was very small, consisting of two connected shed-roofed rooms, with the rear prayer niche also having a shed roof. Since the original north gate was blocked by the decorative wall, the mosque entrance had to be moved to the south, and the stone arch carved with lotus patterns from the original gate was placed above the new entrance.

After the founding of the People's Republic, the Huihuiying Mosque was occupied by the guard regiment for a long time until demolition began on the south side of West Chang'an Street in 2009. On June 8, 2010, the Republic-era main hall and gate of the Huihuiying Mosque were demolished. In 2011, the Xicheng District Cultural Committee rebuilt the mosque 200 meters west of the original site, and the Stele of the Imperial-Built Hui People's Mosque inscribed by Qianlong was placed back in the courtyard. Regrettably, the new mosque was not built according to the original design, and the only remaining stone arch was placed above the mihrab of the main hall. Although the new mosque has been built for over ten years, it has never been opened.









Qianmen Mosque

Address: No. 9 Yangwei Hutong.

Date: First built in the late Ming Dynasty, renovated during the Qing Dynasty.

Status: Open.

Qianmen Mosque was first built in the late Ming Dynasty and renovated in 1680 (the 19th year of the Kangxi reign) and 1795 (the 60th year of the Qianlong reign). It features the classic North China mosque architectural style of the Qing Dynasty and is very well preserved. In 1894 (the 20th year of the Guangxu reign), the famous modern Islamic educator Imam Wang Kuan served as the head imam at Qianmen Mosque. His student, the great Imam Da Pusheng, served as an imam here between 1909 and 1911. Another great imam, Wang Jingzhai, studied under the famous Qianmen Mosque teacher, Imam Yu Mianweng, when he was young.

From the Qing Dynasty to the Republican era, many Hui Muslims outside Qianmen worked in the jade, jewelry, and antique calligraphy and painting trades. The famous novel The Muslim Funeral is based on the lives of these Hui Muslim jade traders. Qianmen Mosque was very busy back then, but as times have changed, this century-old mosque has returned to peace.









Three-layered interlocking roof (san ceng gou lian da).





















Imam Wang of Qianmen Mosque is from Niujie. He speaks with an authentic Xuannan Beijing accent and tells the history and culture of old Beijing Hui Muslims in a very vivid and thorough way.



I had an iftar meal at the mosque during Ramadan in 2025.



Mishi Hutong Mosque.

Address: Daji Lane West Gate.

Date: Renovated in 1940.

Status: Tea house.

During the Republican era, many friends (dosti) from the Northwest did business in the Xuannan area. In 1927, they donated funds to build Tianqiao Mosque and established the Association of Hui Muslim Fellow Townsmen from the Five Provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and Xinjiang in Beijing. After the 1930s, the Northwest dosti gradually settled in the Caishikou area. In 1937, the old Bianyifang restaurant on nearby Mishi Hutong closed down. The Northwest dosti living in Beijing pooled their money to buy the two-story building and officially converted it into Mishi Hutong Mosque in 1940. After that, the Northwest Five Provinces Association moved its office to Mishi Hutong Mosque. Imam Ye Liangpu of Tianqiao Mosque served as the imam for both, and Friday prayers (Jumu'ah) were held at both mosques on a rotating basis.

The street-facing rooms of Mishi Hutong Mosque were bought by a dosti named Qian. The north room of the outer courtyard served as the association office, while the north room of the inner courtyard held a primary school classroom, kitchen, and toilet. The west room by the back door was the water room (wudu area). The second floor of the small building was the main prayer hall. The west room on the first floor was a lecture hall, the north room was the imam's dormitory, the south room was a student lounge, and the north and south rooms in the outer corridor were student dormitories. A glass plaque reading "The Holy Path is Flourishing" (Shengdao Qiyang) hung in the outer corridor. It was donated by the elders of Tianqiao Mosque and inscribed by Zong Zheng.

When the Daji area was demolished, all other buildings of Mishi Hutong Mosque were torn down, leaving only the two-story building. The small building was built in the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty. It was originally an "L" shape made of a north building and a west building. When it was converted into a mosque in 1940, three south-facing open porch rooms were added, changing the "L" shape into a "U" shape. At the same time, a two-story flat-roofed open hall was added in the recessed area, connecting with the south porch. This created a semi-enclosed open space on the second floor to serve as the main prayer hall, which was a first for mosques (masjid) at that time.

After the 1960s, Mishi Hutong Mosque was turned into a toy factory dormitory and later became a residential compound. Today, the mosque at Mishi Hutong has become a teahouse. The tea is expensive, and you must book in advance.





























Dongsi Mosque

Address: No. 13 Dongsi South Street

Date: Built in 1447 (the 12th year of the Zhengtong reign of the Ming Dynasty)

Status: Open.

Dongsi Mosque was one of the four major official mosques in Beijing during the Ming Dynasty. It was built in 1447 with funds donated by Chen You, a famous Hui Muslim military officer. In 1450, the Jingtai Emperor officially bestowed the name 'Qingzhensi' (Mosque) upon it.

During the Yongle reign, Chen You followed Zhu Di on two northern military campaigns against the Mongols and earned great merit. During the Xuande reign, he mainly worked on pacification efforts along the northern and northwestern borders of the Ming Empire. During the Zhengtong reign, tribute trade between the Ming Dynasty and the Mongols flourished. In 1436, Chen You became an envoy to the Oirat Mongols. Later, he led Oirat envoys to Beijing multiple times to present horses as tribute. Because of his service, he was promoted several times to the position of Assistant Commander of the Imperial Guard. In 1444, Chen You was appointed as a guerrilla general and began patrolling the borders in places like Ningxia. During this time, he defeated the Mongol army, earned significant military honors, and was promoted to Assistant Commissioner of the Rear Chief Military Commission, becoming a high-ranking military officer. He donated the funds to build Dongsi Mosque during this period.

In 1449, war broke out between the Ming Dynasty and the Oirats. Chen You followed the Ming Yingzong Emperor into battle, but they were defeated and the Emperor was captured. During the critical defense of Beijing, Chen You fought bravely, earned military merit, and was promoted to Vice Commissioner of the Rear Chief Military Commission. In 1450, the Jingtai Emperor sent Chen You to the Guizhou and Huguang regions to suppress the Miao uprising. He was promoted twice for his military achievements. It was during this time that the Jingtai Emperor bestowed the 'Qingzhensi' plaque upon Dongsi Mosque.

Because of his outstanding military service, Chen You was granted the title of Earl of Wuping in 1457, a title his descendants inherited. Afterward, Chen's descendants often served as officers in Beijing military camps and funded the repairs of several old mosques, including those in Dingzhou and Yizhou, Hebei.













Historical Records of Dongsi Mosque



In front of the main hall of Dongsi Mosque stands a stone tablet erected in 1579, titled 'The Hundred-Character Praise of the Islamic Faith' (Qingzhen Faming Baizi Shengzan). The text is largely similar to the 'Hundred-Character Praise of the Prophet' (Yuzhi Zhisheng Baizi Zan) written by the Hongwu Emperor. It is signed by a person who described themselves as a follower of the faith in ancient Yan who bathed and wrote this with donated salary. The side of the tablet is inscribed with the name of a military official from the Shandong Regional Military Commission. This unassuming stone tablet is the only remaining relic of the Ming Dynasty's imperial Faming Mosque. People say after a fire at Faming Mosque in the early Qing Dynasty, the tablet was moved to Dongsi Mosque.

Faming Mosque was located at No. 43 Jiaodaokou North Second Alley inside Andingmen. Its old address was No. 22 Andingmen Inner Great Second Alley, so it was also called the Great Second Alley Mosque. Faming Mosque is said to have been built in 1348 and was originally called a mosque. After being rebuilt in 1448, it was officially named Faming Mosque. Along with Dongsi Mosque, Niujie Mosque, and Pushou Mosque inside Fuchengmen, it was known as one of the 'Four Major Official Mosques of Ming Dynasty Beijing'. Official mosques refer to those where the imam of the mosque received an official certificate (zhafu) issued by the Department of Sacrificial Rites under the Ministry of Rites. According to Wang Daiyu in the True Explanation of the Orthodox Faith (Zhengjiao Zhenquan), after receiving the certificate, the imam was honored with official robes and exempted from corvee labor.

Faming Mosque was renovated many times during the Ming, Qing, and Republican periods, but it kept its Ming dynasty layout, which is quite similar to the Dongsi Mosque. On the Complete Map of the Qianlong Capital (Qianlong Jingcheng Quantu) finished in 1750 (the 15th year of the Qianlong reign), you can see that the main part of Faming Mosque consisted of a main prayer hall, north and south lecture halls, and a minaret (bangkelou). Like the Dongsi Mosque, the main hall of Faming Mosque consists of a front porch, a central hip-roofed hall, and a rear kiln-style hall, though it is slightly smaller in size. In 1966, Faming Mosque was occupied by a factory and later turned into a school. In 1984, the 600-year-old mosque was demolished by Jiaodaokou Middle School to make room for a classroom building and playground. Today, it is the Andingmen campus of the 22nd Middle School and a dormitory for the Sixth Hospital.



Huashi Mosque

Location: No. 80 Huashi West Street

Date: Founded in 1414 (the 12th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming dynasty)

Status: Open.

Huashi Mosque was founded in 1414 (the 12th year of the Yongle reign), renovated in 1628 (the first year of the Chongzhen reign), renovated again in 1702 (the 41st year of the Kangxi reign), and had an imperial stele pavilion built in 1729 (the 7th year of the Yongzheng reign). Local legend says that the Ming general Chang Yuchun shot an arrow to mark the site, ordered a residence to be built within the range of the arrow, and it was later converted from a residence into a mosque.





















An imperial stele pavilion was built in the middle of the courtyard. It originally housed a stone carving of an imperial edict issued in 1729 (the 7th year of the Yongzheng reign), but the stone tablet was moved out in the 1930s when the pavilion was turned into a dormitory.







Jiantang Wang Huihui Plaster Shop storefront

Address: No. 70 Yangmeizhu Xiejie

Date: Founded during the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty

Current status: Restaurant

The Jiantang Wang Huihui Plaster Shop is located on Yangmeizhu Xiejie outside Qianmen. The Wang family has run this plaster shop since the Ming dynasty Wanli reign, making it over 400 years old and a district-level intangible cultural heritage. In the old days, Jiantang had the shop in front and the factory in back, where several generations lived and worked. Today, the street-level storefront displays various artifacts from the old shop, the most precious being the original wooden plaque preserved on the second-floor terrace.

After the public-private partnership in 1956, Jiantang was merged into Tongrentang. The plaster shop on Yangmeizhu Xiejie closed and became staff housing, and the Wang family became employees of Tongrentang. After the 1960s, the Jiantang storefront was reclaimed. Through tireless efforts, the Wang family successfully got it back in 1997. After renovations, the family reopened the old storefront as a bookstore in 2004, naming it Jianzhai. In 2014, Yangmeizhu Xiejie became a pilot site for the Beijing Design Week. Jianzhai took this opportunity to upgrade into a coffee bookstore, which is still in business today. The owner is a 21st-generation descendant of Jiantang.















Their specialties include crab roe noodles and beef rice.





Yipinxian Bathhouse

Address: Zongshu Xiejie

Era: Republic of China

Current status: Only the gatehouse remains

Yipinxian Bathhouse is located on Zongshu Xiejie outside Qianmen. Zongshu Xiejie was originally called Wang Guafu Xiejie and Wang Guangfu Xiejie. It is one of the Eight Great Hutongs. During the Republic of China era, it was famous for its high-end brothels (qingyin xiaoban) and had many restaurants and bathhouses. Yipinxian was the most famous one among them.

Peking Opera master Ma Lianliang loved soaking at Yipinxian. Zhang Aiyi wrote in 'Past Stories of Actors' (Lingren Wangshi): 'Ma Lianliang loved to soak in baths.' Whenever he had a show in the evening, he would definitely go to the bathhouse in the afternoon. He first went to Yipinxian outside Qianmen, then later switched to Qinghuachi at Xizhushikou. Later on, he often went to Qinghuayuan at Bamiancao. After soaking, he would have a professional technician give him a pedicure. This was because he wore boots all year round for performing, which caused corns. Every time he went to the bathhouse, Ma Lianliang would bring cigarettes and tea to give to the technicians and workers.

Besides going alone, Ma Lianliang often went to Yipinxian with the 'King of Drum Singing' Liu Baoquan. Ma Lianliang wrote about this in 'Remembering Mr. Liu Baoquan' around the 1920s: 'After some time, through the introduction of the late famous Peking Opera actor Mr. Wang Yaoqing, I met Mr. Liu Baoquan.' We hit it off immediately and soon became best friends. For more than five years after that, we spent every day together and were inseparable. Every day I went to his home at Mianhua Jiutiao to find him. We would go for a walk together, then go to Yipinxian Bathhouse to bathe. In the afternoon, we would go to Liangyixuan to eat together. After eating, we would go to the theater together to watch performances by Yu Shuyan and Yang Xiaolou. This was basically our daily routine.

Yipinxian Bathhouse also continued to develop during the Republic of China era. You can see this by comparing the 'Revised Practical Beijing Guide' published by The Commercial Press in the 12th year of the Republic of China with the 'Beijing Travel Guide' published by Xinhua Bookstore in the 30th year of the Republic of China.

In the 12th year of the Republic of China, Yipinxian was not yet a first-class bathhouse. It was only ranked as 'second-tier' and used cement tubs and ceramic tubs: 'The second-tier ones include Yipinxian, Huayuan, Wenyayuan, Yuqing, Qingquan, Dongxing, Yuhua, Qihua, Xinhuachi, Baoquan, Yihe, etc.' The equipment was mostly cement basins and ceramic vats, with some enamel basins. Bath prices ranged from forty, thirty, twenty, to ten cents. Fees for back scrubbing and haircuts were twenty or ten cents.

By 1941, Yipinxang was already Beijing's most famous bathhouse, ranking alongside the well-known Qinghuachi. At that time, the ground floor of the bathhouse had five warm pools built with white ceramic tiles, while the upstairs had individual enamel bathtubs. At the same time, Yipinxang had the most popular foot-scraping master in Beijing, who specialized in treating athlete's foot: 'There are currently 123 bathhouses operating in the city.' In recent years, with the progress of the times, development has increased. As humans evolve, everyone knows the importance of cleanliness. Those in this business also know how to adapt and improve. Most pools have been changed to five warm pools built with white ceramic tiles. The pools are wide and deep, actually surpassing those in Shanghai, Wuhan, and Nanjing. Bathtubs have also changed from wood to enamel, which is much cleaner and more beautiful than before. The best-equipped places include Qinghuayuan and Yiheyuan in the East City, Huabaoyuan and Yuhuayuan in the West City, and Qinghuachi and Yipinxang in the Outer City. Business is very prosperous, and prices are divided by official basins, elegant seats, upstairs, and downstairs... The foot-scraper at Yipinxang is named Wei Wenxi, who has long been famous for this skill, and all bathhouses compete to hire him. Southerners living in Beijing who suffer from athlete's foot all look for little Wei, because once he scrapes their feet, they feel a great sense of relief. Because of this, little Wei is often too busy to keep up with the demand.

Additionally, according to the 1939 'Beijing Industrial and Commercial Guide' edited by the Zhengfeng Economic Society, the owner of Yipinxang was Wang Houqi, a native of Wanping, Hebei (which includes the western part of Beijing, including today's Xicheng District). However, I have not yet found more information about Wang Houqi and hope to have new discoveries in the future.









Ma Yinglong Eye Medicine Shop storefront

Address: Qianmen Xiheyuan Street

Year: 1923

Current status: Residential housing.

In 1875 (the first year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty), Hui Muslim Ma Wanxing from Dingzhou, Hebei, moved the Ma family eye medicine shop from Dingzhou to Beijing and opened the 'Beijing Ma Yinglong Eye Medicine Shop' on Qianmen Xiheyuan. 'Ma Yinglong' was his father's name.

In 1923, Ma Wanxing's third son, Ma Liting, inherited the pharmacy and officially built the current Republic of China-era storefront on Qianmen Xiheyuan. There is a 'Ma Yinglong' plaque above the storefront, and the words 'Eye Medicine' are on the right, partially covered by an air conditioner. The plaque was inscribed by the Beiyang warlord and Baoding Hui Muslim, Ma Liang.

After the 1930s, Ma Yinglong successively set up branches across the country and expanded sales through mail order, even selling as far away as Europe. After the public-private partnership in 1957, Ma Liting served as the deputy section chief of the processing department of the Beijing Medicinal Materials Company. In 1966, his whole family was sent back to their ancestral home in Dingzhou, and Beijing Ma Yinglong gradually faded from history.

In 1919, Ma Wanxing's grand-nephew Ma Qishan opened a Ma Yinglong branch on Hanzheng Street in Hankou, later establishing the Ma Yinglong Shengji Pharmaceutical Factory. After the 1980s, they began to focus on hemorrhoid ointment, continuing the Ma Yinglong brand to this day.



















Broadsword Wang Wu Yuanshun Escort Agency

Address: 13 West Banbi Street.

Date: Early years of the Guangxu reign.

Current status: Residential housing.

Big Knife Wang Wu, whose real name was Wang Zibin (1844-1900) and courtesy name Zhengyi, was a Han Chinese from Cangzhou, Hebei. He loved martial arts since he was a child and greatly admired Li Fenggang, the Hui Muslim manager of the Chengxing Escort Agency in Cangzhou. The Li family came from a line of Hui Muslim military households from the Ming Dynasty. They moved from Nanjing to settle in Cangzhou during the Yongle reign, and they kept up their martial arts tradition ever since. In the late Qing Dynasty, Li Fenggang's uncle, Li Guanming, learned the Six Harmonies boxing style (liuhe quanfa) from the Cao family of Hui Muslims in Botou. He founded the Six Harmonies School (liuhe men) in Cangzhou, which later grew into the largest martial arts school in the city. Li Guanming opened the Chengxing Escort Agency outside the south gate of Cangzhou. He had a high reputation in the martial arts world and almost never lost a shipment. Li Guanming later passed the agency to his nephew, Li Fenggang. Li Fenggang had followed his uncle to learn Six Harmonies boxing and weapons since he was young. He was skilled with double swords and was known as the Double Sword General.

Wang Wu really wanted to become Li Fenggang's student, but the Li family's Six Harmonies School only taught those of the Islamic faith according to their master's rules. Wang Wu made up his mind to convert, but his mother did not agree. According to the 1933 Cang County Gazetteer, Zhengyi's teacher was Li Fenggang. Fenggang was a follower of Islam (Tianfang jiao), and Zhengyi wanted to study under him. Fenggang would not teach him because he was not of the faith. Zhengyi wanted to convert to show his sincerity, but his mother would not allow it. Zhengyi knelt and begged her repeatedly for over ten years until she finally agreed. He then learned everything from Fenggang before going to the capital, where he was first called Little Wang Wu.

In the early years of the Guangxu reign, Wang Wu, then thirty years old, set out on his own and opened the Yuanshun Escort Agency at Zhushikou outside Beijing's Qianmen Gate. According to Liang Qichao's Poetry Talks from the Ice-Drinking Studio, Wang Wu was a great hero of the Youyan region who worked as an escort. His influence reached north to Shanhai Pass and south to Qingjiangpu, and he spent his life helping the weak and fighting the strong. The Yuanshun Escort Agency gradually became one of the eight major escort agencies in the capital, and Wang Wu became known as Big Knife Wang Wu because he was so skilled with a single sword. Pingjiang Buxiaosheng's The Tale of Modern Chivalrous Heroes, which began serialization in 1923, is the pioneering work of modern Chinese martial arts novels. The story features Big Knife Wang Wu and Huo Yuanjia. It depicts the deep friendship between Wang Wu and Tan Sitong, Wang Wu's heroic efforts to save Tan Sitong, and his brave sacrifice during the Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion of China, which made Wang Wu a beloved hero.

The Yuanshun Escort Agency faces north. The main gate was originally very wide to allow escort wagons to pass through, but now most of it is occupied by a restroom. Only the western half of the original gate remains, and the door knocker on it is the same one Tan Sitong used when he came to visit Big Knife Wang Wu.







Inside the courtyard was the original space for parking escort wagons and horses. On the west side, there are three connected side courtyards. The first was where Wang Wu would perform his ritual washing (wudu) for namaz. The second and third were living quarters for the escorts, and the back courtyard held the inner office, the storage room for goods, and guest rooms. After the public-private partnership reforms in the 1950s, the descendants of the Wang family only kept the south and north rooms of the back courtyard. The front courtyard became public property, and after renovations by the housing management office, it is now hard to recognize. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: Qinzhou District in Tianshui, Gansu, preserves Ming Dynasty mosque sites, Qing Dynasty Hui Muslim courtyards, and old Silk Road neighborhood traces. This article follows the source's mosque names, lane details, family residences, architectural notes, and local history.

Qinzhou District is the old town of Tianshui, Gansu, located on the Silk Road route connecting Shaanxi and Gansu. Historically, Qinzhou was known as the Five Cities of Qinzhou. These five cities stretched 5 kilometers, connected by a main road and 21 city gates, looking like pearls on a string. Among these five cities, Hui Muslims mainly lived in the areas of Chengyuan Lane, Yimin Lane, Zizhi Lane, Qinmu Lane, and Houzhai in the Middle City.

Tianshui Houjie Mosque, also called Xiguan Mosque or the Great Mosque, was first built during the Yuan Dynasty (1341-1368). It was rebuilt in 1374 (the seventh year of the Ming Hongwu era) and expanded in 1468 (the fourth year of the Chenghua era). The Ming Dynasty main hall still stands today, and it was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 2006.

The front hall has five bays with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof covered in green glazed tiles. The main ridge features glazed lotus patterns, and the central vase decoration includes carvings of a memorial archway, a three-arch bridge, flowers, auspicious clouds, and a treasure gourd. The ridge is decorated with flower and pavilion motifs. The front porch of the main hall is supported by eave columns, which is different from the independent roof structure of Qing Dynasty halls. The rear kiln hall has three bays with a hip-and-gable roof, and the center of the main ridge features a glazed vase ornament.



















Houjie Mosque originally belonged to the Gedimu tradition, but later it became part of the Beishan Menhuan of the Jahriyya order. Legend says that in the mid-Qianlong era, Ma Mingxin, the founder of the Jahriyya order, came to Tianshui to teach and stayed in the north hall of Houjie Mosque. The mosque currently preserves a plaque from 1912 written by Ma Yuanzhang, the seventh Murshed of the Jahriyya order, saying 'The sovereignty of heaven and earth belongs to Allah,' and another from 1939 by Ma Yuanchao, founder of the Beishan Menhuan, saying 'The Lord is not like anything.'

Ma Yuanzhang was known as 'Shagou Taiye' and was the great-grandson of Ma Mingxin. He arrived in Zhangjiachuan in 1875 (the first year of the Guangxu era) and used it as a base to revive the Jahriyya order. He officially became the seventh Murshed in 1912 and died in a cave dwelling during the 1920 Haiyuan earthquake.

Ma Yuanchao was Ma Yuanzhang's younger brother. He came to Beishan in Zhangjiachuan during the Guangxu era to buy land and farm, later helping Ma Yuanzhang revive the Jahriyya order. After Ma Yuanzhang passed away in 1920, Ma Yuanchao began leading the religious affairs in Xuanhuagang, which became known as the 'Beishan Menhuan'.











The mosque also preserves Arabic couplets from 1816 (the 21st year of the Jiaqing era) and a stone tablet recording the reconstruction from 1543 (the Ming Jiajing era). The Ming Dynasty tablet records that a local man named Gao Mu bought land at the northeast corner of Tianshui's West Gate in the seventh year of the Hongwu era and used his own money to buy wood, stone, and bricks to build a three-room mosque. In the fourth year of the Chenghua era, the religious leader Ma Fan encouraged local elders to donate money for a renovation. In the 13th year of the Jiajing era, they hired a master builder named Wu from their own community to build the mosque tower.

The Ming Jiajing tablet mentions Hui Muslims with the surnames Ma and Wu. Currently, there is a group of Hui Muslims in Tianshui with the surname Ma who claim their ancestral home is Hexi, Yunnan, and that they arrived in Tianshui in 1372 (the fifth year of the Ming Hongwu era).

According to a family genealogy from the tenth year of the Guangxu era, the Wu family originally settled in Jiangning Prefecture, Nanjing. In 1369 (the second year of the Ming Hongwu era), Generals Wu Zhen and Wu Liang moved to Qinzhou. The 'Supplement to the New Gazetteer of Qinzhou Prefecture' records that 'Qinzhou Garrison Commander Wu Zhen was a founding hero of the Ming Dynasty and was titled Marquis of Jinghai.' Wu Zhen and Wu Zhen (Wu Zhen/Wu Zhen) might be the same person.

Besides the Ma and Wu families, Hui Muslims with the surnames Lei, Zhao, and Huang also moved to the area during the Ming Dynasty. Oral history says the Lei family arrived in Qinzhou during the Ming Dynasty. The Guangxu-era Qinzhou Gazetteer records that Lei Jiaofeng was a local Hui Muslim with exceptional martial talent in the 13th year of the Chongzhen reign (1640).

The Zhao family moved here from Zhaocun in Xianyang, Shaanxi, between the end of the Ming Dynasty and the start of the Qing Dynasty. The Huang family's ancestral home was in Sichuan, and they moved to Tianshui at the end of the Ming Dynasty.









The founding date of the Beiguan Mosque in Qinzhou, Tianshui, is unknown. It was originally located at the entrance of Zhongyi Lane in Shang'an Valley but was destroyed by war in the early Tongzhi years. Later, a Hui Muslim named Wu donated a house in Mujia Pit to rebuild it. In 1929, Wu Zhenyi, a high-ranking member of the mosque and the then-magistrate of Cheng County, led a fundraising campaign. Another high-ranking member, Ma Hengtang, donated his own house, and the reconstruction was completed after two years. The couplet carved on the main gate reads: 'Walk the path to heaven and invite all living beings to the land of joy; transcend the ordinary and seek the holy, do not let the first step lead you astray.' This was written by the late Qing Dynasty Hui Muslim scholar Ha Yiqing. Inside the main hall, you can see exquisite calligraphy from the Jahriyya (Zhepai) order.

The Yuan family of Hui Muslims has lived in Beiguan, Qinzhou for generations, with ancestral roots in Fengxiang, Shaanxi. According to family oral history and ancestral graves, they have been here for 18 generations. One branch moved to Mei County, Sichuan, during the Tongzhi years of the Qing Dynasty, but returned to Tianshui in the early Republic of China era.



















The Taizi Mosque in Qinzhou, Tianshui, is believed to have been built between the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The main hall's roof beam has an inscription from the fourth year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty, and there are two 400-year-old locust trees in front of the gate. A larger main hall has been built behind the original Qing Dynasty hall. I regret that I could not enter the Qing hall, but I was lucky enough to experience the unique chanting style of the Jahriyya order.

The number of Hui Muslims moving to Qinzhui, Tianshui, continued to grow during the Qing Dynasty. According to the family genealogy, the Mu family ancestors came to Long from Youyan to do business during the prosperous Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong eras. Based on this, it is assumed they are a branch of the Mu family of Hui Muslims from Mujia Village in Tianjin.

There are two branches of the Su family of Hui Muslims, who moved here from Cheng County and Yanguan in Li County respectively at the end of the Qing Dynasty.

The Hai family lives in Zizhi Lane and their ancestral home is Lanzhou. Their ancestor was a mule cart driver for a Tianshui official working in Lanzhou. When the official returned home during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty, the Hai ancestor followed him and settled in Qinzhou.

The Mi family's ancestral home is Huaishu Village, Baqiao, Xi'an, Shaanxi. They fled to Qinzhou during the Tongzhi years of the Qing Dynasty, initially working as shed guards for a family named Fan, and have now been here for seven generations.



















Exquisite brick carvings on the Qing Dynasty main hall of Taizi Mosque.













There was originally a 'Rear Mosque' in Houzhai, Qinzhou, Tianshui. In the early Tongzhi years, the Hui Muslims there scattered, and the mosque was demolished and turned into a Confucian mosque. In 1900 (the 26th year of the Guangxu reign), the Hui Muslim population in Houzhai gradually recovered. They pooled their money to buy the hall frame of a descendant of the Ming Dynasty magistrate Zhao Lianzhi in Zizhi Lane and moved it to build the 'Front Mosque,' which was completed in 1919. The current Houzhai Mosque is a replica building reconstructed in 2010.

The Na family of Hui Muslims are descendants of Nasr al-Din, the son of Ajall Shams al-Din Omar, and their ancestral home is Yunnan. In the first year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, Na Huatang followed the seventh-generation Jahriyya leader Ma Yuanzhang from Yunnan to Tianshui. He first settled in Paomazhuang Town, then moved to Houzhai in Qinzhou, where he served as the imam of the Houzhai Mosque. His family has been there for six generations.













The Ha Rui Residence is located on Chengyuan Lane near the Back Street Mosque (Houjie Si). It is now a provincial-level cultural heritage site in Gansu. The residence originally had three courtyards. Due to demolition and reconstruction, only the east and west wing rooms of the first courtyard, the Four Seasons Hall and west wing room of the second courtyard, and the west wing room of the third courtyard remain. The middle courtyard has a two-story building with a hanging mountain roof (xuanshan ding) on the north side, and the back courtyard has a two-story, three-bay wooden building. These are very rare in traditional residential houses.

Ha Rui was a famous Hui Muslim scholar and industrialist in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. He was known as the Zhang Jian of Northwest China and made lasting contributions to the urban development of Tianshui.

Ha Rui came from a family of Hui Muslim doctors in Tianshui, with ancestral roots in Fujian. According to the Ha Family Genealogy, the Ha family was originally from Fujian. In the early Kangxi period, the Gansu Governor Liu Gongdou was sent to the northwest, and our ancestor Xiangfu came to Longshang with his banner. He found it a happy land and settled there with his younger brother Shengjiu. This was the beginning of the Ha family in Qinzhou.

Ha Rui was born in 1862 (the first year of the Tongzhi reign). He passed the provincial examination in 1882 (the eighth year of the Guangxu reign) and the imperial examination in 1892 (the eighteenth year of the Guangxu reign), then joined the Hanlin Academy as an editor. In 1894 (the twentieth year of the Guangxu reign), he served as a secretary in the Sichuan Department of the Ministry of Justice. In 1905 (the thirty-first year of the Guangxu reign), he served as the magistrate of Bishan, Sichuan, for five years, and later served as the magistrate of Yibin and Leshan. In 1911, he became the magistrate of Dongshan County. He resigned due to political instability and returned to his hometown of Tianshui in 1917. He founded the Bingxing Match Company and opened iron works, sulfur refineries, coal mines, paper mills, and transport teams. In 1920, he was hired as an advisor to the Longnan Garrison Commander. He actively promoted local public welfare, opened a carriage road connecting Tianshui to 12 surrounding counties, started an electric light company, and installed streetlights in the Dacheng area, making Tianshui the first city in Gansu to have streetlights.

Ha Rui valued education. After 1926, he founded the Bingxin Primary School and the Cungu Academy. His work in education became a well-known story in Tianshui. Ha Rui was skilled in calligraphy and poetry. His works, the Ha Rui Poetry Collection and the Ha Rui Self-Written Chronology, have been passed down.

Ha Rui had a close relationship with the Zhe school brothers Ma Yuanzhang and Ma Yuanchao. He visited Shagou and Xuanhuagang many times and wrote epitaphs for them after they passed away (gui zhen). In 1911, the Dongguan Mosque in Hui County, Gansu, was burned down. Young Hui Muslims fled to Tianshui and Shagou to find the Hui gentleman Ha Rui and the Shagou elder Ma Yuanzhang. Through their joint efforts, the Republic of China government allocated funds and sent officials to repair the mosque the following year.



















The exquisite wood carvings on the hanging flower gate (chuihua men) of the Ha Rui Residence. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: Bangkok's Chinatown contains a Yunnan Hui Muslim cemetery inside Luang Kocha Itsahak Mosque on Song Wat Road. This account connects the Ma family of Tonghai, Yunnan, the old caravan trade, the mosque's royal translator history, and the Muslim life around Yaowarat.

This year, I unexpectedly found a graveyard for Hui Muslims from Yunnan in Bangkok's Chinatown, located inside the Luang Kocha Itsahak mosque on Song Wat Road. Some of these tombstones state that the people came from the Ma family in the Great Hui Village (Da Hui Cun) of Tonghai, Yunnan. The Great Hui Village was originally called Hexi Dadonggou and is home to thousands of Hui Muslims, with the Ma family being the largest clan. According to the Hexi County Annals, the Ma family was originally from Nanjing and moved to Yunnan with the army in the early Ming Dynasty. Tombstone records also state that the Ma family were from Liushuwan Gaoshikan in Nanjing Yingtian Prefecture and moved to Yunnan for business.

The head of the Ma family, Ma Yuanwu, originally made a living by farming. During the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, he sent his eldest son, Ma Tongzhu, to lead a horse caravan. After saving some money, he sent his eldest grandson, Ma Bingzhong, to open a soy sauce workshop. The Ma family used their horse caravan to transport brown sugar to Kunming for sale and brought salt back, gradually growing their business this way. In 1918, the Ma family sold the soy sauce workshop and opened the Yuanxinzhai trading firm in Mojiang. They switched to selling cotton yarn, cloth, silk, and satin, while also buying mountain goods and medicinal herbs like tea, shellac (zijie), cowhide, deerskin, and deer antler (lurong). Later, they also processed deer glue, expanding their reach from China to Thailand and Myanmar. In 1921, the Ma family renamed Yuanxinzhai to Yuanxinchang in Kunming. They mainly traded ivory, deer antler, tiger bone, otter and cat fur, tea, cloth, silk, and dyes. They also shipped Chinese medicinal herbs like saffron, sweet flag (cangchangpu), musk, and fritillaria (beimu) to Thailand.

In the 1930s, besides running their horse caravan business, the Ma family set up branches in central and southern Yunnan, Kengtung and Mong Hsat in Myanmar, and Lampang, Chiang Mai, and Bangkok in Thailand. Because they kept their word and managed their business well, the Ma family became very wealthy in southern Yunnan during the Republic of China era. During the middle and late Republic of China era, the Ma family built three large family compounds in their hometown of Great Hui Village, which still stand today.

See "Heading South from Kunming (Part 2): Witness to the Yunnan Horse Caravans—The Ma Family Compound in Tonghai."



















Luang Kocha Itsahak Mosque is the only mosque in Bangkok's Chinatown area. It was built at the end of the 19th century with funds donated by the Siamese royal translator, Luang Kocha Itsahak.

Luang Kocha Itsahak was of mixed Malay and Chinese descent. His father came to Bangkok from Kedah, Malaysia, to do business, served under King Rama III, and married a Chinese wife. Luang Kocha Itsahak himself worked in the Siamese Department of Western Trade (Krom Tha Khwa), serving as a translator for Malay rulers visiting the Siamese court and managing trade between Siam and various Malay states.

After Siam made Bangkok its capital in 1782, it granted a piece of land between the Sam Peng Mosque canal and the Sam Peng canal to the Chinese. As trade between China and Thailand grew, the Sam Peng Chinatown gradually became an import and trade district dominated by Teochew merchants. Before Don Mueang Airport was built in 1914, people wanting to travel from Bangkok to India, the Middle East, or Europe had to take a steamship from the Gonghang Pier in Chinatown to Singapore or Penang, then transfer to a cruise ship to continue west. Because of this, the Gonghang Pier was crowded with merchants from all over the world in the 19th century, and many Indian, Malay, and Yunnanese Hui Muslims worked in nearby warehouses and trading companies.

Since there was no mosque in the Chinatown area, the friends (dost) working nearby had to take a ferry to a mosque on the south bank of the Chao Phraya River for their prayers, which was very inconvenient. After discussing it, everyone decided to have the highest-ranking royal translator at the time, Luang Kocha Itsahak, lead the effort to buy land near Gonghang and build a mosque.

In 1892, a fire broke out in Chinatown, damaging many houses, so King Rama V decided to build a new main road, Song Wat Road, in Chinatown. Luang Kocha bought land along Songwat Road and had his children take apart the bricks and stones from a house he owned across the river in Thonburi to build this neoclassical-style mosque. Today, the Luang Kocha Mosque is still owned by his descendants and serves as a convenient place for fellow Muslims (dosti) working or visiting near Bangkok's Chinatown.







The ablution room (shuifang) was built in 1949.





Daily prayers (namaz) are held on the first floor, with men in front and women in the back, separated by a curtain.



The second floor only opens for Friday prayers (Jumu'ah), and the decoration of the mihrab features a distinct Thai style.







On Yaowarat Road in Bangkok's Chinatown stands a century-old house that was once the stage for a Muslim version of Romeo and Juliet; it is now open as a hotel and cafe.

This house was first built in 1916 by a Shia merchant named Abdul Rahim who worked in Chinatown, and it was later sold to a Sunni merchant named Adam. Adam arrived in Bangkok's Chinatown by boat from India to work. He started with nothing and eventually bought this house. Since Adam had no children, after he passed away, his wife brought her brother's family to live with her, and her brother's son, Payoon, became the young master of the house.

Surprisingly, Payoon fell in love with Sara, a descendant of the house's first owner, Abdul Rahim. Although they both came from wealthy Muslim families, one belonged to the Sunni sect and the other to the Shia sect, which was still not accepted by everyone a hundred years ago. This Muslim version of Romeo and Juliet had a happy ending. They married and had three sons, and the eldest son, Parpatipya, inherited the house.

The house was later rented by a Chinese printing factory and a newspaper office. After renovations in 2017, it became the Baan 2459 hotel and Chata cafe.



















After the great fire in Bangkok's Chinatown in 1892, King Rama V built a large number of shophouses along Sampeng Lane, the oldest road in Chinatown, which later became a bustling commercial market. Besides the Chinese, Indian and Malay Muslims (dosti) also opened shops on Sampeng Lane, with many working in the jewelry trade. 130 years later, many descendants of these Muslims (dosti) still operate jewelry businesses in the shophouses on Sampeng Lane, serving as a living historical memory of Bangkok's Chinatown.











This shop is marked as being from Pattani Province in southern Thailand, which is a Malay-populated area.

















There are relatively few halal restaurants in the Bangkok Chinatown area. I recommend Zara Restaurant on Yaowarat Road, a family-run place serving local Thai food and various coffees. We ordered Thai red milk tea, spicy minced chicken salad (Larb Gai), green papaya salad, and stir-fried rice noodles (Pad Thai). Overall, the taste was very authentic, and the stir-fried rice noodles were especially delicious. However, Thai food is the spiciest I have ever eaten in Southeast Asia. If you are a Muslim (dosti) who cannot handle spice, be sure to say so in advance, or your mouth will feel like it is burning for a long time.



















The second floor of the Wat Traimit mosque in Bangkok's Chinatown houses the Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Center. It offers a very intuitive introduction to Bangkok's Chinatown. At the ticket office, just say you only want to see the exhibition and buy a 100-baht ticket. The exhibition hall introduces how the Chinese came to Bangkok to make a living and displays the atmosphere of Chinatown during the Qing Dynasty.



















Life scenes recreated inside the Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Center in Bangkok:

Haitianlou on Shipa Road was built in 1934, and its three-story banquet hall is a key place for Chinese community gatherings.



Longweiye Market sells a variety of dried goods, fruits, and ready-to-eat foods.



The theater performs the traditional Teochew opening play, 'Six Kingdoms Conferring the Prime Minister' (Liuguo Fengxiang).



Remittance houses (piguan) handle the delivery of letters and money back to the home country.



Many shops gather in the square in front of Longlian Mosque.



Tea and snack shops sell crispy, sweet Chinese-style pastries, perfect for eating while drinking tea.



Gold and silver jewelry sold at gold shops is a major way for Chinese people to save money; they often buy gold to keep after receiving lucky money (yasuiqian) during the Lunar New Year.



Several Chinese-language newspaper offices in Yaowarat post their daily papers on the wall, so people can read the 'wall news' without having to buy a copy.



Tianhua Hospital opened in 1905; it uses various dialects to communicate with patients and provides free medical treatment to the poor.



Bangkok's Chinatown in the rain. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This first part of the Jiangsu mosque series documents historic Hui Muslim mosque sites in northern Jiangsu, including Yanghe Mosque, Siyang Mosque, Siyang West Mosque, Shuyang Mosque, Hexia Mosque, Wangjiaying Mosque, Yancheng Mosque, and Baoying Mosque. The article preserves the original mosque names, founding dates, community histories, inscriptions, architectural details, and image order.

I am sharing the 25 historic mosque buildings I have visited in Jiangsu, moving from north to south.

1. Suqian

1. Yanghe Mosque (Yanghesi): First built during the Qianlong reign, rebuilt after 1945.

2. Huai'an

1. Qingjiang Mosque (Qingjiangsi): First built during the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, rebuilt in 1870.

2. Hexia Mosque (Hexiasi): First built during the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, rebuilt in the late Qing Dynasty.

3. Wangjiaying Mosque (Wangjiayingsi): First built during the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty, rebuilt in 1985.

3. Yancheng

1. Yancheng Mosque (Yanchengsi): Built during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty, renovated in 1928.

4. Yangzhou

1. Baoying Mosque (Baoyingsi): Rebuilt in 1910, rebuilt again in 2022.

2. Gaoyou Mosque (Gaoyousi): Rebuilt in 1864.

3. Lingtang Ancient Mosque (Lingtang Gusi): First built at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, moved to its current site in the early Qing Dynasty, rebuilt in 1924.

4. Shaobo Mosque (Shaobosi): First built during the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty.

5. Xianhe Mosque (Xianhesi): First built in 1275, rebuilt in 1390.

6. Majian Lane Mosque (Majianxiang Libaisi): First built in 1714.

7. Huihui Tang Mosque (Huihuitangsi): First built in 1275, rebuilt in 1776.

5. Zhenjiang

1. Shanxiang Mosque (Shanxiangsi): Expanded during the Kangxi reign, rebuilt in 1873.

2. Jianzi Lane Mosque (Jianzixiangsi) Ming and Qing Dynasty stone carvings.

3. Nanmenwai Mosque (Nanmenwaisi) Qing Dynasty mihrab.

4. Xinhe Street Mosque (Xinhejie Huijiaotang): 1930.

6. Nanjing

1. Jingjue Mosque (Jingjuesi): First built during the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, rebuilt in 1877.

2. Original Taiping Road Mosque: First built in the early Ming Dynasty, moved and rebuilt in 2005.

3. Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque.

4. Hushu Mosque: First built in 1392, rebuilt in 1896.

5. Liuhe South Gate Mosque: First built in 1403, raised and renovated in 2013.

6. Liuhe Women's School: First built in 1912, rebuilt in 1930.

7. Liuhe Changjiang Road Mosque: First built in 1424, rebuilt during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty.

8. Zhuzhen Mosque: Rebuilt in 1901, renovated in 2001.

9. Zhuzhen Women's Mosque: First built in 1921, rebuilt in 1931.

Suqian Yanghe Town Mosque.

The Suqian Yanghe Town Mosque was first built during the Qianlong reign. It was funded by Yu Qin, a local scholar from Yanghe who had served as an education official in Lishui, Pizhou, and Ningguo, and was built on Rice Market Street in Yanghe. It was destroyed during the Japanese invasion and later rebuilt. The current main hall features a hip-and-gable roof, a post-and-lintel frame, and upturned eaves with wind bells hanging from the four corners. It was listed as a Suqian cultural heritage site in 2010.

Yanghe Town Mosque belongs to the Jahriyya Banqiao Daotang. During the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, Chang Tingzhang (1785-1870), a Hui Muslim from Siyang, Jiangsu, traveled to Lingzhou (modern-day Lingwu) in Ningxia to study. After completing his studies, he brought the Jahriyya tradition to the Huai-Si region. Chang Tingzhang was famous far and wide for his profound knowledge and had many disciples when he began teaching at the Huaiyin Wangjiaying Mosque. Since then, mosques including the Huaiyin Wangjiaying Mosque, Siyang Zhongxing Town Mosque, and Yanghe Town Mosque have all followed the Jahriyya tradition. Before 1932, the imams of Yanghe Town Mosque were all assigned from Ningxia. After 1932, Imam Ma Chengliang served until he passed away in 1979.























Huai'an Qingjiang Ancient Mosque.

Qingjiangpu in Huai'an was dredged in 1415 (the 13th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty). It was the center of grain transport for the Grand Canal during the Ming and Qing dynasties, where grain transport ships from all provinces were built and repaired. Because navigating the Yellow River section of the canal was very dangerous, and waiting times to pass through locks in Shandong were too long, many merchants chose to leave their boats at Qingjiangpu. They would cross the Yellow River and switch to horse-drawn carriages to continue north, making Qingjiangpu a symbol of the "southern boats and northern horses" transport system.

The most important pier in Qingjiangpu was next to the Yue Lock. It was called the Imperial Pier because both Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong landed there during their southern inspection tours. This was once the busiest and most prosperous place in Qingjiangpu. Hui Muslims began doing business on Yuehe Street in front of the Imperial Pier during the Ming Dynasty, and the earliest Qingjiang Ancient Mosque was built during the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty.

In 1677 (the 16th year of the Kangxi reign), the Governor of the Waterways moved to Qingjiangpu, and it became the center of grain transport. In his collection of notes and stories, Golden Pot Seven Inks (Jinhu Qimo), Qing Dynasty writer Huang Junzai recorded: 'Along the Qingjiang River for over ten miles, the markets were bustling and food was abundant. People from all directions gathered here, shoulder to shoulder and wheel to wheel, in a very prosperous scene.' In 1799 (the 57th year of the Qianlong reign), the Qingjiang Mosque (Qingjiang Gusi) underwent a large-scale expansion, marking the peak of its prosperity.

In 1860 (the 10th year of the Xianfeng reign), the Nian Army captured Qingjiangpu and the Qingjiang Mosque was destroyed. The imam, Ma Huanwen, sadly passed away from illness while preparing to raise funds for the mosque (nietie). Fortunately, an elder from Nanjing named Jiang Hengqing took over, organized the community to raise funds (nietie), and finally rebuilt the mosque in 1870 (the 9th year of the Tongzhi reign).

In 2006, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level. Three historic mosques were included along the canal: the North Mosque in Linqing, the East Mosque in Linqing, and the Qingjiang Mosque in Huai'an. It can be said that the Hui Muslim community in Huai'an grew because of the canal and is inseparable from the canal's grain transport history.

Looking from the opposite bank of the Li Canal, you can see the gate of the Qingjiang Mosque right next to the Imperial Wharf ruins, helping you imagine what the busy grain transport days looked like.

















Inside the courtyard, the main prayer hall and the north wing, known as the Butterfly Hall, are Qing Dynasty structures. Beside the main hall stands a Chinese trumpet creeper (lingxiaomu) over 320 years old.



The main hall is a Qing Dynasty building made of two connected hard-mountain roofs (yingshanding) with a kiln-style hall (yaodian) at the back, typical of traditional Jianghuai architectural style.





















The north wing of the Qingjiang Mosque is called the Butterfly Hall (hudieting). This is a traditional name for garden architecture in the Jianghuai region, named because the corners of the hall curve upward like the wings of a dancing butterfly.















Two stone steles at the Qingjiang Mosque.

The first is the 'Prohibition Edict Stele' from the 57th year of the Qianlong reign. It was written and erected by the county government to explicitly ban corruption, issued by Wu Li, the magistrate of Qinghe County, Huai'an Prefecture, Jiangnan, who held a fifth-rank title and had been commended five times.







The second is the 'Stele Record of the Rebuilding of the Mosque Main Hall' from the 9th year of the Tongzhi reign, which documents the process of rebuilding the main hall during the Tongzhi period. The inscription records donors from nineteen places: Henan, Shandong, Jinling, Yunnan, Zhili, Chuanshan, Hexia, Lixiahe, Baoying, Gaoyou, Shaobo, Xiannumiao, Taizhou, Xinghua, Dongtai, Rugao, Shuyang, the Xinzi Cavalry, and Yuanpu. Donors from Henan, Shandong, Yunnan, Zhili, and Chuanshan were mostly traveling merchants, reflecting the prosperous 'southern boats and northern horses' scene of Qingjiangpu during the Qing Dynasty. The others were local mosque communities in Jiangsu. Some, like the Shaobo mosque, have since been abandoned, offering a glimpse into the rise and fall of the Hui Muslim community in Jiangsu.







Ancient well



Column base



Coffin for the deceased (tabumaiti xia)



Tombstone of Madam Yang, mother of the Ma family, from the 14th year of the Guangxu reign, and the tombstone of the Sai family of the Ma clan from Anhui.





Tombstone of the Sai family of the Ma clan from Anhui



Stone railing



Drum-shaped stone base with cypress and deer carvings (bailutu baogushi)





Hexia Mosque

Hexia Ancient Town in Huaian is the largest town on the outskirts of Huaian Prefecture. Because the salt from the coastal salt fields in Huaibei was high in both quantity and quality, many salt merchants from the northwest and Anhui came to Huaibei in the late Ming Dynasty to work in the salt industry. The Huaibei Salt Transport Branch was located in Hexia Town at the time. Salt from the fields had to be shipped to Hexia for inspection before merchants could sell it elsewhere. Hexia Town then entered its most prosperous period. Salt merchants built gardens and courtyards there. The Qing Dynasty record Huaian Hexia Annals states: Wealthy salt merchants brought their capital and made their homes in Hexia, and Hexia became extremely prosperous. The wealth brought by these salt merchants made the town's business thrive, and many Hui Muslims also came to settle in Hexia.

Hexia Mosque is located south of Luojia Bridge in Hexia Town. It was first built during the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty. In 1860, during the tenth year of the Xianfeng reign, the Nian Army captured Huaian and burned down ten rooms of the mosque, which were later rebuilt. The main hall of Hexia Mosque is a Qing Dynasty structure with blue bricks, dark tiles, and upturned eaves, showing a typical Jianghuai architectural style. It was listed as a cultural relic protection unit of Huaian City in 2006.

Above the main hall door hangs a chestnut wood plaque inscribed with the words Si Wu Xie (Thinking Without Evil), written by Tian Rui, the acting prefect of Huaian in the tenth year of the Daoguang reign. Plaques originally on both sides, inscribed by anti-Japanese hero Zuo Baogui and Yunnan Commander Ma Chang'an, were destroyed after the 1960s.

The imam (ahong) of the mosque usually stays at a nearby beef and mutton shop. If you call the number posted on the mosque gate, he will come over to open it.

















An ancient well dug in the early Qing Dynasty.































Wangjiaying Mosque.

Wangjiaying in Huaian is located between the old course of the Yellow River and the Salt River. During the Ming Dynasty, the Dahe Guard was established in Huaian Prefecture, and ten military camps were built along the Yellow River. Wangjiaying was one of them. Because travel on the Yellow River section of the canal was slow and passing through locks was dangerous, often leading to broken cables and sunken boats, many merchants chose to leave their boats at Qingjiangpu. They would cross the Yellow River at Wangjiaying and switch to horse-drawn carriages to continue north. Wangjiaying and Qingjiangpu gradually grew into a busy town together.

Wangjiaying experienced many floods from the Yellow River, and the town moved east three times before reaching its current location. In 1831, the eleventh year of the Daoguang reign, Viceroy Tao Peng chose Wangjiaying as the new distribution center for Huaian salt. After that, eighteen salt warehouses and seventy-two salt bureaus were opened in Wangjiaying. Salt boats traveled back and forth every day along the three-hundred-li waterway from the Huaibei salt fields to Wangjiaying.

The prosperity of Wangjiaying attracted a steady stream of Hui Muslims to settle there. The first Hui Muslims to arrive in Wangjiaying were the Ma and Sha families, who came via Lingwu County in Ningxia, Shandong, and Zhenjiang. Later, Hui Muslims with the surnames Jin, Dai, Chang, Ge, Fan, Li, and Yang also settled here.

Wangjiaying Mosque was first built during the Yongzheng reign. It started as three thatched rooms next to the Lotus Pond at Wangjiapo. After Wangjiaying became a salt distribution center in the late Daoguang reign, the mosque moved to the south bank of the Salt River, with imams Chang Tingzhang and Dai Mingxuan in charge of religious affairs. Imam Chang Tingzhang, known as Third Master Chang, was originally from Jining, Shandong. He was born in 1785, the fiftieth year of the Qianlong reign, in Taoyuan County, Huaian Prefecture, Jiangsu (now Siyang). In his youth, he studied in Lingzhou (now Lingwu County, Ningxia) and continued his religious studies in Jining, Shandong, after completing his initial training. In 1810, the fifth year of the Jiaqing reign, the 26-year-old Imam Chang Tingzhang was invited to Wangjiaying Mosque to lead religious affairs. Imam Chang Tingzhang had deep knowledge of Arabic classics, astronomy, and medical theory. According to the Wangjiaying Annals, a man named Third Master Tao from Hangzhou died in Huaian during the Daoguang reign. Because it was the heat of midsummer, Imam Chang Tingzhang personally bought a boat and traveled south along the canal to escort the body back to Hangzhou to fulfill his duty to the family.

In 1860 (the 10th year of the Xianfeng reign), the Nian Army burned down the Wangjiaying Mosque. In 1867 (the 6th year of the Tongzhi reign), Imam Dai Jingzhai, the son of Imam Dai Mingxuan, built a few thatched huts. Later, with donations from the community, they built a main prayer hall with three rooms made of grass.

After Imam Chang Tingzhang passed away in 1870 (the 9th year of the Tongzhi reign), Imam Dai Jingzhai took charge of religious affairs. In 1884 (the 10th year of the Guangxu reign), he replaced the grass-roofed building with a tiled one. Because Imam Chang Tingzhang had studied at the Jahriyya Banqiao Daotang in Jinjibu, Lingwu County, Ningxia, when he was young, the Wangjiaying Mosque later invited five successive Jahriyya imams from Jinjibu to lead religious services and teach. Subsequent imams also went to Ningxia for further study, making Wangjiaying Mosque one of the nine branch centers of the Banqiao Daotang.

In 1912, the Wangjiaying Mosque built a new main gate, a south lecture hall, a kitchen, and a water room. In 1920, with funding from the Jinshan Tang in Gansu and money from selling dozens of willow trees from the public cemetery, they rebuilt the three-room tiled porch in front of the main hall and added three new rooms for the east lecture hall. Currently, there is a stone tablet from 1920 commemorating the Republic of China renovation on the inner north wall of the main hall, but the top part is covered.

In 1958, the Wangjiaying Mosque moved to the east side of the West Horse Road in Wangying. In 1961, it moved to its current location because the land was requisitioned for a bank building. During the destruction of the Four Olds, the main hall's plaques reading "The Way Spreads in the Central Land," "The Religion Follows the Western Regions," and "Stop at the Ultimate Good," along with the gold-lettered Arabic plaques and the couplet reading "See the formless, hear the soundless, rectify the intention and be sincere, become a sage and a worthy, the original nature;" “The Way stands here, movement brings harmony, reach others through oneself, benefit the people and the world, the land is complete” were all smashed and burned. Funeral supplies were also destroyed, and the main hall was used as a warehouse by a shoe and hat factory.

In 1979, under the leadership of Imam Ge Weili, the Wangjiaying Mosque was rebuilt in a traditional style. It was completed in 1985 and underwent two more renovations and expansions in 2003 and 2006, resulting in its current appearance.

Imam Ge Weili was born in 1924. He went to Ningxia to study in 1937. After completing his training and receiving his credentials in 1945, he became the imam of Wangjiaying Mosque and took on the role of imam in 1966. The religious work at Wangjiaying Mosque is now handled by Imam Fan Weiming, a student of Imam Ge Weili.

















The Republic of China era inscription reads as follows:



The Wangying Mosque was founded during the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty. By the end of the Daoguang reign, our community was at its peak. The population was large, and businesses were thriving. With the old Imams Chang Tingzhang and Dai Mingxuan leading religious affairs one after another, the lecture hall was always full, and many students were trained. This is recorded in the local history and can be verified. In the Gengshen year of the Xianfeng reign, the Nian rebellion suddenly occurred. The mosque was burned to the ground, our people fled or died, and the population gradually dwindled.

In the sixth year of the Tongzhi reign, Imam Dai Jingzhai, the son of the old Imam Dai Mingxuan, followed his father's teachings and took over the religious duties. He first built a few thatched huts to teach the faith morning and evening. However, for prayers, it was too simple and exposed to the elements; For gatherings, it was too small to hold everyone. The Imam was deeply worried about this. He persuaded people to donate and built a main prayer hall with three rooms made of grass. Later, he discussed it with Yang Xuting, Ma Yunfeng, and Guo Daosheng. With their help, in the tenth year of the Guangxu reign, they rebuilt the tiled main hall and lecture halls, and things began to return to normal. As more of our people lived here, the original public cemetery became crowded, and after many years, there was almost no space left. The Imam was concerned that there were few cemeteries for the community, and whenever a major funeral occurred, it was difficult to manage. He planned to buy a piece of land to provide for the future. He got the agreement of Mr. Ma Yunfeng, but before the matter was finished, Mr. Ma passed away. What a pity! Fortunately, Mr. Ma's brother, Runzhi, carried out his brother's wishes. With the strong support of the village elder Mr. Li Yunpo, they set aside differences, raised funds, and bought two new cemeteries. The benefits provided by the imam (ahong) to our people are thorough and complete. This is largely due to the support of those passionate about public welfare, but it is also the result of the imam's decades of solitary, painstaking effort and his sincere devotion.

In the first year of the Republic of China (1912), we worked to continue the legacy of our predecessors by adding a main gate, a south lecture hall, and a kitchen. Mr. Ge Ziming funded the construction of the washroom (shuifang) with a donation of several hundred thousand. We also invited Imam Wang Pinqing from Gansu Province to teach scripture. Visitors from all over who came here always spoke highly of him. In recent years, wind and rain have damaged the buildings, and the main hall is at risk of collapsing. We met to discuss the situation and sold dozens of willow trees from the perimeter of the cemetery, raising over two hundred thousand. We also received a donation of many roof tiles and timber pieces from the Jinshan Hall in Gansu. We then built three tiled, curved-eave rooms in front of the main hall and fully repaired the surrounding walls, the three-room east lecture hall, and the courtyard of the inner gate. This massive project was completed through a combination of public funds and donations from afar. We feel ashamed that we lack the personal wealth to do more, but we share these details because, despite two hundred years of constant change, our mosque still stands tall. This is largely due to the efforts of our ancestors and village elders. We sincerely hope that future generations will remember the hardships of those who built this place and preserve it forever so it may last without decline. We have recorded the full story here.

July, the ninth year of the Republic of China (1920).

Jin Jiasheng, Jin Jialin, Guo Chunlin, Yang Fangtian.

Chang Bingkui, Li Shunjie, Chang Guanying, Mu Hongbin.

Jin Jiayuan, Ma Jianong, Fan Zhaofeng, Yang Guiyuan.

Ge Futang, Li Dianqing, Ma Jiarang, Mu Hong'en.

Ma Jialin, Ge Zhenqing, He Wenquan, Zhou Fengling.

Sha Faxiang, Liu Lianyuan, Zhou Riyang, Mu Hongye.

Yancheng Mosque.

Yancheng Mosque is located on Xicang Lane (historically called Xicang) in the Yancheng urban area. It was first built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty as three thatched rooms by five Hui Muslim families: the Ha, Huo, Ding, Liu, and Xue families. It was expanded in 1720 (the 59th year of the Kangxi reign) and rebuilt again in 1928 into the current brick-and-wood main hall.

The Republic-era 'Continued Records of Yancheng County' states: 'The mosque is located on Xicang Street in the city. It was founded during the Ming Yongle period. In the 59th year of the Qing Kangxi reign, land was purchased to expand it, and it was renamed the Mosque (Qingzhensi). Recently, it was renamed the Hui Church (Huijiaotang). The leader of the faith is called an imam (ahong).' In the second year of the Republic of China (1913), the Yancheng branch of the Jiangsu Islamic Association was established. In the 18th year (1929), it was renamed the Yancheng branch of the Chinese Islamic Association.

During the War of Resistance Against Japan, Yancheng Mosque suffered two disasters. On March 30, 1938, it was bombed by the Japanese military. On April 26 of the same year, the Japanese military occupied Yancheng and set fire to the city. Except for the main hall, which survived, all other buildings were destroyed.

The main hall of Yancheng Mosque features traditional Jiangsu architectural style, with flying eaves in the front and a kiln-style niche (yaowo) in the back. The main hall still preserves the original wood-carved circular frame featuring a dua, which is very exquisite. According to Imam Xue Long from Zhenjiang, the inscriptions on the top and bottom of the main hall plaque use Arabic, Persian, and Xiao'erjing. They translate to: Completed on an auspicious day in the eighth lunar month of the 17th year of the Republic of China, respectfully erected by Abdullah Yang Luji. This is very precious.

The imam of Yancheng Mosque from 1936 to 1979 was Bai Hanzhang. Imam Bai was from Minquan, Henan. He graduated from the Beijing Niujie Islamic Institute in 1922. Later, he served as an imam in Jurong, Zhenjiang, and Nantong, Jiangsu. He became the imam of Yancheng Mosque in 1936 and served there until he passed away in 1979.

























Baoying Mosque

Baoying Mosque was originally located in Guojia Lane inside the east gate of the county town. Its founding date is unknown. It was rebuilt in 1910 (the second year of the Xuantong reign) at the entrance of Luoxiang Lane at the foot of the south city wall. With the help of Tao, the wife of anti-Japanese hero Zuo Baogui, and led by Imam Zhao Dezhai and others, many people including the Gao Mu Ma Jin family from Shandong, Anhui, Zhejiang, Huaiyin, Yangzhou, Yancheng, and Baoying raised funds to complete it in 1914. Baoying Mosque closed after 1958. It was rebuilt on the original site in 2002 and officially opened in 2006.

Baoying Mosque still has the water well dug during the 1910 construction and the ginkgo tree planted at that time. Imam Li at the mosque is from Siyang, Jiangsu. He usually runs the nearby Li's Beef and Mutton shop. If you want to enter the mosque, just call the number on his door. Imam Li is very welcoming. He says that Baoying Mosque still has some local Gao Mu who come to the mosque for Friday Jumu'ah prayers, which is better than some mosques where almost all the attendees are friends (dost) from the Northwest. Imam Li comes from the Zhepai Banqiao Daotang, but he treats all sects equally, and the religious community in Baoying County is very united. view all

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Summary: This fourth part of the Jiangsu mosque series records historic mosque sites in Nanjing and Liuhe, including Taiping Road Mosque, Caoqiao Mosque, Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque, Hushu Mosque, South Gate Mosque, Changjiang Road Mosque, and Zhuzhen Mosque. The article preserves founding dates, women's mosque history, Da Pusheng family records, stone tablets, ancient trees, and surviving architectural details.

















The front hall of the former Taiping Road Mosque served as the office for the chairman of the Chinese Islamic Association between 1945 and 1949, where Bai Chongxi once worked.

















The brick carving titled 'Purifying the Heart and Gazing at the Palace' (xixin zhanque) from the water room of the former Taiping Road Mosque.



The former Taiping Road Mosque collection includes the 'Postscript to the Filial Piety Arch for Mother' written by Jiang Guobang. It records that Jiang, a wealthy Nanjing merchant, lost his father early and was raised by his mother, Madam Ma. In 1911 (the third year of the Xuantong reign), he petitioned to build a memorial arch for his mother's filial piety. Due to the change in government, it was finally completed in 1914.

Jiang Guobang came from the wealthy Jiang merchant family of Jinling, but he was indifferent to fame and wealth, dedicating himself to the study of traditional Chinese classics. Jiang Guobang was very filial. To provide his mother with a good place for her retirement, he spent a large sum of money to buy the Small Ten Thousand Willow Hall (xiaowanliutang) by West Lake in Hangzhou, later naming it 'Jiang Manor' (Jiangzhuang), which was one of the three major manors of West Lake at the time. Jiang Guobang oversaw the reconstruction of the Taiping Road Mosque in 1924 and later built a filial piety arch for his mother inside the mosque. The arch no longer exists, leaving only the stone tablet record.







The Qing dynasty well railing and the Guangxu reign stone tablet at Caoqiao Mosque. Caoqiao Mosque was first built during the Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty, destroyed by fire during the Taiping Rebellion, and rebuilt in the early years of the Tongzhi reign. Because it was located in Qijiawan, a neighborhood where Hui Muslims lived, Caoqiao Mosque once had the largest number of congregants in Nanjing. Historically, Caoqiao Mosque had no property of its own; its daily expenses were covered by the Beef and Bone Trade Association located within the mosque. After 1958, Caoqiao Mosque was occupied and later rented to the Nanjing Woodware Factory, suffering severe damage. The property was returned in 1985 but remained closed until it was demolished in 2003.







Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque.

Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque was first built in the late Tongzhi reign of the Qing dynasty. It is one of the few remaining old buildings among the 33 mosques in Nanjing from the Republic of China era. The mihrab (mihalabu) niche currently in Jingjue Mosque was moved here from the Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque. Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque was used as a residence for a long time. It has now been vacated and may be put to new use.

In 1917, Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque founded the private Wuben Primary School to teach cultural subjects and Islamic knowledge. It moved to the entrance of Xiaowangfu Lane on Fengfu Road in 1953 and became a municipal school in 1956.



















Hushu Mosque.

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

Around 1932, a primary school for Hui Muslim children was established inside Hushu Mosque, which moved out of the mosque in 1956. In 1964, the main hall of Hushu Mosque was demolished during the 'Four Cleanups Movement' and 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 at Hushu Mosque was originally built in a palace style with upturned eaves, but it was changed to a flat roof after renovations.







The gate piers from the original construction in 1392.







A ginkgo tree transplanted in 1689.









Liuhe South Gate Mosque.

Liuhe once had seven mosques and three schools for women. Today, the Changjiang Road Mosque, South Gate Mosque, and Zhuzhen Mosque are open, and the historic buildings of the South Gate Women's School and Zhuzhen Women's School have been preserved.

Liuhe South Gate Mosque was first built in 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty), renovated in 1553 (the 32nd year of the Jiajing reign), destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion, and later rebuilt. One of the four famous imams of the Republic of China, Imam Da Pusheng, had three generations of his family—from his great-grandfather to his father—serve as the imam at South Gate Mosque. The old Da family home is on Qingzhen Street right at the mosque entrance. Imam Da Pusheng studied the scriptures at South Gate Mosque for seven years from the age of 10 to 17, before moving on to Nanjing and Beijing for further studies.

The ancestors of the Baiyetang Da family, to which Imam Da Pusheng belonged, were from the Western Regions during the Yuan Dynasty. Research shows they belonged to the Kipchak Yuliberi tribe, and his ancestor served as a darughachi in Zhenjiang before passing away there. His sixth-generation ancestor, Da Shanyu, moved from Zhenjiang to Liuhe in the early Ming Dynasty to take up a position as a county assistant. He settled in Liuhe, making this the oldest Hui Muslim family from the Western Regions in the area.

After 1966, South Gate Mosque was occupied by a kindergarten, during which time the Shamao Hall (a secondary hall), the north wing, the red gate, and the entrance hall were demolished. The kindergarten moved out in 1975, and the site was later borrowed by Baozhen Primary School. It was finally reclaimed in 2000 when the school moved out. In 2013, the main hall was raised and rebuilt. Later, the Tongxin Tower and Tongxing Building were added, and the site was finally opened for use in 2020.



















Stone carvings and ancient trees at Liuhe South Gate Mosque:

A stone tablet from the seventh year of the Daoguang reign commemorating a house donation by a Hui Muslim named Li.



A boundary marker for the mosque.



A stone tablet from the 12th year of the Guangxu reign, recording that South Gate Mosque was destroyed by the Taiping Rebellion during the Xianfeng period, many Hui Muslims from the local militia died in battle, and the government later stepped in to protect the graves.



A couplet written by Wang Jianli in the 10th year of the Republic of China: 'Keep your heart pure and clean as if in the afterlife, return to the truth and simplicity just the same.'



Qing Dynasty drum-shaped stone bases in front of the main gate.





A 460-year-old Chinese juniper in front of the main hall, classified as a first-class ancient tree.





Liuhe Women's School.

The Liuhe Muslim Women's School began in 1912, and the current building was constructed in 1930. It was later used as a funeral home for Hui Muslims and is a rare surviving example of a Muslim women's school from the Republic of China era.

Traditionally, these women's schools did not form formal classes, did not call the adhan, did not hold Jumu'ah or Eid prayers, and the female imam (shiniang) did not lead the prayer from the front, but instead stood in the middle of the first row. Women's mosques (nuxue) do not have minarets, and the main prayer hall does not have a pulpit (minbar). Female imams (shiniang) lead the local women in their religious duties and teach them about the faith.

Women's mosques emerged in the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty, starting in Henan and spreading to nearby areas in Hebei, Shandong, and Anhui. In the early Republic of China, the New Culture Movement and the women's liberation movement helped Hui Muslims understand the ideas of promoting women's education and ending foot-binding. The number of women's mosques grew quickly, with over 100 in Henan province alone, and many more built in other provinces.

During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, Nanjing had two women's mosques at Hanximen and Changle Street. During the Republic of China, four more were built at Fangjia Lane, Zhuganli, Shigu Road, and Dahuifu Lane, but all of these have since been torn down. In the early Republic of China, Liuhe had three women's mosques at Houjie, Nanmenwai, and Zhuzhen. The historical buildings at Nanmenwai and Zhuzhen still stand today.













Liuhe Changjiang Road Mosque.

The Changjiang Road Mosque was originally called Chengqingfang, and was also known as the Liuhe North Mosque, the City Mosque, or the Da Family Mosque. It was built in 1424 (the 22nd year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty) by the Da family, who had lived in Liuhe for generations. The Changjiang Road Mosque was destroyed by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom during the Xianfeng period. It was later rebuilt through donations from the imam Liu Weiting and local elders. In 1885 (the 11th year of the Guangxu reign), Da Guangyong donated money to build a reception hall. In 1928, Wang Dashi, the widow of the wealthy merchant Wang Zuochen and aunt of the great imam Da Pusheng, donated money to build the Wuxin Pavilion on the site of the original Wangyue Tower.

In 1899, the great imam Da Pusheng returned to his hometown of Liuhe from the Niujie Mosque in Beijing to serve as the imam of the Changjiang Road Mosque. It was not until 1905, when Imam Wang Kuan of Niujie went on the Hajj, that Imam Da returned to the Niujie Mosque to serve as the acting imam and lead religious affairs. Imam Da founded the Guangyi Primary School inside the Changjiang Road Mosque to promote modern education. He offered courses in Chinese and Arabic, scripture, geography, history, and mathematics, marking the first transition from traditional scripture hall teaching to modern education. In a memoir from the early 1950s, Imam Da wrote: 'I worked hard for six years. Perhaps moved by the success of Guangyi Primary School, the local Hui Muslims supported the school with great effort. Looking back, it was not easy to struggle at that time, patiently convincing stubborn traditionalists and acting courageously without being accused of going against the faith!'

After 1966, the Changjiang Road Mosque was occupied by a theater troupe and a cultural troupe. It was returned and reopened in 1983.



















Existing stone tablets at the Liuhe Changjiang Road Mosque:





The 11th-year Guangxu tablet records Da Guangyong's donation to build the reception rooms at the Liuhe City Mosque. Da Guangyong was an 18th-generation descendant of the Baiyetang Da family, held a minor official rank, and lived to be 81.



The 25th-year Guangxu tablet, titled 'Record of the Renovation of the Tangyi City Mosque and the Surrounding Market Shops,' documents the specific situation of the Changjiang Road Mosque during the Guangxu period. All those who signed it were local Hui Muslims from the Da family.



The 17th-year Republic of China tablet, regarding Wang Dashi's donation to help repair the Wangyue Pavilion and redeem market shops, records that Dashi, the wife of the Zhuzhen elder Wang Zuochen, donated money to build the Wangyue Pavilion. Wang Zuochen was a Hui Muslim from Zhuzhen, Liuhe. He ran a grain business on North Street in Zhuzhen for decades and was very devout, never missing his prayers. However, he was suddenly kidnapped by bandits in 1925 and was never heard from again. Wang Zuochen's wife, Dashi, was also very devout and had founded the Zhuzhen Women's School. After her husband went missing, Dashi spent years asking people to help find him, but there was no result. Because Wang Zuochen had no brothers or children, Dashi donated all the family's money to the Zhuzhen Mosque and to build the Wangyue Pavilion at the Changjiang Road Mosque.





Inside the mosque, there is a 350-year-old Chinese juniper (yuanbai) tree.







Zhuzhen Mosque

Zhuzhen Mosque was originally located outside the East Bridge. It was destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion and rebuilt in 1901 (the 27th year of the Guangxu reign) in Wangjia Lane in the middle of the old street. In 1968, Zhuzhen Mosque was turned into a dormitory for teachers at an agricultural middle school. It was reclaimed and reopened in 1983, and the main hall was rebuilt in 2001.

In 1939, the imam of Zhuzhen Mosque, Li Shudu, formed the Hui Muslim Anti-Japanese Independent Guerrilla Battalion and served as its commander. He worked with the New Fourth Army and made significant contributions to the anti-Japanese cause.

Additionally, in 1939, Hui Muslims from the 'Qiaobang' group in the Gaoyou and Lingtang areas built a mosque near Xinhua Garden on the west side of Zhuzhen. After 1966, it was converted into a Hui Muslim food processing factory.





Zhuzhen Mosque still has a door plaque from the Qing Dynasty's Guangxu reign, inscribed with 'Built by the Zhudun Community.' Zhudun is the old name for Zhuzhen.















Liuhe Zhuzhen Mosque houses a Qing Dynasty stone well called 'Songquan,' two pairs of drum-shaped stone bases, and a 1927 (the 16th year of the Republic of China) stele recording the will of Wang Zuochen's wife, Madam Da. Madam Da was the aunt of the great imam Da Pusheng. The inscription records that the Zhuzhen Girls' School was founded by Wang Zuochen and fellow members of the faith, who also provided all the funding. Later, Wang Zuochen was kidnapped by bandits and remained missing for several years. Because of this, his wife, Madam Da, decided to donate all their family farmland and property, except for a portion used for her own support. The funds were mainly for the daily expenses of the Zhuzhen Girls' School, with the remainder going to Zhuzhen Mosque. The inscription mentions her 'nephew Da Pusheng.'







Across from Zhuzhen Mosque, there is a shop selling small-mill sesame oil (xiaomo mayou), and there are only hand-pulled noodle (lamian) shops in town.









Zhuzhen Girls' School

Zhuzhen Girls' School features typical Jianghuai architectural style. The entrance hall and the main hall form a small courtyard, and both sides have classic Hui-style horse-head walls (matouqiang).

Zhuzhen Girls' School was founded in 1921 by Wang Zuochen, the uncle-in-law of the great imam Da Pusheng, along with fellow members of the faith in Zhuzhen. It was originally located on Zhuzhen Middle Street and was rebuilt in 1931 by Wu Tieqian and others along the south riverbank outside the East Bridge. After 1966, the Zhuzhen Girls' School was occupied by the Hui Muslim food processing factory. It was renovated in 2007 and is currently not open to the public. During the Republic of China era, the Zhuzhen Girls' School was led by two female imams, Teacher Dai and Teacher Bai, who taught scriptures and religious doctrines to local Hui Muslim women.

Wu Tieqian was a famous Hui Muslim anti-Japanese patriotic businessman. His original name was Wu Jiashan. At age 22, he inherited his father's business and ran the Wudeyuan Grain Store. After 1938, when the New Fourth Army entered Zhuzhen to lead the anti-Japanese resistance, Wu Tieqian took the lead in donating grain, money, and guns. He also served as the chairman of the Zhuzhen Merchants' Anti-Enemy Association. In 1942, Wu Tieqian became the first mayor of the Zhuzhen Anti-Japanese Democratic Government. He took risks to rescue and protect many comrades and also mobilized ambitious young people to join the revolution. After the founding of New China, Wu Tieqian was elected as the vice director of the Nanjing Islamic Association. He passed away (guizhen) in 1967. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This fourth part of the Jiangsu mosque series records historic mosque sites in Nanjing and Liuhe, including Taiping Road Mosque, Caoqiao Mosque, Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque, Hushu Mosque, South Gate Mosque, Changjiang Road Mosque, and Zhuzhen Mosque. The article preserves founding dates, women's mosque history, Da Pusheng family records, stone tablets, ancient trees, and surviving architectural details.

















The front hall of the former Taiping Road Mosque served as the office for the chairman of the Chinese Islamic Association between 1945 and 1949, where Bai Chongxi once worked.

















The brick carving titled 'Purifying the Heart and Gazing at the Palace' (xixin zhanque) from the water room of the former Taiping Road Mosque.



The former Taiping Road Mosque collection includes the 'Postscript to the Filial Piety Arch for Mother' written by Jiang Guobang. It records that Jiang, a wealthy Nanjing merchant, lost his father early and was raised by his mother, Madam Ma. In 1911 (the third year of the Xuantong reign), he petitioned to build a memorial arch for his mother's filial piety. Due to the change in government, it was finally completed in 1914.

Jiang Guobang came from the wealthy Jiang merchant family of Jinling, but he was indifferent to fame and wealth, dedicating himself to the study of traditional Chinese classics. Jiang Guobang was very filial. To provide his mother with a good place for her retirement, he spent a large sum of money to buy the Small Ten Thousand Willow Hall (xiaowanliutang) by West Lake in Hangzhou, later naming it 'Jiang Manor' (Jiangzhuang), which was one of the three major manors of West Lake at the time. Jiang Guobang oversaw the reconstruction of the Taiping Road Mosque in 1924 and later built a filial piety arch for his mother inside the mosque. The arch no longer exists, leaving only the stone tablet record.







The Qing dynasty well railing and the Guangxu reign stone tablet at Caoqiao Mosque. Caoqiao Mosque was first built during the Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty, destroyed by fire during the Taiping Rebellion, and rebuilt in the early years of the Tongzhi reign. Because it was located in Qijiawan, a neighborhood where Hui Muslims lived, Caoqiao Mosque once had the largest number of congregants in Nanjing. Historically, Caoqiao Mosque had no property of its own; its daily expenses were covered by the Beef and Bone Trade Association located within the mosque. After 1958, Caoqiao Mosque was occupied and later rented to the Nanjing Woodware Factory, suffering severe damage. The property was returned in 1985 but remained closed until it was demolished in 2003.







Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque.

Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque was first built in the late Tongzhi reign of the Qing dynasty. It is one of the few remaining old buildings among the 33 mosques in Nanjing from the Republic of China era. The mihrab (mihalabu) niche currently in Jingjue Mosque was moved here from the Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque. Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque was used as a residence for a long time. It has now been vacated and may be put to new use.

In 1917, Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque founded the private Wuben Primary School to teach cultural subjects and Islamic knowledge. It moved to the entrance of Xiaowangfu Lane on Fengfu Road in 1953 and became a municipal school in 1956.



















Hushu Mosque.

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

Around 1932, a primary school for Hui Muslim children was established inside Hushu Mosque, which moved out of the mosque in 1956. In 1964, the main hall of Hushu Mosque was demolished during the 'Four Cleanups Movement' and 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 at Hushu Mosque was originally built in a palace style with upturned eaves, but it was changed to a flat roof after renovations.







The gate piers from the original construction in 1392.







A ginkgo tree transplanted in 1689.









Liuhe South Gate Mosque.

Liuhe once had seven mosques and three schools for women. Today, the Changjiang Road Mosque, South Gate Mosque, and Zhuzhen Mosque are open, and the historic buildings of the South Gate Women's School and Zhuzhen Women's School have been preserved.

Liuhe South Gate Mosque was first built in 1403 (the first year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty), renovated in 1553 (the 32nd year of the Jiajing reign), destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion, and later rebuilt. One of the four famous imams of the Republic of China, Imam Da Pusheng, had three generations of his family—from his great-grandfather to his father—serve as the imam at South Gate Mosque. The old Da family home is on Qingzhen Street right at the mosque entrance. Imam Da Pusheng studied the scriptures at South Gate Mosque for seven years from the age of 10 to 17, before moving on to Nanjing and Beijing for further studies.

The ancestors of the Baiyetang Da family, to which Imam Da Pusheng belonged, were from the Western Regions during the Yuan Dynasty. Research shows they belonged to the Kipchak Yuliberi tribe, and his ancestor served as a darughachi in Zhenjiang before passing away there. His sixth-generation ancestor, Da Shanyu, moved from Zhenjiang to Liuhe in the early Ming Dynasty to take up a position as a county assistant. He settled in Liuhe, making this the oldest Hui Muslim family from the Western Regions in the area.

After 1966, South Gate Mosque was occupied by a kindergarten, during which time the Shamao Hall (a secondary hall), the north wing, the red gate, and the entrance hall were demolished. The kindergarten moved out in 1975, and the site was later borrowed by Baozhen Primary School. It was finally reclaimed in 2000 when the school moved out. In 2013, the main hall was raised and rebuilt. Later, the Tongxin Tower and Tongxing Building were added, and the site was finally opened for use in 2020.



















Stone carvings and ancient trees at Liuhe South Gate Mosque:

A stone tablet from the seventh year of the Daoguang reign commemorating a house donation by a Hui Muslim named Li.



A boundary marker for the mosque.



A stone tablet from the 12th year of the Guangxu reign, recording that South Gate Mosque was destroyed by the Taiping Rebellion during the Xianfeng period, many Hui Muslims from the local militia died in battle, and the government later stepped in to protect the graves.



A couplet written by Wang Jianli in the 10th year of the Republic of China: 'Keep your heart pure and clean as if in the afterlife, return to the truth and simplicity just the same.'



Qing Dynasty drum-shaped stone bases in front of the main gate.





A 460-year-old Chinese juniper in front of the main hall, classified as a first-class ancient tree.





Liuhe Women's School.

The Liuhe Muslim Women's School began in 1912, and the current building was constructed in 1930. It was later used as a funeral home for Hui Muslims and is a rare surviving example of a Muslim women's school from the Republic of China era.

Traditionally, these women's schools did not form formal classes, did not call the adhan, did not hold Jumu'ah or Eid prayers, and the female imam (shiniang) did not lead the prayer from the front, but instead stood in the middle of the first row. Women's mosques (nuxue) do not have minarets, and the main prayer hall does not have a pulpit (minbar). Female imams (shiniang) lead the local women in their religious duties and teach them about the faith.

Women's mosques emerged in the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty, starting in Henan and spreading to nearby areas in Hebei, Shandong, and Anhui. In the early Republic of China, the New Culture Movement and the women's liberation movement helped Hui Muslims understand the ideas of promoting women's education and ending foot-binding. The number of women's mosques grew quickly, with over 100 in Henan province alone, and many more built in other provinces.

During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, Nanjing had two women's mosques at Hanximen and Changle Street. During the Republic of China, four more were built at Fangjia Lane, Zhuganli, Shigu Road, and Dahuifu Lane, but all of these have since been torn down. In the early Republic of China, Liuhe had three women's mosques at Houjie, Nanmenwai, and Zhuzhen. The historical buildings at Nanmenwai and Zhuzhen still stand today.













Liuhe Changjiang Road Mosque.

The Changjiang Road Mosque was originally called Chengqingfang, and was also known as the Liuhe North Mosque, the City Mosque, or the Da Family Mosque. It was built in 1424 (the 22nd year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty) by the Da family, who had lived in Liuhe for generations. The Changjiang Road Mosque was destroyed by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom during the Xianfeng period. It was later rebuilt through donations from the imam Liu Weiting and local elders. In 1885 (the 11th year of the Guangxu reign), Da Guangyong donated money to build a reception hall. In 1928, Wang Dashi, the widow of the wealthy merchant Wang Zuochen and aunt of the great imam Da Pusheng, donated money to build the Wuxin Pavilion on the site of the original Wangyue Tower.

In 1899, the great imam Da Pusheng returned to his hometown of Liuhe from the Niujie Mosque in Beijing to serve as the imam of the Changjiang Road Mosque. It was not until 1905, when Imam Wang Kuan of Niujie went on the Hajj, that Imam Da returned to the Niujie Mosque to serve as the acting imam and lead religious affairs. Imam Da founded the Guangyi Primary School inside the Changjiang Road Mosque to promote modern education. He offered courses in Chinese and Arabic, scripture, geography, history, and mathematics, marking the first transition from traditional scripture hall teaching to modern education. In a memoir from the early 1950s, Imam Da wrote: 'I worked hard for six years. Perhaps moved by the success of Guangyi Primary School, the local Hui Muslims supported the school with great effort. Looking back, it was not easy to struggle at that time, patiently convincing stubborn traditionalists and acting courageously without being accused of going against the faith!'

After 1966, the Changjiang Road Mosque was occupied by a theater troupe and a cultural troupe. It was returned and reopened in 1983.



















Existing stone tablets at the Liuhe Changjiang Road Mosque:





The 11th-year Guangxu tablet records Da Guangyong's donation to build the reception rooms at the Liuhe City Mosque. Da Guangyong was an 18th-generation descendant of the Baiyetang Da family, held a minor official rank, and lived to be 81.



The 25th-year Guangxu tablet, titled 'Record of the Renovation of the Tangyi City Mosque and the Surrounding Market Shops,' documents the specific situation of the Changjiang Road Mosque during the Guangxu period. All those who signed it were local Hui Muslims from the Da family.



The 17th-year Republic of China tablet, regarding Wang Dashi's donation to help repair the Wangyue Pavilion and redeem market shops, records that Dashi, the wife of the Zhuzhen elder Wang Zuochen, donated money to build the Wangyue Pavilion. Wang Zuochen was a Hui Muslim from Zhuzhen, Liuhe. He ran a grain business on North Street in Zhuzhen for decades and was very devout, never missing his prayers. However, he was suddenly kidnapped by bandits in 1925 and was never heard from again. Wang Zuochen's wife, Dashi, was also very devout and had founded the Zhuzhen Women's School. After her husband went missing, Dashi spent years asking people to help find him, but there was no result. Because Wang Zuochen had no brothers or children, Dashi donated all the family's money to the Zhuzhen Mosque and to build the Wangyue Pavilion at the Changjiang Road Mosque.





Inside the mosque, there is a 350-year-old Chinese juniper (yuanbai) tree.







Zhuzhen Mosque

Zhuzhen Mosque was originally located outside the East Bridge. It was destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion and rebuilt in 1901 (the 27th year of the Guangxu reign) in Wangjia Lane in the middle of the old street. In 1968, Zhuzhen Mosque was turned into a dormitory for teachers at an agricultural middle school. It was reclaimed and reopened in 1983, and the main hall was rebuilt in 2001.

In 1939, the imam of Zhuzhen Mosque, Li Shudu, formed the Hui Muslim Anti-Japanese Independent Guerrilla Battalion and served as its commander. He worked with the New Fourth Army and made significant contributions to the anti-Japanese cause.

Additionally, in 1939, Hui Muslims from the 'Qiaobang' group in the Gaoyou and Lingtang areas built a mosque near Xinhua Garden on the west side of Zhuzhen. After 1966, it was converted into a Hui Muslim food processing factory.





Zhuzhen Mosque still has a door plaque from the Qing Dynasty's Guangxu reign, inscribed with 'Built by the Zhudun Community.' Zhudun is the old name for Zhuzhen.















Liuhe Zhuzhen Mosque houses a Qing Dynasty stone well called 'Songquan,' two pairs of drum-shaped stone bases, and a 1927 (the 16th year of the Republic of China) stele recording the will of Wang Zuochen's wife, Madam Da. Madam Da was the aunt of the great imam Da Pusheng. The inscription records that the Zhuzhen Girls' School was founded by Wang Zuochen and fellow members of the faith, who also provided all the funding. Later, Wang Zuochen was kidnapped by bandits and remained missing for several years. Because of this, his wife, Madam Da, decided to donate all their family farmland and property, except for a portion used for her own support. The funds were mainly for the daily expenses of the Zhuzhen Girls' School, with the remainder going to Zhuzhen Mosque. The inscription mentions her 'nephew Da Pusheng.'







Across from Zhuzhen Mosque, there is a shop selling small-mill sesame oil (xiaomo mayou), and there are only hand-pulled noodle (lamian) shops in town.









Zhuzhen Girls' School

Zhuzhen Girls' School features typical Jianghuai architectural style. The entrance hall and the main hall form a small courtyard, and both sides have classic Hui-style horse-head walls (matouqiang).

Zhuzhen Girls' School was founded in 1921 by Wang Zuochen, the uncle-in-law of the great imam Da Pusheng, along with fellow members of the faith in Zhuzhen. It was originally located on Zhuzhen Middle Street and was rebuilt in 1931 by Wu Tieqian and others along the south riverbank outside the East Bridge. After 1966, the Zhuzhen Girls' School was occupied by the Hui Muslim food processing factory. It was renovated in 2007 and is currently not open to the public. During the Republic of China era, the Zhuzhen Girls' School was led by two female imams, Teacher Dai and Teacher Bai, who taught scriptures and religious doctrines to local Hui Muslim women.

Wu Tieqian was a famous Hui Muslim anti-Japanese patriotic businessman. His original name was Wu Jiashan. At age 22, he inherited his father's business and ran the Wudeyuan Grain Store. After 1938, when the New Fourth Army entered Zhuzhen to lead the anti-Japanese resistance, Wu Tieqian took the lead in donating grain, money, and guns. He also served as the chairman of the Zhuzhen Merchants' Anti-Enemy Association. In 1942, Wu Tieqian became the first mayor of the Zhuzhen Anti-Japanese Democratic Government. He took risks to rescue and protect many comrades and also mobilized ambitious young people to join the revolution. After the founding of New China, Wu Tieqian was elected as the vice director of the Nanjing Islamic Association. He passed away (guizhen) in 1967. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This second part of the Jiangsu mosque series documents historic mosque communities, old prayer halls, inscriptions, and Hui Muslim settlement history in the province. The article keeps the original dates, place names, architectural terms, community records, and image order intact.







Gaoyou Mosque

I visited Gaoyou Mosque in 2021, only to find out it was only open for Friday prayers (Jumu'ah). This time, I specifically came for Jumu'ah and finally got to enter the mosque.

Gaoyou Mosque was first built during the Qing Dynasty. According to the Records of Gaoyou Prefecture (Qing Qianlong era), the mosque was rebuilt in 1864 (the third year of the Tongzhi reign) by local elders Ma Guixing, Liu Tianxing, and Ma Hongxing. The current gate features a stone plaque inscribed with 'Rebuilt in the middle of winter, the second year of the Qing Tongzhi reign,' along with the title 'Respectfully repaired by the Gaoyou Prefecture office.'

Gaoyou Mosque consists of a gate and a main prayer hall, forming an elegant and beautiful traditional Jianghuai-style courtyard. Inside, there is a 175-year-old boxwood (guazi huangyang) tree, a 225-year-old Chinese juniper (yuanbai) tree, and an ancient Qing Dynasty well.



















The main prayer hall at Gaoyou Mosque is quite small, and its prayer niche (mihrab) follows the traditional Jiangsu style. The congregation for Jumu'ah is mostly made up of Northwest Chinese Muslims who run local hand-pulled noodle (lamian) shops. This is the current situation for many mosques in the southeastern region.



















Lingtang Mosque

By the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Lingtang already had a mosque in 'Huihui Bay' by Gaoyou Lake, but it was later destroyed by floods. In the mid-Ming Dynasty, it moved to Yangdazhuang, then to its current location in the early Qing Dynasty. It was rebuilt in 1844 (the 24th year of the Qing Daoguang reign), expanded again in 1921, and completed in 1924.















The golden osmanthus (jingui) tree next to the prayer hall was planted when local elder Xue Yukuan and his wife, Mrs. Xue Yang, had an imam perform their marriage ceremony (nikah). It is now over 130 years old.

















The exhibition hall at Yangzhou Lingtang Mosque displays a water kettle (tangping hu) gifted by the Jizhaoying Mosque in Nanjing during the Qing Dynasty, as well as Republic-era water kettles, a bronze Xuande incense burner, blue-and-white porcelain incense burners, and the boiler (guozhengzi) and bucket used in the mosque's 1950s washroom. The boiler was used to heat water, and the bucket had a hole at the bottom; pulling out the wooden plug allowed for a shower.

















The mosque is also a heritage site for the Yangzhou intangible cultural heritage known as 'Lingtang Hui Muslim Customs.'



Shaobo Mosque

Traveling north from Yangzhou city along the Grand Canal, the first place you reach is the ancient town of Shaobo. Historically, Shaobo was a bustling canal trading port and a key route connecting Yangzhou and Gaoyou. The ancient town still preserves a three-mile-long stone path and over 20 ancient houses from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Shaobo Mosque is said to have been built by Hui Muslims from Shandong during the Xianfeng reign. The gate and main hall still stand, and it is a protected cultural site in the Jiangdu District of Yangzhou. The mosque was once used as a residence and is currently abandoned.

The gate still has its original plaque and drum-shaped stone bases. The main hall is a hard-gable style building with blue bricks and dark tiles, typical of Jianghuai architecture.















Yangzhou Shaobo Mosque is three bays wide and seven purlins deep. The gable walls feature brick wind-bracing, the ridge purlin is supported by a dougong bracket system, and the columns rest on ancient mirror-style bases with carved patterns. Besides the main hall, Shaobo Mosque once had other buildings, but now only stone remains like column bases are left.































Xianhe Mosque

Xianhe Mosque is located on Nanmen Street in Yangzhou. It was founded in 1275 (the 12th year of the Yuan Zhiyuan reign) by the Western Region sage Puhading before he passed away. It was rebuilt in 1390 (the 23rd year of the Ming Hongwu reign) by Ha San, renovated in 1523 (the third year of the Jiajing reign) by merchant Ma Zongdao and the imam Ha Ming, and repaired again in 1791 (the 56th year of the Qianlong reign).

The gatehouse has a single-eave, ridge-roofed, hard-mountain style roof, with some wooden parts dating back to the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty drum-shaped stone bases in front of the gate are very exquisite and rare among mosques in China.







The Xianhe Mosque layout uses small courtyards instead of the traditional four-sided courtyard style common in northern mosques. Xianhe Mosque divides the lecture hall, main prayer hall, and gate into three separate small courtyards, and the addition of a moon-viewing pavilion (wangyue ting) and covered walkways outside the south wall of the main hall gives the mosque a garden-like atmosphere.































Inside Xianhe Mosque stands a 745-year-old ginkgo tree, the oldest surviving ginkgo in Yangzhou.







Majianxiang Mosque

Majianxiang Mosque is located on Majianxiang Street near Yangzhou's East Gate. According to the Hui Muslims' Gu Family Genealogy, it was built in 1714 (the 53rd year of the Kangxi reign) by Gu Yuanbing, a 24th-generation descendant of Pu-ha-ding.

Majianxiang Mosque originally had dozens of rooms, including a gate hall, memorial archway, main prayer hall, reception hall, water room (shuifang), side rooms, and dormitories. Today, only the main prayer hall, a reception hall, and the water room remain. In the early years of the Republic of China, the mosque housed the second Yangzhou branch of the Beijing-based Zhenzong Newspaper and a religious book and newspaper room.

In 1932, Liu Binru, a famous Yangzhou imam and one of the founders of the China Islamic Association, along with Hua Ruzhou, then a director of the Jiangdu County Hui Muslim Association, established the China Islamic Scripture Translation Institute here to translate religious texts. Liu Binru, who was fluent in Arabic and Persian, was responsible for translating the Arabic originals, while Hua Ruzhou translated summaries from the English version by the Indian Islamic scholar Muhammad Ali, which were attached before each section of the scripture. 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 Muslim Cultural Institute at Majianxiang Mosque, led by Liu Binru. to teaching Arabic, the institute offered Chinese, English, and arithmetic, equivalent to upper elementary to junior high school levels, using a classroom-based teaching method instead of the traditional individual scripture hall instruction. Teachers included the Arabic-proficient Majianxiang imam Hua Jinhou, imam Ruan Dechang, imam Lan Baohua of the Huihui Tang Mosque outside the East Gate, and Liu Binru. They also hired Hui Muslim Association members Shen Junchen and Zhang Shaozhe to teach Chinese and arithmetic, and Hua Ruzhou to teach English.

Between 1934 and 1935, the missionary Claude L. Pickens visited Majianxiang Mosque and saw the reading room inside, which contained many books and magazines. He photographed the Gu Gong Memorial Stele erected in 1931. The inscription records the life of the mosque director Gu Sisu, who served for 11 years, repaired the water room and market shops, and built a new greenhouse, making great contributions to the mosque. He passed away in 1930, before the age of 40.

In 1958, Majianxiang Mosque was converted into a factory workshop and occupied by a craft sign factory, a sack factory, and a brush factory. The property was not recovered until 1997, and it was listed as a municipal cultural relic protection unit in 2008; it is currently used as a residence.















Huihui Tang Mosque

Legend says Pu-ha-ding was a 16th-generation descendant of the Prophet. He came to Yangzhou during the Xianchun period of the Song Dynasty (1265-1274) and died in Yangzhou in 1275 (the 12th year of the Yuan Zhiyuan reign). He was buried on a high ridge east of the East Gate River in the New City, a place later called Huihui Tang (commonly known as Baba Tomb).

According to oral traditions from local Yangzhou imams, as told by imam Lan Baohua of Huihui Tang on July 17, 1947, Pu-ha-ding was born in 1204 (the 4th year of the Song Jiatai reign) into an aristocratic Arab merchant family and was the 16th-generation descendant of the Prophet. Pu-ha-ding was highly learned and well-versed in scripture and law. At age 57, following the saying 'Seek knowledge even if it is in China,' he spent four years preparing and, at age 61, led a team of 17 people across the Arabian Sea to China.

Pu-ha-ding arrived in Yangzhou in 1265 (the 1st year of the Song Xianchun reign). During his 10 years in Yangzhou, he presided over the founding of Xianhe Mosque, expanded the ancient mosque outside the South Gate, and rebuilt the Nanchao Guan Mosque. He died on a boat in 1275 (the 12th year of the Yuan Zhiyuan reign) while returning from a lecture, at the age of 71. Guangling Governor Yuan Guang'en buried him on a high ridge on the east bank of the Grand Canal, east of Yangzhou city.

The mosque southwest of the Puhading Cemetery is called Huihui Tang Mosque or Babayao Mosque. It was one of the six traditional Hui Muslim neighborhoods in Yangzhou during the Qing Dynasty and is the only one remaining outside the city walls. The current Babayao Mosque was rebuilt in 1776 (the 41st year of the Qianlong reign) and renovated in 1845 (the 25th year of the Daoguang reign), featuring the traditional architectural style typical of the Huaiyang region.

The main gate of Babayao Mosque is on the southwest side of the Puhading Cemetery. The stone plaque above the gate was installed during the Qianlong reign, and the rectangular stone door pillows have a very elegant design.

The main prayer hall is north of the main gate, right next to the stone-paved road of the Grand Canal, and features upturned eaves. The interior has a hard-mountain roof, floor-to-ceiling slatted partition doors, and a traditional timber-frame structure.





























Inside the north gatehouse of the Puhading Cemetery, there is a stone tablet from 1908 (the 34th year of the Guangxu reign) titled 'Record of the Tomb of the Sage from the Western Regions, Puhading.' Besides recording his birth and death, it tells legendary stories that the local community calls 'karamat' (miracles). The inscription records that an old monk from the Dragon King Temple tried to compete with Puhading in spiritual power, but he could not win and eventually submitted. It also records that in the early Qing Dynasty, thieves tried to dig up Puhading's tomb. After they opened the tomb cover, a fierce fire suddenly erupted and burned many of the thieves. Later, they saw there were no remains in the tomb, only a copy of the Quran (Tianjing), a hat, shoes, a fan, and a staff. The inscription is signed by 'the imam of this mosque and others who oversaw the carving.' The imam of this mosque refers to the leader of Babayao Mosque.



Zhenjiang Shanxiang Mosque

Zhenjiang Shanxiang Mosque is also called the West City Mosque or the Great West Mosque. Its original construction date is unknown. It was expanded during the Kangxi reign, destroyed by the Taiping Rebellion in 1853 (the 3rd year of the Xianfeng reign), and rebuilt in 1873 (the 12th year of the Tongzhi reign). According to the 'History of Islam in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu,' the late Imam Tan Yuanshen, who lived to be over eighty, recalled hearing from his grandfather and the elders that before the Kangxi-era expansion, the West City Mosque was just three thatched huts. At that time, the area was sparsely populated and vast; one could see the Zhenjiang city gate 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 busy commercial district. In 1865, the British established a concession by the river. With the opening of the Shanghai-Nanjing Railway, the area outside the West Gate developed further, and Hui Muslims kept moving there to trade and settle around Shanxiang Mosque.

In 1902 (the 28th year of the Guangxu reign), Zhenjiang Hui Muslims raised funds to expand Shanxiang Mosque, and the current layout dates back to this renovation.

Shanxiang Mosque consists of a small courtyard and a large courtyard. Entering the main gate, you find the first small courtyard. Passing through the front hall leads to the second small courtyard, with a side door on the side and the second gate directly ahead. Passing through the second gate leads to the third small courtyard, and then a corridor leads into the large courtyard, which contains the prayer hall, the south lecture hall, and the opposite hall. This layout of large and small courtyards is very characteristic of the Jianghuai region.

Main gate







During the War of Resistance, the front hall was used as a classroom for Muyuan Primary School. The plaque above was written by Imam Hua Guilin in 1984, and the couplets were written in 2010 by the famous Beijing Arabic calligrapher Li Wencai. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This third part of the Jiangsu mosque series continues through historic Hui Muslim mosque sites, inscriptions, architectural remains, and community stories across the province. It records mosque relocations, preserved prayer halls, Qing and Republic of China era tablets, family histories, and the changing urban settings around these sites.





The stone door base outside the front hall.



The rockery inside the second small courtyard.



The second gate.







Facing the side gate hall is a green screen door with the circular characters for "halal" written in the center.

After the mosque was smashed and occupied in the 1960s and 1970s, only the side gate hall remained, guarded by an elder named Ma Zhonglin. The occupying unit tried to force Ma Zhonglin out with various excuses, but he refused them all and spent ten difficult years there. During those ten years, all the Hui Muslims in Zhenjiang stored funeral supplies and held funeral preparations in this gate hall. At that time, only elder Ma Zhonglin washed the bodies of the deceased, performed the funeral dua (namaz), and recited dua at the gravesite. He also slaughtered poultry for the village elders in the side gate hall every morning.

In 1981, elder Ma Zhonglin passed away. Afterward, Tan Quanhong and Zhang Dagui took turns slaughtering poultry for the elders in the side gate hall every morning. That same year, the occupying unit began to move out, and the Shanxiang Mosque was finally recovered.







The third small courtyard outside the second gate.









The large courtyard. The courtyard has a cross-shaped path and is planted with pine and ginkgo trees. There were once two ginkgo trees over 200 years old in the courtyard, but they were cut down in 1958 to support the Great Leap Forward steel production.





Shanxiang Mosque was once an important national base for printing and publishing Islamic books. From the Qianlong to the Tongzhi periods of the Qing Dynasty, more than 20 types of philosophical and religious books, including the "Baoming Zhenjing," "Tianfang Dianli," "Guizhen Zongyi," and "Huihui Yuanlai," were woodblock printed in hundreds of editions and shipped across the country by land and water. To this day, the Cultural Palace of Nationalities in Beijing, the Central University for Nationalities Library, and the Peking University Library all hold books printed by the Zhenjiang Shanxiang Mosque.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Shanxiang Mosque was severely damaged, and none of its scriptures, woodblock plates, plaques, couplets, furniture, decorations, or other cultural relics survived.



















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













The traditional winding alley.





The alley name comes from the Persian word "Baba," which is what Hui Muslims often call their elders.



Stone carvings from the Ming and Qing dynasties at the Jianzi Alley Mosque.

Jianzi Lane Mosque was originally called Gurun Mosque. It was first built in Ren'an Ward on Fumin Street and served as a mosque for the Hui Muslims in Zhenjiang during the Yuan Dynasty. According to the 1333 (the fourth year of the Zhishun era of the Yuan Dynasty) Records of Zhishun Zhenjiang, there were 59 Hui Muslim households with 374 people in Zhenjiang during the Yuan Dynasty. The famous Yuan Dynasty Hui Muslim poet Sa Dula served as a darughachi (a seal-holding administrator) for the Zhenjiang Circuit Record Office for three years starting in 1328 (the first year of the Tianli era). According to the Guangxu-era Dantu County Annals, Sa Dula did many good deeds in Zhenjiang, such as stabilizing prices, opening granaries to help the people, curbing powerful servants, and breaking down superstitions. In 1326 (the third year of the Taiding era), a scholar named Zhemaluding, who had passed the provincial examinations in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, served as a professor at the Zhenjiang Circuit Confucian School, which was the highest educational official position at the time.

Gurun Mosque was destroyed at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. It was rebuilt during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty. In 1602 (the 30th year of the Wanli era), it was moved to Jianzi Lane inside the city and became known as 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 first 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 printing factory and other units demolished the main prayer hall, the lobby, and the water room to build factory buildings. A stone tablet titled Record of Gurun Mosque, written in 1620 (the 48th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty) by the scholar Li Yiyang, was used to mix cement, leaving the inscriptions damaged and blurry. The calligrapher for the Wanli renovation tablet was Ma Zhiqi, a Hui Muslim from Xinye, Henan. Ma Zhiqi was a runner-up in the 1610 (the 38th year of the Wanli era) imperial examinations. He was skilled in poetry and calligraphy. Between the Wanli and Chongzhen eras, he wrote renovation tablets for the Xiaopiyuan Mosque in Xi'an, Shaanxi, the Datong Mosque in Shanxi, the Jinshifang Street Mosque in Beijing, and the Wudu Chengguan Mosque in Gansu. In 1982, the Zhenjiang Islamic Association restored the stone tablet and moved it to Shanxiang Mosque, finally preserving it.

The printing factory occupying the mosque did not move out until 1993, and the Islamic Association regained ownership of Jianzi Lane Mosque in 1994. In 2005, when Zhenjiang built the First Building commercial pedestrian street, Jianzi Lane Mosque was completely demolished. A new Gurun Mosque was built on Xuefu Road, and the Wanli renovation tablet, the ancient well railing, and three Qing Dynasty renovation tablets from the original Jianzi Lane Mosque were placed in the courtyard for preservation.

















Qing Dynasty mihrab from the South Gate Mosque.

to the relics from Jianzi Lane Mosque, Gurun Mosque also houses the mihrab tablet from the kiln hall of the South Gate Mosque in Zhenjiang.

The South Gate Mosque in Zhenjiang was located at the east end of Miaojia Lane. It is believed to have been built in the early Qing Dynasty and was an east-facing courtyard house. Opposite the mosque gate stood a row of tall elm trees that provided dense shade. 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 storage room to the north.

In the early 20th century, the imam of the South Gate Mosque was an imam named Ma from Henan. In the early 1920s, he was hired by the community (dost) in Shou County, Anhui, and was succeeded by Imam Wan Shourong. The daily affairs of the mosque were managed by Jin Zhiguang from the Xinchangheng fabric store and Xia Songfu, the father of Xia Rongguang. During the Republic of China era, the firewood and rice market outside the South Gate was very prosperous, and more than 50 Hui Muslim households lived there.

In 1937, the South Gate Mosque was destroyed by war. The mihrab tablet from the kiln hall was kept in the home of Hua Baoren next to the mosque until it was moved to Gurun Mosque in 2005.

The lotus-shaped Arabic script at the top of the stone tablet is the Basmala. The middle part contains verse 163 of the Cow Chapter (Surah Al-Baqarah), and the diamond-shaped inscription at the bottom is in Kufic Arabic calligraphy, which reads: Prostrate yourselves, and worship your Lord.









Xinhe Street Mosque.

Xinhe Street Mosque was built in 1930. Zhenjiang Hui Muslims also commonly called it the Jinde Association. It was originally a private residence purchased with donations from Muslims in both Shanghai and Zhenjiang, so it is a Jiangnan-style courtyard house with three sections and two side wings.

Yihewani, also known as the New Sect, means brothers in Arabic. It was founded by Ma Wanfu from Guoyuan Township, Linxia, after he returned from the Hajj in Mecca at the end of the 19th century, and was later carried on by Hu Songshan. The Ikhwan sect advocates following the scriptures and reforming customs, basing their faith on the Quran and Hadith. They opposed certain traditional practices of the Gedimu sect, such as wearing mourning clothes or calling the adhan when moving into a new home.

The Ikhwan sect spread to the Jiangnan region in the 1920s. In 1926, Imam Ha Decheng and others founded the Jinde Association at the Xiaotaoyuan Mosque in Shanghai to promote Ikhwan teachings. Fa Jiesan (1872-1958), a local Hui Muslim from Zhenjiang who moved to Shanghai, discussed the teachings with Imam Ha Decheng. He accepted the Ikhwan views and returned to Zhenjiang to practice his faith at 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 arrived in Zhenjiang, it was generally hard for the middle-aged and elderly to accept, but many young people embraced it. At the time, the new and old sects lived in peace and operated side by side.

The old Xinhe Street mosque had a stone plaque above the main gate engraved with the words 'Mosque' (Huijiaotang), but it no longer exists. The current building consists of three small bays with three courtyards and side rooms. There is a covered patio between the first and second courtyards, a garden gate connecting the second and third, and the third section is a two-story building.







The Zhenjiang Jinde Association usually held a dinner every Saturday night after the evening namaz. They invited an imam to give a sermon (wa'az), and everyone who came to listen was invited to eat. The costs were covered by members who had hired the imam to perform memorial prayers for their ancestors.

During summer and winter breaks, the Jinde Association also organized scripture classes for Hui Muslim children, and families from all sects sent their children to study.

After the mosque was built, many famous imams were hired to lead religious affairs. In 1947, the famous Imam Li Si (Li Zhenji) from Anhui came to the Xinhe Street mosque from the Luohe Mosque in Henan. According to Mr. Xia Rongguang, Imam Li Si was nearly 70 years old at the time. He had a kind and gentle appearance and a refined manner. When he explained the teachings, everyone, regardless of their level of understanding, felt inspired. Because of this, more and more elders from other neighborhoods came to the mosque for Friday Jumu'ah prayers. In the autumn of 1949, Imam Li Si returned to Luohe from Zhenjiang.

In 1950, 43-year-old Imam Zhang Zhushu came to the Xinhe Street mosque to serve as the head imam. Imam Zhang Zhushu was from Xiangfan, Hubei. Mr. Xia Rongguang recalled that he was well-versed in religious teachings and had broad modern knowledge. When he taught, he connected it to real life with vivid, simple language. He attracted ordinary elders and won the praise of intellectuals, and local Muslims in Zhenjiang called him an imam of the new era. In 1953, Imam Zhang Zhushu was invited by the Fuyou Road Mosque in Shanghai to serve as their imam, so he left Zhenjiang.

After that, the elder Tan Jizhen managed the prayers and affairs at the Xinhe Street mosque until it was merged into the Shanxiang Mosque in 1958. It later became a dormitory for a forestry machinery factory and has been abandoned ever since.





Jingjue Mosque

Jingjue Mosque is located on Sanshan Street in the south of Nanjing. It was originally called the Sanshan Street Mosque, but was renamed Jingjue Mosque during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. It is the primary mosque of Nanjing from the Ming era.

One account says Jingjue Mosque was built in 1388 (the 21st year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty) by imperial order to house officials from the Western Regions who had submitted to the Ming, such as Yibulajin and Kemaruding. Another account says it was built in 1392 (the 25th year of the Hongwu reign) by imperial order for Saihazhi, the seventh-generation descendant of Sayyid Ajjal Shams al-Din. Both accounts are recorded on Ming Dynasty stone tablets.

According to the 1493 (fifth year of the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty) inscription titled 'Imperial Decree to Build Two Mosques in Yingtian Prefecture, Jiangnan,' it states: 'In the 21st year of the Hongwu reign, Yibulajin, Kemaluding, and others, originally from the Rumi Kingdom in the Western Regions, followed the Duke of Song to submit to China after conquering the Jinshan and Kaiyuan areas. Therefore, two mosques were built by imperial decree to settle them, and five households including Kemaluding were assigned to live at the Jingjue Mosque near the Moon-Watching Tower (Wangyue Lou).' The family genealogies of two Hui Muslim branches with the surname Ma, known as 'Weiyitang' and 'Bojitang' in Hushu, Nanjing, both record that they are descendants of Ma Gutai and Ma Baihao, who were settled at the Jingjue Mosque at that time.

According to a 1405 (third year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty) inscription at the Great Mosque on Huajue Lane in Xi'an, 'On the 14th day of the third month of the 25th year of the Hongwu reign, Saihazhi, the seventh-generation grandson of the Prince of Xianyang, Sai Dianchi, went to the inner court to receive an imperial decree:...two mosques were to be built in two locations, one at Copper Workshop on Sanshan Street in Yingtian Prefecture, Nanjing, and one on Ziwu Lane, Chang'an County, Xi'an Prefecture, Shaanxi Province.' The 'Genealogy of Sai Dianchi' records that Saihazhi was granted the hereditary title of Marquis of Xianning, and 'when the Ming Emperor Taizu established the capital in Jinling, he commissioned Saihazhi to build a mosque in Jinling.' After the work was finished, he built the Great Mosque in Chang'an. When the Tiemao Lane Mosque in Taicang, Jiangsu, was rebuilt in the 1980s, a stone tablet was found inside the wall, revealing that the Taicang mosque was also built by Saihazhi.

Additionally, according to the Republic of China era 'Zhongnan and Huaibei Regional Gazetteer,' 'North of the street is the Jingjue Mosque. Wu Ru from the Western Regions came to China during the Ming Dynasty to serve in the Imperial Board of Astronomy. He lived in Nanjing and built this mosque next to his residence.' Therefore, the Jingjue Mosque may have originally been part of Wu Ru's residence.

The Jingjue Mosque was destroyed by fire in 1430 (fifth year of the Xuande reign), and Zheng He requested its reconstruction before his seventh voyage to the Western Oceans. According to the 'Record of the Imperial Decree for Eunuch Zheng He to Rebuild the Mosque,' it states: 'Your request has been received: The mosque on Sanshan Street in Nanjing has been burned down.' 'Because you wish to rebuild it to pray for the safety of the funds, grain, people, and ships for your voyage, this shows your respectful heart. How could this be neglected?' 'As an imperial envoy, since you have already set your heart on this, how could your wish be abandoned?' 'If the personnel and materials you use are insufficient and delay your project, you may draw supplies from the Nanjing Directorate of Palace Servants and the Ministry of Works so that it can be completed in time for the winds to set sail. This is the decree.'

During the Taiping Rebellion, most of the bricks, tiles, and wood from the Jingjue Mosque were dismantled to build the mansion of the feudal prince. After being rebuilt in 1877 (third year of the Guangxu reign) and renovated in 1879 (fifth year of the Guangxu reign), it took on its current layout. In the early years of the Republic of China, the wealthy Nanjing gentleman Jiang Xiudong and his wife funded the construction of the north and south lecture halls and the hall building for the Jingjue Mosque, and it was renovated again in 1957. After the 1960s, the Jingjue Mosque was occupied by a rubber company and the No. 3 Rubber Factory. The remaining Ming Dynasty brick and stone archway and the Butterfly Hall were demolished, and plaques, couplets, and stone tablets were severely damaged. It was reopened in 1983 after renovations in 1982, and the reconstruction of the archway was completed in 1985.



During the Ming Dynasty, the main hall of the Jingjue Mosque had 81 rooms and was built with nanmu wood. The current main hall was rebuilt in 1877 (third year of the Guangxu reign). It is convex-shaped and features a traditional wooden frame structure. The main hall and the opposite hall are connected by a corridor, forming a gong-shaped plan, which is typical of the Jiangnan style. The mihrab niche was moved from the original Xiaowangfu Lane Mosque, and the surrounding wooden carvings of scriptures were carved in 2001.



















The back of the prayer hall connects directly to a high wall, which is a typical practice of Jianghuai courtyard-style architecture and is very rare in the north.





During the 2007 renovation, the main hall was raised by 1 meter. During this process, workers dug two meters deep and unearthed Ming Dynasty glazed tiles, brick carvings, stone railings, and huge Ming Dynasty stone column bases. These bases were twice the diameter of those from the Guangxu period.













The only remaining Ming Dynasty brick and stone archway and the Butterfly Hall were both demolished in the 1960s. The archway was rebuilt in 1985, the Butterfly Hall was rebuilt in 2004, and a new stele pavilion was built in 1996.



















The only Jahriyya mosque in Nanjing.

Inside Nanjing's Jingjue Mosque, there is a stone tablet from the 17th year of the Guangxu reign titled 'Great Transformation to Truth' (Da Hua Gui Zhen). It records how Wu Defa followed his father Wu Dasong's final wishes and donated the back part of their family home at 59 Shigu Road (formerly Xiaofengfu Lane) to build the Shigu Road Mosque. The tablet mentions two Jahriyya imams, Fan Yuncai and Zhan Fengxiang. Witnesses included neighbors surnamed Chen, Cai, Zhou, and Yu; fellow Muslims surnamed Sun, Li, Wu, Zhan, Zong, and Jin; close relatives surnamed Ha, Ma, and Mai; and clan members surnamed Wu. This tablet was originally kept at the Shigu Road Mosque. After the mosque was demolished in 1986 for road expansion, the tablet was moved to Jingjue Mosque.

Shigu Road Mosque is the only Jahriyya mosque in Nanjing. In the late years of the Qianlong reign, a Hui Muslim of the Jahriyya order surnamed Wu from Taiyuan, Shanxi, settled on Shigu Road in Nanjing. Influenced by him, Jahriyya followers (gaomu) began to appear in the Shigu Road, Sanmaogong, and Nantai Lane areas of Nanjing. Most of them worked in the fish fry farming industry. Initially, Nanjing's Jahriyya followers practiced at the Wuxueyuan Mosque (Yuan Mosque) near Shigu Road. During the Taiping Rebellion, Wuxueyuan Mosque was destroyed by war, so the followers moved their practice to the Fengfu Road Mosque. Because their loud chanting style was different, Wu Defa later invited Jahriyya followers to practice at his own home on Shigu Road, eventually founding the Shigu Road Mosque in 1891 (the 17th year of the Guangxu reign).

The Nanjing Jahriyya order belongs to the Beishan Menhuan. The Beishan Menhuan is centered in Beishan, Zhangjiachuan, Gansu. Its leader, Ma Yuanzhang, was well-read in both Islamic and Chinese classics and adopted the ideas of Liu Jielian to explain Islam through Confucianism. After the Shigu Road Mosque was established, Fan Yuncai and Zhan Fengxiang from the Beishan Menhuan served as imams. Imam Fan Yuncai was from Siyang, Jiangsu. During the Republic of China era, his son Fan Zhaofa opened the 'Faji Carriage Company' in Nanjing, which was very successful. In 1905, Wu Wenlian, the grandson of Wu Defa, went to Gansu to study Islamic texts. After completing his studies in 1911, he was appointed by Ma Yuanzhang as the imam of Shigu Road Mosque.

After the Beishan leader Ma Yuanzhang passed away in 1920, his nephew Ma Dianwu took over the leadership. It remained the Beishan Menhuan, overseeing over 100 mosques in places like Zhangjiachuan, Tianshui, and Longnan in Gansu, Qiqihar in Heilongjiang, Runan in Henan, and Long County in Shaanxi. Nanjing's Shigu Road was its only mosque in East China.

In 1937, Ma Dianwu appointed Imam Su Ziying from Zhangjiachuan, Gansu, as the imam of Shigu Road Mosque. Imam Su actively visited other mosques, connected with community elders, and promoted education. This helped the Shigu Road Mosque flourish and trained over 20 students (hailifa). In 1953, Imam Yang Junwen succeeded as the imam of Shigu Road Mosque. In 1958, the mosque closed, and Imam Yang Junwen became an imam at Fengfu Road Mosque. Afterward, Imam Yang no longer maintained contact with the Beishan Menhuan, and his religious practices gradually merged with the Gedimu order.

In 1986, the Shigu Road Mosque was demolished for road widening. Although the mosque closed, some descendants of Nanjing's Jahriyya followers still kept up their religious practices. For example, Fan Songshou, a descendant of Imam Fan Wencai, made a living running a tofu shop. Even in his nineties, he insisted on performing the five daily prayers (namaz) and continued to fast during Ramadan. In the 1960s, he still volunteered to wash and bury the deceased and help with funeral arrangements.



Plaque inscriptions at Jingjue Mosque:

'Pure and Single-minded' (Wei Jing Wei Yi): An auspicious day in the first month of summer, the Gengyin year of the 16th year of the Guangxu reign of the Great Qing, by the Commander of the Jiujiang Town, Jiangxi.



'Correct Heart and Sincere Intent' (Zheng Xin Cheng Yi): June of the 11th year of the Republic of China, respectfully erected by members of the Nanjing Islamic Association.



The stele from the 47th year of the Qianlong reign records the four boundaries of Jingjue Mosque. It notes that a shop on the east side was rented out, and a shop on the west side near Horse Lane (Ma Xiang) was rented out for a flower shop. The elders who donated funds included those with the surnames Chen, Ma, Wu, Jin, Zheng, and Sha.



The stele from the 18th year of the Guangxu reign records that Imam Ma donated his own land next to the mosque to build the main prayer hall and the water room (wudu area).





Jingjue Mosque houses a memorial stele for Ma Yitang, a Hui Muslim merchant from Nanjing who lived in Shanghai. It was inscribed in 1931 by Ma Fuxiang, a famous Beiyang general who was serving as the chairman of the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission.

Ma Yitang was born in 1869. His ancestors ran a money shop outside Jubao Gate in Nanjing, and the family owned the Ma Yulong Satin and Fan Shop. Ma Yitang used Shanghai as his base to expand his trade in Chinese and foreign general merchandise. He set up businesses in Chengdu and Chongqing, and his goods were sold as far away as the Tibetan regions. Ma Yitang was devoted to the faith. He served as a director for the North Mosque and West Mosque in Shanghai and helped fund the founding of the Hanxi Gate Girls' School and the Zhugan Lane Girls' School in Nanjing. In 1909, Ma Yitang became a special deliberative director of the Shanghai Islamic Board of Directors and participated in all its decision-making. In 1921, he was responsible for expanding the Xiaoshadu Mosque in Shanghai, which is now the Huxi Mosque.



Jingjue Mosque houses a notice stele from the 15th year of the Republic of China issued by the Police Department for the Shangfuqiao Mosque. It was erected by the West District Police Station of the Jiangsu Provincial Capital Police Department. It records that the police stepped in to protect the Shangfuqiao Mosque and the Dajiao Lane Mosque to uphold the rights of the faith. The petitioners included Hui Muslims with the surnames Bai, Tao, Pu, Ma, Yuan, Liang, Wei, and Jin.

Shangfuqiao Mosque was located in Chuanban Lane. It was first built in 1662 (the first year of the Kangxi reign), destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion in the Xianfeng era, and rebuilt in 1876 (the second year of the Guangxu reign). It was later occupied by Nanjing No. 62 Middle School, and the notice stele was moved into Jingjue Mosque. Dajiao Lane Mosque was first built in 1874 (the 13th year of the Tongzhi reign). The mosque once housed trade associations for the pavilion decoration, wedding, and fried rice industries. It was later occupied by a factory and eventually demolished.



Jingjue Mosque houses a Qing dynasty stone carving from the Neiqiaowan Mosque, which was rescued from under an excavator during the demolition of Neiqiaowan in 2019.

Neiqiaowan Mosque was located on Zhongshan South Road. One account says it was first built in 1645 (the second year of the Shunzhi reign), while another says it was built in 1662 (the first year of the Kangxi reign). In 1898 (the 24th year of the Guangxu reign), Shi Jialiang bought a group of houses in Neiqiaowan to rebuild the main prayer hall. The Shi family's ancestral home was in Wuwei, Gansu. They came to Nanjing during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing dynasty to develop the silk trade and later became a famous satin-trading family in Nanjing. They founded the Shi Juxing Satin Shop during the Daoguang reign. The Shi family moved to Shanghai during the Guangxu reign to develop their business and were members of the Shanghai Mosque Board of Directors.

Neiqiaowan Mosque once housed a primary school and a trade association for the glutinous rice food industry. It was demolished in 1991 due to road widening.

















The former Taiping Road Mosque.

Because the Jiangsu Hotel expanded to Taiping Road, the main prayer hall and the opposite hall of the Taiping Road Mosque were moved 40 meters south of the Old Caoqiao Mosque in 2003. The work was completed in 2005.

Taiping Road Mosque was originally called Huapailou Mosque. Legend says it was built by Chang Yuchun in the early Ming dynasty. It was destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion and later rebuilt with funds raised by elders from the Ha, Ma, Zheng, Yang, Ding, and Chang families. It was renovated under the leadership of Ma Jingtao during the Tongzhi reign. In 1924, Nanjing wealthy merchants and brothers Jiang Muzhou and Jiang Sukan (Guobang) 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.

After the victory in the War of Resistance against Japan in 1945, the Jiang family of Jinling funded the renovation of the main prayer hall and built the Jiang Family Shouxuan Hall in the north courtyard. In the same year, the China Islamic National Salvation Association moved into the Taiping Road Mosque and changed its name to the China Islamic Association. Its first chairman was Bai Chongxi. It was the highest Islamic organization in the country at the time until it moved to Taipei in 1949. After the 1960s, the Taiping Road Mosque was occupied. It was reclaimed in 1978, reopened in 1980, and designated as a municipal cultural relic protection unit in 1982. It remained there until it was demolished in 2003, when the components of the main prayer hall and the opposite hall were moved to a new site.

The wealthy Jiang family of Nanjing paid for the daily expenses of Taiping Road Mosque, making it the richest mosque in Nanjing during the Republic of China era. The Jiang family of Nanjing originally came from Yuncao, an ancient town in Hanshan County, Anhui. They moved to Nanjing in 1808 (the 13th year of the Jiaqing reign). They started as small vendors before expanding into the silk, salt, and pawnshop businesses. By the Guangxu reign, they had opened branches in major trading ports and became a wealthy merchant family. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: The fifth Jiangsu mosque entry is a short photo record in a larger series on the province's historic Hui Muslim mosque heritage. It preserves the original image order while keeping the focus on Jiangsu mosque sites, community memory, and remaining architectural traces.













Next to the mosque is a square that introduces famous Hui Muslims from Liuhe. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This first part of the Liaoning mosque series traces historic Hui Muslim mosques, migration routes, and community life across the province. The article preserves founding dates, architectural layouts, imam and elder stories, old inscriptions, and photos of prayer halls, gates, and carved details.

I am sharing 12 ancient mosque (qingzhensi) buildings I visited in Liaoning, moving in a clockwise direction.

Lingyuan Mosque: First built during the Qianlong reign.

Suizhong Mosque: First built in 1737, moved in 1797, and renovated in 1927.

Luyang Mosque: First built in 1531 and rebuilt in 1925.

Beizhen Mosque: First built in 1522 and expanded in 1617.

Xinlitun Mosque: First built in 1842 and rebuilt in 1873.

Xinmin Mosque: First built in 1765 and rebuilt in 1883.

Shenyang South Mosque: First built in 1636, with expansions in 1662 and 1902.

Shenyang East Mosque: First built in 1803 and renovated in 1935.

Kaiyuan Old City Mosque: First built in 1406 and rebuilt in 1680.

Fengcheng Mosque: First built in 1775 and expanded in 1890.

Fuzhou Mosque: First built in 1649 and expanded in 1920.

Qingdui Mosque: First built during the Daoguang reign, rebuilt in 1895, and expanded in 1920.

Lingyuan Mosque

Lingyuan sits at the border of Hebei, Liaoning, and Inner Mongolia. It was originally called Tazigou. Since the Qianlong reign, Hui Muslims from Shandong and Hebei kept traveling through the gaps in the Great Wall near Xifengkou to reach the northeast. Lingyuan was their first stop after leaving the pass, and some Hui Muslims settled there.

Lingyuan Mosque was built during the Qianlong reign. According to the stone inscriptions inside, a Hui Muslim doctor named Zhang Lichen and others cured the illness of a Mongol prince from the Harqin Left Banner. The prince's mansion then provided the land and silver to build the Lingyuan Mosque.

Main gate





Hanging flower gate (chuihuamen)



The prayer hall consists of a porch, a main hall, and a rear niche (yaodian), just like traditional northern styles, but the architectural details are very different from styles found inside the pass.













The main hall has cracks due to years of neglect and is currently closed. Namaz is now held in a room nearby.



















Side rooms (xiangfang)















Suizhong Mosque

Suizhong is right next to Shanhai Pass and is the southwestern-most county in Liaoning. Starting in the 18th century, more than ten families of Hui Muslims, 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 Tower in the southeast of Suizhong city, and it was moved to its current location inside the West Gate in 1797 (the third year of the Jiaqing reign).

The Suizhong mosque was renovated between 1924 and 1927, suffered severe damage in the 1960s, and was restored again between 1981 and 1984.



Turn left after entering the gate to find the ablution room (shuifang).



Calligraphy in the ablution room (shuifang).



Opposite the main gate is the second gate.



A vase-shaped ornament on the porch roof (juanpeng).



Inside the second gate is the main prayer hall.





The porch (baoxia) in front of the main prayer hall is the most distinctive part of the mosque, and it is the most brightly colored mosque porch I have ever seen.



The front says "Mosque" (Qingzhensi), and the two sides are inscribed with "Rectify the Heart" (Zhengxin) and "Sincerity" (Chengyi).







A plaque reading "Recognize the Oneness of Allah" (Renzhu Duyi).



Details of the patterns.







Behind the porch (baoxia) is the main prayer hall, which features very delicate brick carvings.



The large character for "religion" (jiao) at the bottom is new work, while the brick carvings above are likely original.



You can take a close look at the content of the brick carvings, which include scrolls, painting tubes, incense bottles, and even a chessboard and various fruits.





Traditional Hui Muslim paintings on the door of the main prayer hall.







The interior of the main prayer hall was likely rearranged after the 1980s, and both the mihrab and minbar are very simple.





Above the rear kiln hall (yaodian) of the main prayer hall is the moon-sighting tower (wangyuelou).







Luyang Mosque.

Luyang Town is located east of Jinzhou, not far from Goubangzi, the home of the famous Goubangzi smoked chicken. Luyang Mosque was first built in 1531 (the tenth year of the Ming Jiajing reign), renovated during the Qing Xianfeng period, and rebuilt into its current form between 1922 and 1925. During the reconstruction, Manager Wang of the Luyang Enliyong pastry shop was in charge of construction, and he invited Yang Peiran (Yuchun), who was a brigade commander in the Northeast Army at the time, to help raise funds. People say when the two main beams for the hall were transported from the Goubangzi train station to Luyang, they were pulled by over a dozen oxen, moving step by step for more than half a month. Work stopped several times to prepare materials, and it finally took two and a half years to complete.

Luyang Mosque is a rare historic mosque in China that places the moon-sighting tower (wangyuelou) directly above the main prayer hall, and you can climb up to sight the moon using a wooden ladder inside the hall. A plaque inscribed by the anti-Japanese hero General Zuo Baogui, reading 'Gu Shi Ming Ming,' originally hung in front of the main hall. Sadly, it was destroyed along with other plaques during the Cultural Revolution. The current plaque was re-inscribed in 1984.

















Beizhen Mosque

Beizhen Mosque is located outside the Xiaonan Gate of Beizhen in Jinzhou. It was first built in 1522 (the first year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty), expanded in 1617 (the 45th year of the Wanli reign), and renovated again in 1798 (the third year of the Jiaqing reign). Historically, Beizhen Mosque was inside the south city of Guangning. When the city was renovated during the Qianlong reign, the south city was abandoned. The south city wall gradually disappeared, and later Guangning City was renamed Beizhen City, turning Beizhen Mosque from a city mosque into one located outside the city walls.

Beizhen Mosque follows the traditional northern mosque structure of a porch (juanpeng), main hall, and rear hall (yaodian), but it is unique because the porch and the main hall are separate and not connected. The beams and brackets of the building feature painted floral patterns and exquisite wood carvings.





















Plaques currently preserved at Beizhen Mosque

The Way of Heaven's Mandate: Respectfully presented to Guangning County Mosque by General Wuwei of Fei County, Shandong, Zuo Baogui, in the first year of the Guangxu reign of the Great Qing Dynasty (1875), during the first ten days of the twelfth lunar month. This was presented by the famous anti-Japanese general Zuo Baogui while he was passing through Beizhen on his way to fight in the war in Korea.



Ancient Islamic Faith: Respectfully erected by followers Yang Yuxi and Yang Yuzhen in the first ten days of the seventh lunar month in the year of Yiyin (1795) of the Qianlong reign.



Everlasting Golden Daylily: Presented by Xu Guangzhang, an official of Guangning County, Jinzhou Prefecture, and Bai Yongfu, a local officer, in the first ten days of the fourth lunar month in the year of Yisi (1845) of the Daoguang reign.



Sincere Righteous Act: The ancient mosque was renovated in the autumn of 1617 (the 45th year of the Wanli reign), respectfully presented by the Northeast Islamic Association.



Gratitude for Great Kindness: Respectfully erected in the first ten days of the fourth lunar month in the year of Yisi (1845) of the Daoguang reign by Jin Qiyuan, a follower and newly appointed patrol officer of Guangning County.



Universal Mercy for All Things: Respectfully erected in the year of Yimao (1794) of the Qianlong reign by follower Yang Yuzhen and his son Jianming.



Righteousness Among Peers: Mr. Zhang, whose wealth-generating name was Juxing. He was a registered resident of Beizhen. He was generous, righteous, and enthusiastic about public affairs. Whenever there was something in our faith that needed to be done or reformed, he was always the first to advocate for it and support it with all his might. Because of this, in recent years, although the affairs of our faith have not reached perfection, they have moved closer to civilization and begun to shine. When drinking water, one must think of the source; Mr. Zhang's contribution is truly worthy of praise. Unexpectedly, Heaven did not grant him a long life, and he was killed in the line of duty for the sake of the country on a certain day of a certain month. Beyond our deep grief, we feared his life's deeds would be forgotten, so we gathered together to erect a stone tablet to honor his name. We still felt a sense of regret, knowing that a tablet might not fully capture his merits. We have now carved this plaque to ensure his memory lasts for a long time and to serve as a small token of our gratitude. The Beizhen County Mosque was established by the entire congregation, on a lucky day in the middle of the twelfth lunar month in the ninth year of the Republic of China (1920).



Xinlitun Mosque

Xinlitun is an ancient town in Jinzhou, western Liaoning, known as the 'First Town Beyond the Border'. During the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, Hui Muslims from Jinzhou, Yixian, Heishan, Yingkou, and other places settled in Xinlitun and built the Xinlitun Mosque in 1842 (the 22nd year of Daoguang).

On the 15th day of the first lunar month in 1873 (the 12th year of Tongzhi), Xinlitun held a stilt-walking festival. During the event, a conflict broke out between the Manchu leader Dashan (Fifth Master) and Hui Muslims including Liu Hua, Zhao Guang'en, and Wang Yao, which escalated into a clash between the Manchu and Hui communities, eventually leading to the burning of the Xinlitun Mosque. Afterward, both the Manchu and Hui communities learned from the incident and decided to rebuild the Xinlitun Mosque. After several years of preparation, General Zuo Baogui, an anti-Japanese hero and commander of the Fengtian Army, led the effort by donating 300 taels of silver to complete the reconstruction.



















The main gate of the Xinlitun Mosque features two couplets: 'Transforming people and things, it can transform all; giving life to heaven and earth, it gives life to all.'

The light that gives life to heaven, earth, people, and all living things, the one Lord of all creation.

Saints, sages, emperors, and kings all follow the one and only supreme authority.

Above the main gate, there is also a stone carving of two dragons playing with a pearl.







The brick and stone carvings at the Xinlitun Mosque are very exquisite and feature various traditional patterns. The stone carvings on both sides of the main prayer hall feature inscriptions, which is very rare for an ancient mosque.











The traditional calligraphy at the Xinlitun Mosque includes both the 'miaohui' (tracing) style and the 'kuanbi' (broad-brush) style, both of which are very distinctive. The plaque in the center of the main prayer hall was handwritten in 1983 by Imam Bai Hexi. Imam Bai was born in 1911 in Pingquan, Hebei, and studied under the famous Great Imam Liu Pinyi from Hebei.























In front of the main prayer hall of the Xinlitun Mosque, there are four steles from the Guangxu era renovation, which contain detailed information about the donors. The 'Stele for the Renovation of the Xinlitun Mosque' from the 13th year of Guangxu (1887) lists not only the name of the anti-Japanese hero and Fengtian Army commander General Zuo Baogui but also the Manchu leader Dashan, who was involved in the earlier conflict, symbolizing the resolution of Manchu-Hui tensions in Xinlitun during the Guangxu era.

The 'Stele of Donor Names and Silver Amounts for the Mosque Renovation' lists a number of contributing mosques that was the highest in Northeast China, showing the close connections between the various mosque communities in the region at that time.

Fengtian Province: South Mosque, North Mosque, Fumin Hall South Mosque, Fumin Hall North Mosque, Huimin Tun Mosque, Banlamen Mosque, Guangning Mosque, Qinghemen Mosque, Shaohuying Mosque, Shijiagou Mosque, Huihui Tun Mosque, Yizhou City Mosque, Jinzhou Prefecture Mosque, Hongluoxian Mosque, Gaoqiao Town Mosque, Zhonghousuo Mosque, Shanhaiguan Mosque, Laogongwo Three Mosques, Tieling Mosque, Kaiyuan Mosque, Fakumen Mosque.

Jilin Province: West Mosque, East Mosque, North Mosque, Manjia Tun Mosque, Yitong Prefecture Mosque, Yingchengzi Mosque, Ashiha Mosque, Wula Street Mosque, Shanqianhuai Mosque, Kaoshan Tun Mosque, Nong'an City Mosque, Taipingzhuang Mosque, Xiaohelong Mosque.

Kulu Street: Public Council, Zhou Junkui, various shop guests, and the Mosque.

Beyond the Northern Border: Shaodang Firm, Niuzhuang City, Haizhou City, Gaizhou City, Fuzhou City, Liaoyang City, Fenghuang City, Xiuyan, Tianzhuangtai, Shegouying, Pikou, Dengshang, Fujia Tun, Bajiaotai, Tongliu Two Forts.















Xinmin Mosque

Xinmin is in the northwest part of Shenyang. In the early years of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, many new immigrants came here to farm during the migration to the northeast, which is how the name Xinmin started. During the Qianlong reign, many Hui Muslims came to Xinmin. In 1765, they built Xinmin Mosque in Nanyingzi. Xinmin Mosque burned down in 1866. It was rebuilt in 1883, which is the structure we see today.

The main building of Xinmin Mosque consists of a porch (juanpeng), the main prayer hall, the rear kiln hall (yaodian), and the Moon-Watching Tower (wangyuelou) on top of the kiln hall. The Moon-Watching Tower has a double-eaved roof with four corners coming to a point, and it has a 1.5-meter-tall copper spire on top. The beams of the porch are painted with Suzhou-style patterns, and the wooden screens feature delicate openwork carvings. view all