Shandong Mosques
Halal Travel Guide: Tai'an, Shandong - Ramadan Mosque Visits and Hui History
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Summary: This Ramadan trip visits three historic mosques in Tai'an, Shandong: Taicheng Mosque, Dong Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque. The account records their dated steles, prayer hall layouts, imam history, Hui Muslim neighborhoods, and preserved mosque details.
During Ramadan in 2025, I spent three Saturdays taking the high-speed train to visit nine ancient mosques in Jinan, Qingzhou, and Tai'an, Shandong. The first two articles covered the mosques in Jinan and Qingzhou. This is the third article, covering my visit to Taicheng Mosque, East Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque in Tai'an.
Taicheng Mosque.
Taicheng Mosque is said to have been built in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. It was renovated many times during the Ming, Qing, and Republican eras. The mosque still keeps a stone tablet header inscribed with "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) dated 1619, the 40th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty.
The prayer hall consists of a front porch, a main hall, and a rear kiln-style hall (yaodian) connected together. The roof of the kiln-style hall is a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The main hall uses a beam-lifting wooden frame structure, and there is a two-meter-thick archway between it and the kiln-style hall.
Brick-carved gable ends (chitou).
The tablet corridor of Taicheng Mosque.
The "Laifu Ming" (Inscription on Returning to the Origin) tablet from the fourth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty. The "Laifu Ming" was written in the seventh year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty by Chen Si, the imam (zhangjiao) of the South Mosque in Jinan, and was carved into stone at Taicheng Mosque in the fourth year of the Tianqi reign. The "Laifu Ming" is the first Chinese-language tablet inscription written by an imam. It is also the first work in China to combine Islamic teachings and principles with Song and Ming Neo-Confucianism. It pioneered the practice of interpreting scriptures through Confucianism in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, making it highly valuable for history and philosophy.
The donation tablet from the 24th year of the Qianlong reign records how many Muslims (mumin) donated money to renovate the halls and add property to the mosque. Among them, Mi Hanru donated 3.5 mu of land, Yang Kunshan donated 3 mu, and Li Changqi, Li Hui, and others donated the rent from their shops to the mosque to serve as the imam's salary.
The "Record of Renovating the Mosque" tablet from the 14th year of the Guangxu reign was written by local scholar Song Guangrun. It records that the imam at the time, Wang Jingshan, initiated the renovation, and the local elders and Muslims responded immediately. Elder Yang Yucheng took the lead in donating funds and directing the construction, which took three years to complete.
The renovation tablet from the 33rd year of the Republic of China records that the imam, elders, and Muslims agreed to renovate the mosque. People from all walks of life in Tai'an donated 12,213 silver dollars, fellow townsmen in Shanghai donated 1,165 yuan, local Muslims donated 685 yuan, and elder Ma Ziming donated a set of curtains.
Taicheng East Mosque, also known as Beixinjie Mosque, faces Taicheng Mosque across the Nai River. It was founded in 1920 by the national industrialist Ma Bosheng. It was closed from 1966 to 1994, rebuilt in 1995, and renovated again in 2006. The mosque still has the "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) door plaque written by the founder, Ma Bosheng.
Ma Bosheng's ancestral home was in Dezhou. His father, Ma Rende, fled to Tai'an during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty and made a living selling steamed buns (baozi) outside the west city gate. Ma Bosheng studied hard and attended the Tianshu Temple and the Yang Family Charity School in Tai'an as a child, later entering Cuiying Middle School. In 1916, Ma Bosheng was hired as a translator for Chinese laborers and traveled to Canada, England, France, and other countries. Seeing Western industrial civilization inspired his determination to save the country through industry. In 1919, Ma Bosheng returned to Shandong. He first worked at the British-American Tobacco Company and an insurance company in Jinan, then founded the Renfeng Textile Mill, gradually becoming a business giant in Shandong.
In 1927, Ma Bosheng founded the Rende School in Tai'an. He hired excellent teachers from Jinan, Qufu, and other places, allowed children from poor families to attend for free, and provided them with free textbooks and uniforms. Ma Bosheng also started literacy classes for common people and night schools to eliminate illiteracy and promote education. Ma Bosheng built the Rende Flour Mill across from the school. It produced 500 bags of "Mountain Tiger" brand flour daily, changing the production methods of Tai'an's manual workshops. The flour was high quality and affordable, and he regularly gave it to poor families for free, using the surplus to fund the school. Ma Bosheng worked with local gentry to start the Taishan Forest Company. They planted trees and cleared over 150 mu of land at Guangshengquan, where they bought apple trees and built an orchard.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian sits in the western suburbs. Its founding date is unknown, but a stone tablet from 1626 (the sixth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty) records that Li Qin was the imam at that time. The main hall of Xiawang Mosque was rebuilt in 1734 (the twelfth year of the Yongzheng reign). It was burned down during wartime in 1864 (the second year of the Tongzhi reign) and rebuilt again in 1873 (the twelfth year of the Tongzhi reign). It was listed as a Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 2013.
Xiawang Mosque stands on a high platform. The courtyard feels ancient and very solemn.
The kiln hall (yaodian) and north lecture hall at Xiawang Mosque in Taian, Shandong, have a late 20th-century feel. A pair of scripture boxes each hold 15 books, which is very traditional. There is also a group photo of the village elders at Xiawang Mosque from 1933. You can see everyone wearing long gowns (dagua), with those in the front row wearing mandarin jackets (magua), and everyone wearing small dark caps.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian houses many stone tablets:
The 1734 tablet for donated land records that Li Bingjie from Henggou Village donated 16.6 mu of land to the mosque, and Wang Zhangzhe from the same village donated an adjacent one mu of land to the mosque.
The 1837 renovation tablet records that Xiawang Mosque was renovated in 1821. In 1835, Han Qingyu from Xiaoyandi Village and the villagers donated money for building oil painting and decorations. In 1837, Yang Dianhua, Wang Jiesan, Wang Zhonghua, and others agreed to donate money to rebuild the water room and side rooms, and a daughter of the Ding family from Huangjia Village donated land.
The 1872 "Preface to the Renovation of the Mosque" records that the main hall of Xiawang Mosque was burned down during the war in 1863. Later, elders Yang Yucheng and Han Liqing were the first to donate money, and the whole village worked together to rebuild the mosque.
The 1872 "Preface to the Donation of Cypress Trees" records that Yang Yucheng bought back 23 ancient cypress trees in the mosque that were originally going to be sold to pay for the mosque's repairs, keeping them on the grounds.
The 1873 lawsuit settlement tablet records that the daughter of Xiawang Mosque imam Yang Taixiang died after suffering mistreatment following her marriage into the Ma family. Imam Yang wanted to go to the government to seek justice, but the villagers persuaded him to stay. After mediation, the Ma family was fined 100,000 jingqian coins to end the dispute. Imam Yang used the money to redeem two mu of mosque land to cover mosque expenses.
The 1875 land and money donation tablet records that elder Yang Yucheng donated money to redeem two mu of school land that had been mortgaged for mosque repairs, with the harvest from the land used for school expenses.
The 1894 "Record of the Renovation of the Rear Hall of Xiawang Mosque" only has the top half remaining.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian uses a wooden casket (tabu xiazi) for burials (mayiti), which is a feature of traditional Gedimu mosque communities. Traditional solid wood caskets are very heavy and require many people to carry them. Most have now been replaced by stainless steel ones. view all
Summary: This Ramadan trip visits three historic mosques in Tai'an, Shandong: Taicheng Mosque, Dong Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque. The account records their dated steles, prayer hall layouts, imam history, Hui Muslim neighborhoods, and preserved mosque details.
During Ramadan in 2025, I spent three Saturdays taking the high-speed train to visit nine ancient mosques in Jinan, Qingzhou, and Tai'an, Shandong. The first two articles covered the mosques in Jinan and Qingzhou. This is the third article, covering my visit to Taicheng Mosque, East Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque in Tai'an.
Taicheng Mosque.
Taicheng Mosque is said to have been built in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. It was renovated many times during the Ming, Qing, and Republican eras. The mosque still keeps a stone tablet header inscribed with "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) dated 1619, the 40th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty.
The prayer hall consists of a front porch, a main hall, and a rear kiln-style hall (yaodian) connected together. The roof of the kiln-style hall is a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The main hall uses a beam-lifting wooden frame structure, and there is a two-meter-thick archway between it and the kiln-style hall.
Brick-carved gable ends (chitou).
The tablet corridor of Taicheng Mosque.
The "Laifu Ming" (Inscription on Returning to the Origin) tablet from the fourth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty. The "Laifu Ming" was written in the seventh year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty by Chen Si, the imam (zhangjiao) of the South Mosque in Jinan, and was carved into stone at Taicheng Mosque in the fourth year of the Tianqi reign. The "Laifu Ming" is the first Chinese-language tablet inscription written by an imam. It is also the first work in China to combine Islamic teachings and principles with Song and Ming Neo-Confucianism. It pioneered the practice of interpreting scriptures through Confucianism in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, making it highly valuable for history and philosophy.
The donation tablet from the 24th year of the Qianlong reign records how many Muslims (mumin) donated money to renovate the halls and add property to the mosque. Among them, Mi Hanru donated 3.5 mu of land, Yang Kunshan donated 3 mu, and Li Changqi, Li Hui, and others donated the rent from their shops to the mosque to serve as the imam's salary.
The "Record of Renovating the Mosque" tablet from the 14th year of the Guangxu reign was written by local scholar Song Guangrun. It records that the imam at the time, Wang Jingshan, initiated the renovation, and the local elders and Muslims responded immediately. Elder Yang Yucheng took the lead in donating funds and directing the construction, which took three years to complete.
The renovation tablet from the 33rd year of the Republic of China records that the imam, elders, and Muslims agreed to renovate the mosque. People from all walks of life in Tai'an donated 12,213 silver dollars, fellow townsmen in Shanghai donated 1,165 yuan, local Muslims donated 685 yuan, and elder Ma Ziming donated a set of curtains.
Taicheng East Mosque, also known as Beixinjie Mosque, faces Taicheng Mosque across the Nai River. It was founded in 1920 by the national industrialist Ma Bosheng. It was closed from 1966 to 1994, rebuilt in 1995, and renovated again in 2006. The mosque still has the "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) door plaque written by the founder, Ma Bosheng.
Ma Bosheng's ancestral home was in Dezhou. His father, Ma Rende, fled to Tai'an during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty and made a living selling steamed buns (baozi) outside the west city gate. Ma Bosheng studied hard and attended the Tianshu Temple and the Yang Family Charity School in Tai'an as a child, later entering Cuiying Middle School. In 1916, Ma Bosheng was hired as a translator for Chinese laborers and traveled to Canada, England, France, and other countries. Seeing Western industrial civilization inspired his determination to save the country through industry. In 1919, Ma Bosheng returned to Shandong. He first worked at the British-American Tobacco Company and an insurance company in Jinan, then founded the Renfeng Textile Mill, gradually becoming a business giant in Shandong.
In 1927, Ma Bosheng founded the Rende School in Tai'an. He hired excellent teachers from Jinan, Qufu, and other places, allowed children from poor families to attend for free, and provided them with free textbooks and uniforms. Ma Bosheng also started literacy classes for common people and night schools to eliminate illiteracy and promote education. Ma Bosheng built the Rende Flour Mill across from the school. It produced 500 bags of "Mountain Tiger" brand flour daily, changing the production methods of Tai'an's manual workshops. The flour was high quality and affordable, and he regularly gave it to poor families for free, using the surplus to fund the school. Ma Bosheng worked with local gentry to start the Taishan Forest Company. They planted trees and cleared over 150 mu of land at Guangshengquan, where they bought apple trees and built an orchard.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian sits in the western suburbs. Its founding date is unknown, but a stone tablet from 1626 (the sixth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty) records that Li Qin was the imam at that time. The main hall of Xiawang Mosque was rebuilt in 1734 (the twelfth year of the Yongzheng reign). It was burned down during wartime in 1864 (the second year of the Tongzhi reign) and rebuilt again in 1873 (the twelfth year of the Tongzhi reign). It was listed as a Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 2013.
Xiawang Mosque stands on a high platform. The courtyard feels ancient and very solemn.
The kiln hall (yaodian) and north lecture hall at Xiawang Mosque in Taian, Shandong, have a late 20th-century feel. A pair of scripture boxes each hold 15 books, which is very traditional. There is also a group photo of the village elders at Xiawang Mosque from 1933. You can see everyone wearing long gowns (dagua), with those in the front row wearing mandarin jackets (magua), and everyone wearing small dark caps.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian houses many stone tablets:
The 1734 tablet for donated land records that Li Bingjie from Henggou Village donated 16.6 mu of land to the mosque, and Wang Zhangzhe from the same village donated an adjacent one mu of land to the mosque.
The 1837 renovation tablet records that Xiawang Mosque was renovated in 1821. In 1835, Han Qingyu from Xiaoyandi Village and the villagers donated money for building oil painting and decorations. In 1837, Yang Dianhua, Wang Jiesan, Wang Zhonghua, and others agreed to donate money to rebuild the water room and side rooms, and a daughter of the Ding family from Huangjia Village donated land.
The 1872 "Preface to the Renovation of the Mosque" records that the main hall of Xiawang Mosque was burned down during the war in 1863. Later, elders Yang Yucheng and Han Liqing were the first to donate money, and the whole village worked together to rebuild the mosque.
The 1872 "Preface to the Donation of Cypress Trees" records that Yang Yucheng bought back 23 ancient cypress trees in the mosque that were originally going to be sold to pay for the mosque's repairs, keeping them on the grounds.
The 1873 lawsuit settlement tablet records that the daughter of Xiawang Mosque imam Yang Taixiang died after suffering mistreatment following her marriage into the Ma family. Imam Yang wanted to go to the government to seek justice, but the villagers persuaded him to stay. After mediation, the Ma family was fined 100,000 jingqian coins to end the dispute. Imam Yang used the money to redeem two mu of mosque land to cover mosque expenses.
The 1875 land and money donation tablet records that elder Yang Yucheng donated money to redeem two mu of school land that had been mortgaged for mosque repairs, with the harvest from the land used for school expenses.
The 1894 "Record of the Renovation of the Rear Hall of Xiawang Mosque" only has the top half remaining.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian uses a wooden casket (tabu xiazi) for burials (mayiti), which is a feature of traditional Gedimu mosque communities. Traditional solid wood caskets are very heavy and require many people to carry them. Most have now been replaced by stainless steel ones. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Ramadan trip visits three historic mosques in Tai'an, Shandong: Taicheng Mosque, Dong Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque. The account records their dated steles, prayer hall layouts, imam history, Hui Muslim neighborhoods, and preserved mosque details.
During Ramadan in 2025, I spent three Saturdays taking the high-speed train to visit nine ancient mosques in Jinan, Qingzhou, and Tai'an, Shandong. The first two articles covered the mosques in Jinan and Qingzhou. This is the third article, covering my visit to Taicheng Mosque, East Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque in Tai'an.
Taicheng Mosque.
Taicheng Mosque is said to have been built in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. It was renovated many times during the Ming, Qing, and Republican eras. The mosque still keeps a stone tablet header inscribed with "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) dated 1619, the 40th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty.
The prayer hall consists of a front porch, a main hall, and a rear kiln-style hall (yaodian) connected together. The roof of the kiln-style hall is a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The main hall uses a beam-lifting wooden frame structure, and there is a two-meter-thick archway between it and the kiln-style hall.
Brick-carved gable ends (chitou).
The tablet corridor of Taicheng Mosque.
The "Laifu Ming" (Inscription on Returning to the Origin) tablet from the fourth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty. The "Laifu Ming" was written in the seventh year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty by Chen Si, the imam (zhangjiao) of the South Mosque in Jinan, and was carved into stone at Taicheng Mosque in the fourth year of the Tianqi reign. The "Laifu Ming" is the first Chinese-language tablet inscription written by an imam. It is also the first work in China to combine Islamic teachings and principles with Song and Ming Neo-Confucianism. It pioneered the practice of interpreting scriptures through Confucianism in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, making it highly valuable for history and philosophy.
The donation tablet from the 24th year of the Qianlong reign records how many Muslims (mumin) donated money to renovate the halls and add property to the mosque. Among them, Mi Hanru donated 3.5 mu of land, Yang Kunshan donated 3 mu, and Li Changqi, Li Hui, and others donated the rent from their shops to the mosque to serve as the imam's salary.
The "Record of Renovating the Mosque" tablet from the 14th year of the Guangxu reign was written by local scholar Song Guangrun. It records that the imam at the time, Wang Jingshan, initiated the renovation, and the local elders and Muslims responded immediately. Elder Yang Yucheng took the lead in donating funds and directing the construction, which took three years to complete.
The renovation tablet from the 33rd year of the Republic of China records that the imam, elders, and Muslims agreed to renovate the mosque. People from all walks of life in Tai'an donated 12,213 silver dollars, fellow townsmen in Shanghai donated 1,165 yuan, local Muslims donated 685 yuan, and elder Ma Ziming donated a set of curtains.
Taicheng East Mosque, also known as Beixinjie Mosque, faces Taicheng Mosque across the Nai River. It was founded in 1920 by the national industrialist Ma Bosheng. It was closed from 1966 to 1994, rebuilt in 1995, and renovated again in 2006. The mosque still has the "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) door plaque written by the founder, Ma Bosheng.
Ma Bosheng's ancestral home was in Dezhou. His father, Ma Rende, fled to Tai'an during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty and made a living selling steamed buns (baozi) outside the west city gate. Ma Bosheng studied hard and attended the Tianshu Temple and the Yang Family Charity School in Tai'an as a child, later entering Cuiying Middle School. In 1916, Ma Bosheng was hired as a translator for Chinese laborers and traveled to Canada, England, France, and other countries. Seeing Western industrial civilization inspired his determination to save the country through industry. In 1919, Ma Bosheng returned to Shandong. He first worked at the British-American Tobacco Company and an insurance company in Jinan, then founded the Renfeng Textile Mill, gradually becoming a business giant in Shandong.
In 1927, Ma Bosheng founded the Rende School in Tai'an. He hired excellent teachers from Jinan, Qufu, and other places, allowed children from poor families to attend for free, and provided them with free textbooks and uniforms. Ma Bosheng also started literacy classes for common people and night schools to eliminate illiteracy and promote education. Ma Bosheng built the Rende Flour Mill across from the school. It produced 500 bags of "Mountain Tiger" brand flour daily, changing the production methods of Tai'an's manual workshops. The flour was high quality and affordable, and he regularly gave it to poor families for free, using the surplus to fund the school. Ma Bosheng worked with local gentry to start the Taishan Forest Company. They planted trees and cleared over 150 mu of land at Guangshengquan, where they bought apple trees and built an orchard.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian sits in the western suburbs. Its founding date is unknown, but a stone tablet from 1626 (the sixth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty) records that Li Qin was the imam at that time. The main hall of Xiawang Mosque was rebuilt in 1734 (the twelfth year of the Yongzheng reign). It was burned down during wartime in 1864 (the second year of the Tongzhi reign) and rebuilt again in 1873 (the twelfth year of the Tongzhi reign). It was listed as a Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 2013.
Xiawang Mosque stands on a high platform. The courtyard feels ancient and very solemn.
The kiln hall (yaodian) and north lecture hall at Xiawang Mosque in Taian, Shandong, have a late 20th-century feel. A pair of scripture boxes each hold 15 books, which is very traditional. There is also a group photo of the village elders at Xiawang Mosque from 1933. You can see everyone wearing long gowns (dagua), with those in the front row wearing mandarin jackets (magua), and everyone wearing small dark caps.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian houses many stone tablets:
The 1734 tablet for donated land records that Li Bingjie from Henggou Village donated 16.6 mu of land to the mosque, and Wang Zhangzhe from the same village donated an adjacent one mu of land to the mosque.
The 1837 renovation tablet records that Xiawang Mosque was renovated in 1821. In 1835, Han Qingyu from Xiaoyandi Village and the villagers donated money for building oil painting and decorations. In 1837, Yang Dianhua, Wang Jiesan, Wang Zhonghua, and others agreed to donate money to rebuild the water room and side rooms, and a daughter of the Ding family from Huangjia Village donated land.
The 1872 "Preface to the Renovation of the Mosque" records that the main hall of Xiawang Mosque was burned down during the war in 1863. Later, elders Yang Yucheng and Han Liqing were the first to donate money, and the whole village worked together to rebuild the mosque.
The 1872 "Preface to the Donation of Cypress Trees" records that Yang Yucheng bought back 23 ancient cypress trees in the mosque that were originally going to be sold to pay for the mosque's repairs, keeping them on the grounds.
The 1873 lawsuit settlement tablet records that the daughter of Xiawang Mosque imam Yang Taixiang died after suffering mistreatment following her marriage into the Ma family. Imam Yang wanted to go to the government to seek justice, but the villagers persuaded him to stay. After mediation, the Ma family was fined 100,000 jingqian coins to end the dispute. Imam Yang used the money to redeem two mu of mosque land to cover mosque expenses.
The 1875 land and money donation tablet records that elder Yang Yucheng donated money to redeem two mu of school land that had been mortgaged for mosque repairs, with the harvest from the land used for school expenses.
The 1894 "Record of the Renovation of the Rear Hall of Xiawang Mosque" only has the top half remaining.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian uses a wooden casket (tabu xiazi) for burials (mayiti), which is a feature of traditional Gedimu mosque communities. Traditional solid wood caskets are very heavy and require many people to carry them. Most have now been replaced by stainless steel ones.
Summary: This Ramadan trip visits three historic mosques in Tai'an, Shandong: Taicheng Mosque, Dong Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque. The account records their dated steles, prayer hall layouts, imam history, Hui Muslim neighborhoods, and preserved mosque details.
During Ramadan in 2025, I spent three Saturdays taking the high-speed train to visit nine ancient mosques in Jinan, Qingzhou, and Tai'an, Shandong. The first two articles covered the mosques in Jinan and Qingzhou. This is the third article, covering my visit to Taicheng Mosque, East Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque in Tai'an.
Taicheng Mosque.
Taicheng Mosque is said to have been built in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. It was renovated many times during the Ming, Qing, and Republican eras. The mosque still keeps a stone tablet header inscribed with "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) dated 1619, the 40th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty.
The prayer hall consists of a front porch, a main hall, and a rear kiln-style hall (yaodian) connected together. The roof of the kiln-style hall is a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The main hall uses a beam-lifting wooden frame structure, and there is a two-meter-thick archway between it and the kiln-style hall.
Brick-carved gable ends (chitou).
The tablet corridor of Taicheng Mosque.
The "Laifu Ming" (Inscription on Returning to the Origin) tablet from the fourth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty. The "Laifu Ming" was written in the seventh year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty by Chen Si, the imam (zhangjiao) of the South Mosque in Jinan, and was carved into stone at Taicheng Mosque in the fourth year of the Tianqi reign. The "Laifu Ming" is the first Chinese-language tablet inscription written by an imam. It is also the first work in China to combine Islamic teachings and principles with Song and Ming Neo-Confucianism. It pioneered the practice of interpreting scriptures through Confucianism in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, making it highly valuable for history and philosophy.
The donation tablet from the 24th year of the Qianlong reign records how many Muslims (mumin) donated money to renovate the halls and add property to the mosque. Among them, Mi Hanru donated 3.5 mu of land, Yang Kunshan donated 3 mu, and Li Changqi, Li Hui, and others donated the rent from their shops to the mosque to serve as the imam's salary.
The "Record of Renovating the Mosque" tablet from the 14th year of the Guangxu reign was written by local scholar Song Guangrun. It records that the imam at the time, Wang Jingshan, initiated the renovation, and the local elders and Muslims responded immediately. Elder Yang Yucheng took the lead in donating funds and directing the construction, which took three years to complete.
The renovation tablet from the 33rd year of the Republic of China records that the imam, elders, and Muslims agreed to renovate the mosque. People from all walks of life in Tai'an donated 12,213 silver dollars, fellow townsmen in Shanghai donated 1,165 yuan, local Muslims donated 685 yuan, and elder Ma Ziming donated a set of curtains.
Taicheng East Mosque, also known as Beixinjie Mosque, faces Taicheng Mosque across the Nai River. It was founded in 1920 by the national industrialist Ma Bosheng. It was closed from 1966 to 1994, rebuilt in 1995, and renovated again in 2006. The mosque still has the "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) door plaque written by the founder, Ma Bosheng.
Ma Bosheng's ancestral home was in Dezhou. His father, Ma Rende, fled to Tai'an during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty and made a living selling steamed buns (baozi) outside the west city gate. Ma Bosheng studied hard and attended the Tianshu Temple and the Yang Family Charity School in Tai'an as a child, later entering Cuiying Middle School. In 1916, Ma Bosheng was hired as a translator for Chinese laborers and traveled to Canada, England, France, and other countries. Seeing Western industrial civilization inspired his determination to save the country through industry. In 1919, Ma Bosheng returned to Shandong. He first worked at the British-American Tobacco Company and an insurance company in Jinan, then founded the Renfeng Textile Mill, gradually becoming a business giant in Shandong.
In 1927, Ma Bosheng founded the Rende School in Tai'an. He hired excellent teachers from Jinan, Qufu, and other places, allowed children from poor families to attend for free, and provided them with free textbooks and uniforms. Ma Bosheng also started literacy classes for common people and night schools to eliminate illiteracy and promote education. Ma Bosheng built the Rende Flour Mill across from the school. It produced 500 bags of "Mountain Tiger" brand flour daily, changing the production methods of Tai'an's manual workshops. The flour was high quality and affordable, and he regularly gave it to poor families for free, using the surplus to fund the school. Ma Bosheng worked with local gentry to start the Taishan Forest Company. They planted trees and cleared over 150 mu of land at Guangshengquan, where they bought apple trees and built an orchard.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian sits in the western suburbs. Its founding date is unknown, but a stone tablet from 1626 (the sixth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty) records that Li Qin was the imam at that time. The main hall of Xiawang Mosque was rebuilt in 1734 (the twelfth year of the Yongzheng reign). It was burned down during wartime in 1864 (the second year of the Tongzhi reign) and rebuilt again in 1873 (the twelfth year of the Tongzhi reign). It was listed as a Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 2013.
Xiawang Mosque stands on a high platform. The courtyard feels ancient and very solemn.
The kiln hall (yaodian) and north lecture hall at Xiawang Mosque in Taian, Shandong, have a late 20th-century feel. A pair of scripture boxes each hold 15 books, which is very traditional. There is also a group photo of the village elders at Xiawang Mosque from 1933. You can see everyone wearing long gowns (dagua), with those in the front row wearing mandarin jackets (magua), and everyone wearing small dark caps.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian houses many stone tablets:
The 1734 tablet for donated land records that Li Bingjie from Henggou Village donated 16.6 mu of land to the mosque, and Wang Zhangzhe from the same village donated an adjacent one mu of land to the mosque.
The 1837 renovation tablet records that Xiawang Mosque was renovated in 1821. In 1835, Han Qingyu from Xiaoyandi Village and the villagers donated money for building oil painting and decorations. In 1837, Yang Dianhua, Wang Jiesan, Wang Zhonghua, and others agreed to donate money to rebuild the water room and side rooms, and a daughter of the Ding family from Huangjia Village donated land.
The 1872 "Preface to the Renovation of the Mosque" records that the main hall of Xiawang Mosque was burned down during the war in 1863. Later, elders Yang Yucheng and Han Liqing were the first to donate money, and the whole village worked together to rebuild the mosque.
The 1872 "Preface to the Donation of Cypress Trees" records that Yang Yucheng bought back 23 ancient cypress trees in the mosque that were originally going to be sold to pay for the mosque's repairs, keeping them on the grounds.
The 1873 lawsuit settlement tablet records that the daughter of Xiawang Mosque imam Yang Taixiang died after suffering mistreatment following her marriage into the Ma family. Imam Yang wanted to go to the government to seek justice, but the villagers persuaded him to stay. After mediation, the Ma family was fined 100,000 jingqian coins to end the dispute. Imam Yang used the money to redeem two mu of mosque land to cover mosque expenses.
The 1875 land and money donation tablet records that elder Yang Yucheng donated money to redeem two mu of school land that had been mortgaged for mosque repairs, with the harvest from the land used for school expenses.
The 1894 "Record of the Renovation of the Rear Hall of Xiawang Mosque" only has the top half remaining.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian uses a wooden casket (tabu xiazi) for burials (mayiti), which is a feature of traditional Gedimu mosque communities. Traditional solid wood caskets are very heavy and require many people to carry them. Most have now been replaced by stainless steel ones.
Halal Travel Guide: Tai'an, Shandong - Ramadan Mosque Visits and Hui History
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Summary: This Ramadan trip visits three historic mosques in Tai'an, Shandong: Taicheng Mosque, Dong Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque. The account records their dated steles, prayer hall layouts, imam history, Hui Muslim neighborhoods, and preserved mosque details.
During Ramadan in 2025, I spent three Saturdays taking the high-speed train to visit nine ancient mosques in Jinan, Qingzhou, and Tai'an, Shandong. The first two articles covered the mosques in Jinan and Qingzhou. This is the third article, covering my visit to Taicheng Mosque, East Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque in Tai'an.
Taicheng Mosque.
Taicheng Mosque is said to have been built in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. It was renovated many times during the Ming, Qing, and Republican eras. The mosque still keeps a stone tablet header inscribed with "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) dated 1619, the 40th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty.
The prayer hall consists of a front porch, a main hall, and a rear kiln-style hall (yaodian) connected together. The roof of the kiln-style hall is a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The main hall uses a beam-lifting wooden frame structure, and there is a two-meter-thick archway between it and the kiln-style hall.
Brick-carved gable ends (chitou).
The tablet corridor of Taicheng Mosque.
The "Laifu Ming" (Inscription on Returning to the Origin) tablet from the fourth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty. The "Laifu Ming" was written in the seventh year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty by Chen Si, the imam (zhangjiao) of the South Mosque in Jinan, and was carved into stone at Taicheng Mosque in the fourth year of the Tianqi reign. The "Laifu Ming" is the first Chinese-language tablet inscription written by an imam. It is also the first work in China to combine Islamic teachings and principles with Song and Ming Neo-Confucianism. It pioneered the practice of interpreting scriptures through Confucianism in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, making it highly valuable for history and philosophy.
The donation tablet from the 24th year of the Qianlong reign records how many Muslims (mumin) donated money to renovate the halls and add property to the mosque. Among them, Mi Hanru donated 3.5 mu of land, Yang Kunshan donated 3 mu, and Li Changqi, Li Hui, and others donated the rent from their shops to the mosque to serve as the imam's salary.
The "Record of Renovating the Mosque" tablet from the 14th year of the Guangxu reign was written by local scholar Song Guangrun. It records that the imam at the time, Wang Jingshan, initiated the renovation, and the local elders and Muslims responded immediately. Elder Yang Yucheng took the lead in donating funds and directing the construction, which took three years to complete.
The renovation tablet from the 33rd year of the Republic of China records that the imam, elders, and Muslims agreed to renovate the mosque. People from all walks of life in Tai'an donated 12,213 silver dollars, fellow townsmen in Shanghai donated 1,165 yuan, local Muslims donated 685 yuan, and elder Ma Ziming donated a set of curtains.
Taicheng East Mosque, also known as Beixinjie Mosque, faces Taicheng Mosque across the Nai River. It was founded in 1920 by the national industrialist Ma Bosheng. It was closed from 1966 to 1994, rebuilt in 1995, and renovated again in 2006. The mosque still has the "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) door plaque written by the founder, Ma Bosheng.
Ma Bosheng's ancestral home was in Dezhou. His father, Ma Rende, fled to Tai'an during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty and made a living selling steamed buns (baozi) outside the west city gate. Ma Bosheng studied hard and attended the Tianshu Temple and the Yang Family Charity School in Tai'an as a child, later entering Cuiying Middle School. In 1916, Ma Bosheng was hired as a translator for Chinese laborers and traveled to Canada, England, France, and other countries. Seeing Western industrial civilization inspired his determination to save the country through industry. In 1919, Ma Bosheng returned to Shandong. He first worked at the British-American Tobacco Company and an insurance company in Jinan, then founded the Renfeng Textile Mill, gradually becoming a business giant in Shandong.
In 1927, Ma Bosheng founded the Rende School in Tai'an. He hired excellent teachers from Jinan, Qufu, and other places, allowed children from poor families to attend for free, and provided them with free textbooks and uniforms. Ma Bosheng also started literacy classes for common people and night schools to eliminate illiteracy and promote education. Ma Bosheng built the Rende Flour Mill across from the school. It produced 500 bags of "Mountain Tiger" brand flour daily, changing the production methods of Tai'an's manual workshops. The flour was high quality and affordable, and he regularly gave it to poor families for free, using the surplus to fund the school. Ma Bosheng worked with local gentry to start the Taishan Forest Company. They planted trees and cleared over 150 mu of land at Guangshengquan, where they bought apple trees and built an orchard.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian sits in the western suburbs. Its founding date is unknown, but a stone tablet from 1626 (the sixth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty) records that Li Qin was the imam at that time. The main hall of Xiawang Mosque was rebuilt in 1734 (the twelfth year of the Yongzheng reign). It was burned down during wartime in 1864 (the second year of the Tongzhi reign) and rebuilt again in 1873 (the twelfth year of the Tongzhi reign). It was listed as a Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 2013.
Xiawang Mosque stands on a high platform. The courtyard feels ancient and very solemn.
The kiln hall (yaodian) and north lecture hall at Xiawang Mosque in Taian, Shandong, have a late 20th-century feel. A pair of scripture boxes each hold 15 books, which is very traditional. There is also a group photo of the village elders at Xiawang Mosque from 1933. You can see everyone wearing long gowns (dagua), with those in the front row wearing mandarin jackets (magua), and everyone wearing small dark caps.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian houses many stone tablets:
The 1734 tablet for donated land records that Li Bingjie from Henggou Village donated 16.6 mu of land to the mosque, and Wang Zhangzhe from the same village donated an adjacent one mu of land to the mosque.
The 1837 renovation tablet records that Xiawang Mosque was renovated in 1821. In 1835, Han Qingyu from Xiaoyandi Village and the villagers donated money for building oil painting and decorations. In 1837, Yang Dianhua, Wang Jiesan, Wang Zhonghua, and others agreed to donate money to rebuild the water room and side rooms, and a daughter of the Ding family from Huangjia Village donated land.
The 1872 "Preface to the Renovation of the Mosque" records that the main hall of Xiawang Mosque was burned down during the war in 1863. Later, elders Yang Yucheng and Han Liqing were the first to donate money, and the whole village worked together to rebuild the mosque.
The 1872 "Preface to the Donation of Cypress Trees" records that Yang Yucheng bought back 23 ancient cypress trees in the mosque that were originally going to be sold to pay for the mosque's repairs, keeping them on the grounds.
The 1873 lawsuit settlement tablet records that the daughter of Xiawang Mosque imam Yang Taixiang died after suffering mistreatment following her marriage into the Ma family. Imam Yang wanted to go to the government to seek justice, but the villagers persuaded him to stay. After mediation, the Ma family was fined 100,000 jingqian coins to end the dispute. Imam Yang used the money to redeem two mu of mosque land to cover mosque expenses.
The 1875 land and money donation tablet records that elder Yang Yucheng donated money to redeem two mu of school land that had been mortgaged for mosque repairs, with the harvest from the land used for school expenses.
The 1894 "Record of the Renovation of the Rear Hall of Xiawang Mosque" only has the top half remaining.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian uses a wooden casket (tabu xiazi) for burials (mayiti), which is a feature of traditional Gedimu mosque communities. Traditional solid wood caskets are very heavy and require many people to carry them. Most have now been replaced by stainless steel ones. view all
Summary: This Ramadan trip visits three historic mosques in Tai'an, Shandong: Taicheng Mosque, Dong Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque. The account records their dated steles, prayer hall layouts, imam history, Hui Muslim neighborhoods, and preserved mosque details.
During Ramadan in 2025, I spent three Saturdays taking the high-speed train to visit nine ancient mosques in Jinan, Qingzhou, and Tai'an, Shandong. The first two articles covered the mosques in Jinan and Qingzhou. This is the third article, covering my visit to Taicheng Mosque, East Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque in Tai'an.
Taicheng Mosque.
Taicheng Mosque is said to have been built in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. It was renovated many times during the Ming, Qing, and Republican eras. The mosque still keeps a stone tablet header inscribed with "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) dated 1619, the 40th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty.
The prayer hall consists of a front porch, a main hall, and a rear kiln-style hall (yaodian) connected together. The roof of the kiln-style hall is a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The main hall uses a beam-lifting wooden frame structure, and there is a two-meter-thick archway between it and the kiln-style hall.
Brick-carved gable ends (chitou).
The tablet corridor of Taicheng Mosque.
The "Laifu Ming" (Inscription on Returning to the Origin) tablet from the fourth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty. The "Laifu Ming" was written in the seventh year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty by Chen Si, the imam (zhangjiao) of the South Mosque in Jinan, and was carved into stone at Taicheng Mosque in the fourth year of the Tianqi reign. The "Laifu Ming" is the first Chinese-language tablet inscription written by an imam. It is also the first work in China to combine Islamic teachings and principles with Song and Ming Neo-Confucianism. It pioneered the practice of interpreting scriptures through Confucianism in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, making it highly valuable for history and philosophy.
The donation tablet from the 24th year of the Qianlong reign records how many Muslims (mumin) donated money to renovate the halls and add property to the mosque. Among them, Mi Hanru donated 3.5 mu of land, Yang Kunshan donated 3 mu, and Li Changqi, Li Hui, and others donated the rent from their shops to the mosque to serve as the imam's salary.
The "Record of Renovating the Mosque" tablet from the 14th year of the Guangxu reign was written by local scholar Song Guangrun. It records that the imam at the time, Wang Jingshan, initiated the renovation, and the local elders and Muslims responded immediately. Elder Yang Yucheng took the lead in donating funds and directing the construction, which took three years to complete.
The renovation tablet from the 33rd year of the Republic of China records that the imam, elders, and Muslims agreed to renovate the mosque. People from all walks of life in Tai'an donated 12,213 silver dollars, fellow townsmen in Shanghai donated 1,165 yuan, local Muslims donated 685 yuan, and elder Ma Ziming donated a set of curtains.
Taicheng East Mosque, also known as Beixinjie Mosque, faces Taicheng Mosque across the Nai River. It was founded in 1920 by the national industrialist Ma Bosheng. It was closed from 1966 to 1994, rebuilt in 1995, and renovated again in 2006. The mosque still has the "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) door plaque written by the founder, Ma Bosheng.
Ma Bosheng's ancestral home was in Dezhou. His father, Ma Rende, fled to Tai'an during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty and made a living selling steamed buns (baozi) outside the west city gate. Ma Bosheng studied hard and attended the Tianshu Temple and the Yang Family Charity School in Tai'an as a child, later entering Cuiying Middle School. In 1916, Ma Bosheng was hired as a translator for Chinese laborers and traveled to Canada, England, France, and other countries. Seeing Western industrial civilization inspired his determination to save the country through industry. In 1919, Ma Bosheng returned to Shandong. He first worked at the British-American Tobacco Company and an insurance company in Jinan, then founded the Renfeng Textile Mill, gradually becoming a business giant in Shandong.
In 1927, Ma Bosheng founded the Rende School in Tai'an. He hired excellent teachers from Jinan, Qufu, and other places, allowed children from poor families to attend for free, and provided them with free textbooks and uniforms. Ma Bosheng also started literacy classes for common people and night schools to eliminate illiteracy and promote education. Ma Bosheng built the Rende Flour Mill across from the school. It produced 500 bags of "Mountain Tiger" brand flour daily, changing the production methods of Tai'an's manual workshops. The flour was high quality and affordable, and he regularly gave it to poor families for free, using the surplus to fund the school. Ma Bosheng worked with local gentry to start the Taishan Forest Company. They planted trees and cleared over 150 mu of land at Guangshengquan, where they bought apple trees and built an orchard.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian sits in the western suburbs. Its founding date is unknown, but a stone tablet from 1626 (the sixth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty) records that Li Qin was the imam at that time. The main hall of Xiawang Mosque was rebuilt in 1734 (the twelfth year of the Yongzheng reign). It was burned down during wartime in 1864 (the second year of the Tongzhi reign) and rebuilt again in 1873 (the twelfth year of the Tongzhi reign). It was listed as a Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 2013.
Xiawang Mosque stands on a high platform. The courtyard feels ancient and very solemn.
The kiln hall (yaodian) and north lecture hall at Xiawang Mosque in Taian, Shandong, have a late 20th-century feel. A pair of scripture boxes each hold 15 books, which is very traditional. There is also a group photo of the village elders at Xiawang Mosque from 1933. You can see everyone wearing long gowns (dagua), with those in the front row wearing mandarin jackets (magua), and everyone wearing small dark caps.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian houses many stone tablets:
The 1734 tablet for donated land records that Li Bingjie from Henggou Village donated 16.6 mu of land to the mosque, and Wang Zhangzhe from the same village donated an adjacent one mu of land to the mosque.
The 1837 renovation tablet records that Xiawang Mosque was renovated in 1821. In 1835, Han Qingyu from Xiaoyandi Village and the villagers donated money for building oil painting and decorations. In 1837, Yang Dianhua, Wang Jiesan, Wang Zhonghua, and others agreed to donate money to rebuild the water room and side rooms, and a daughter of the Ding family from Huangjia Village donated land.
The 1872 "Preface to the Renovation of the Mosque" records that the main hall of Xiawang Mosque was burned down during the war in 1863. Later, elders Yang Yucheng and Han Liqing were the first to donate money, and the whole village worked together to rebuild the mosque.
The 1872 "Preface to the Donation of Cypress Trees" records that Yang Yucheng bought back 23 ancient cypress trees in the mosque that were originally going to be sold to pay for the mosque's repairs, keeping them on the grounds.
The 1873 lawsuit settlement tablet records that the daughter of Xiawang Mosque imam Yang Taixiang died after suffering mistreatment following her marriage into the Ma family. Imam Yang wanted to go to the government to seek justice, but the villagers persuaded him to stay. After mediation, the Ma family was fined 100,000 jingqian coins to end the dispute. Imam Yang used the money to redeem two mu of mosque land to cover mosque expenses.
The 1875 land and money donation tablet records that elder Yang Yucheng donated money to redeem two mu of school land that had been mortgaged for mosque repairs, with the harvest from the land used for school expenses.
The 1894 "Record of the Renovation of the Rear Hall of Xiawang Mosque" only has the top half remaining.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian uses a wooden casket (tabu xiazi) for burials (mayiti), which is a feature of traditional Gedimu mosque communities. Traditional solid wood caskets are very heavy and require many people to carry them. Most have now been replaced by stainless steel ones. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Ramadan trip visits three historic mosques in Tai'an, Shandong: Taicheng Mosque, Dong Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque. The account records their dated steles, prayer hall layouts, imam history, Hui Muslim neighborhoods, and preserved mosque details.
During Ramadan in 2025, I spent three Saturdays taking the high-speed train to visit nine ancient mosques in Jinan, Qingzhou, and Tai'an, Shandong. The first two articles covered the mosques in Jinan and Qingzhou. This is the third article, covering my visit to Taicheng Mosque, East Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque in Tai'an.
Taicheng Mosque.
Taicheng Mosque is said to have been built in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. It was renovated many times during the Ming, Qing, and Republican eras. The mosque still keeps a stone tablet header inscribed with "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) dated 1619, the 40th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty.
The prayer hall consists of a front porch, a main hall, and a rear kiln-style hall (yaodian) connected together. The roof of the kiln-style hall is a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The main hall uses a beam-lifting wooden frame structure, and there is a two-meter-thick archway between it and the kiln-style hall.
Brick-carved gable ends (chitou).
The tablet corridor of Taicheng Mosque.
The "Laifu Ming" (Inscription on Returning to the Origin) tablet from the fourth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty. The "Laifu Ming" was written in the seventh year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty by Chen Si, the imam (zhangjiao) of the South Mosque in Jinan, and was carved into stone at Taicheng Mosque in the fourth year of the Tianqi reign. The "Laifu Ming" is the first Chinese-language tablet inscription written by an imam. It is also the first work in China to combine Islamic teachings and principles with Song and Ming Neo-Confucianism. It pioneered the practice of interpreting scriptures through Confucianism in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, making it highly valuable for history and philosophy.
The donation tablet from the 24th year of the Qianlong reign records how many Muslims (mumin) donated money to renovate the halls and add property to the mosque. Among them, Mi Hanru donated 3.5 mu of land, Yang Kunshan donated 3 mu, and Li Changqi, Li Hui, and others donated the rent from their shops to the mosque to serve as the imam's salary.
The "Record of Renovating the Mosque" tablet from the 14th year of the Guangxu reign was written by local scholar Song Guangrun. It records that the imam at the time, Wang Jingshan, initiated the renovation, and the local elders and Muslims responded immediately. Elder Yang Yucheng took the lead in donating funds and directing the construction, which took three years to complete.
The renovation tablet from the 33rd year of the Republic of China records that the imam, elders, and Muslims agreed to renovate the mosque. People from all walks of life in Tai'an donated 12,213 silver dollars, fellow townsmen in Shanghai donated 1,165 yuan, local Muslims donated 685 yuan, and elder Ma Ziming donated a set of curtains.
Taicheng East Mosque, also known as Beixinjie Mosque, faces Taicheng Mosque across the Nai River. It was founded in 1920 by the national industrialist Ma Bosheng. It was closed from 1966 to 1994, rebuilt in 1995, and renovated again in 2006. The mosque still has the "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) door plaque written by the founder, Ma Bosheng.
Ma Bosheng's ancestral home was in Dezhou. His father, Ma Rende, fled to Tai'an during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty and made a living selling steamed buns (baozi) outside the west city gate. Ma Bosheng studied hard and attended the Tianshu Temple and the Yang Family Charity School in Tai'an as a child, later entering Cuiying Middle School. In 1916, Ma Bosheng was hired as a translator for Chinese laborers and traveled to Canada, England, France, and other countries. Seeing Western industrial civilization inspired his determination to save the country through industry. In 1919, Ma Bosheng returned to Shandong. He first worked at the British-American Tobacco Company and an insurance company in Jinan, then founded the Renfeng Textile Mill, gradually becoming a business giant in Shandong.
In 1927, Ma Bosheng founded the Rende School in Tai'an. He hired excellent teachers from Jinan, Qufu, and other places, allowed children from poor families to attend for free, and provided them with free textbooks and uniforms. Ma Bosheng also started literacy classes for common people and night schools to eliminate illiteracy and promote education. Ma Bosheng built the Rende Flour Mill across from the school. It produced 500 bags of "Mountain Tiger" brand flour daily, changing the production methods of Tai'an's manual workshops. The flour was high quality and affordable, and he regularly gave it to poor families for free, using the surplus to fund the school. Ma Bosheng worked with local gentry to start the Taishan Forest Company. They planted trees and cleared over 150 mu of land at Guangshengquan, where they bought apple trees and built an orchard.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian sits in the western suburbs. Its founding date is unknown, but a stone tablet from 1626 (the sixth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty) records that Li Qin was the imam at that time. The main hall of Xiawang Mosque was rebuilt in 1734 (the twelfth year of the Yongzheng reign). It was burned down during wartime in 1864 (the second year of the Tongzhi reign) and rebuilt again in 1873 (the twelfth year of the Tongzhi reign). It was listed as a Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 2013.
Xiawang Mosque stands on a high platform. The courtyard feels ancient and very solemn.
The kiln hall (yaodian) and north lecture hall at Xiawang Mosque in Taian, Shandong, have a late 20th-century feel. A pair of scripture boxes each hold 15 books, which is very traditional. There is also a group photo of the village elders at Xiawang Mosque from 1933. You can see everyone wearing long gowns (dagua), with those in the front row wearing mandarin jackets (magua), and everyone wearing small dark caps.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian houses many stone tablets:
The 1734 tablet for donated land records that Li Bingjie from Henggou Village donated 16.6 mu of land to the mosque, and Wang Zhangzhe from the same village donated an adjacent one mu of land to the mosque.
The 1837 renovation tablet records that Xiawang Mosque was renovated in 1821. In 1835, Han Qingyu from Xiaoyandi Village and the villagers donated money for building oil painting and decorations. In 1837, Yang Dianhua, Wang Jiesan, Wang Zhonghua, and others agreed to donate money to rebuild the water room and side rooms, and a daughter of the Ding family from Huangjia Village donated land.
The 1872 "Preface to the Renovation of the Mosque" records that the main hall of Xiawang Mosque was burned down during the war in 1863. Later, elders Yang Yucheng and Han Liqing were the first to donate money, and the whole village worked together to rebuild the mosque.
The 1872 "Preface to the Donation of Cypress Trees" records that Yang Yucheng bought back 23 ancient cypress trees in the mosque that were originally going to be sold to pay for the mosque's repairs, keeping them on the grounds.
The 1873 lawsuit settlement tablet records that the daughter of Xiawang Mosque imam Yang Taixiang died after suffering mistreatment following her marriage into the Ma family. Imam Yang wanted to go to the government to seek justice, but the villagers persuaded him to stay. After mediation, the Ma family was fined 100,000 jingqian coins to end the dispute. Imam Yang used the money to redeem two mu of mosque land to cover mosque expenses.
The 1875 land and money donation tablet records that elder Yang Yucheng donated money to redeem two mu of school land that had been mortgaged for mosque repairs, with the harvest from the land used for school expenses.
The 1894 "Record of the Renovation of the Rear Hall of Xiawang Mosque" only has the top half remaining.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian uses a wooden casket (tabu xiazi) for burials (mayiti), which is a feature of traditional Gedimu mosque communities. Traditional solid wood caskets are very heavy and require many people to carry them. Most have now been replaced by stainless steel ones.
Summary: This Ramadan trip visits three historic mosques in Tai'an, Shandong: Taicheng Mosque, Dong Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque. The account records their dated steles, prayer hall layouts, imam history, Hui Muslim neighborhoods, and preserved mosque details.
During Ramadan in 2025, I spent three Saturdays taking the high-speed train to visit nine ancient mosques in Jinan, Qingzhou, and Tai'an, Shandong. The first two articles covered the mosques in Jinan and Qingzhou. This is the third article, covering my visit to Taicheng Mosque, East Mosque, and Xiawang Mosque in Tai'an.
Taicheng Mosque.
Taicheng Mosque is said to have been built in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. It was renovated many times during the Ming, Qing, and Republican eras. The mosque still keeps a stone tablet header inscribed with "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) dated 1619, the 40th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty.
The prayer hall consists of a front porch, a main hall, and a rear kiln-style hall (yaodian) connected together. The roof of the kiln-style hall is a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The main hall uses a beam-lifting wooden frame structure, and there is a two-meter-thick archway between it and the kiln-style hall.
Brick-carved gable ends (chitou).
The tablet corridor of Taicheng Mosque.
The "Laifu Ming" (Inscription on Returning to the Origin) tablet from the fourth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty. The "Laifu Ming" was written in the seventh year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty by Chen Si, the imam (zhangjiao) of the South Mosque in Jinan, and was carved into stone at Taicheng Mosque in the fourth year of the Tianqi reign. The "Laifu Ming" is the first Chinese-language tablet inscription written by an imam. It is also the first work in China to combine Islamic teachings and principles with Song and Ming Neo-Confucianism. It pioneered the practice of interpreting scriptures through Confucianism in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, making it highly valuable for history and philosophy.
The donation tablet from the 24th year of the Qianlong reign records how many Muslims (mumin) donated money to renovate the halls and add property to the mosque. Among them, Mi Hanru donated 3.5 mu of land, Yang Kunshan donated 3 mu, and Li Changqi, Li Hui, and others donated the rent from their shops to the mosque to serve as the imam's salary.
The "Record of Renovating the Mosque" tablet from the 14th year of the Guangxu reign was written by local scholar Song Guangrun. It records that the imam at the time, Wang Jingshan, initiated the renovation, and the local elders and Muslims responded immediately. Elder Yang Yucheng took the lead in donating funds and directing the construction, which took three years to complete.
The renovation tablet from the 33rd year of the Republic of China records that the imam, elders, and Muslims agreed to renovate the mosque. People from all walks of life in Tai'an donated 12,213 silver dollars, fellow townsmen in Shanghai donated 1,165 yuan, local Muslims donated 685 yuan, and elder Ma Ziming donated a set of curtains.
Taicheng East Mosque, also known as Beixinjie Mosque, faces Taicheng Mosque across the Nai River. It was founded in 1920 by the national industrialist Ma Bosheng. It was closed from 1966 to 1994, rebuilt in 1995, and renovated again in 2006. The mosque still has the "Mosque" (Qingzhensi) door plaque written by the founder, Ma Bosheng.
Ma Bosheng's ancestral home was in Dezhou. His father, Ma Rende, fled to Tai'an during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty and made a living selling steamed buns (baozi) outside the west city gate. Ma Bosheng studied hard and attended the Tianshu Temple and the Yang Family Charity School in Tai'an as a child, later entering Cuiying Middle School. In 1916, Ma Bosheng was hired as a translator for Chinese laborers and traveled to Canada, England, France, and other countries. Seeing Western industrial civilization inspired his determination to save the country through industry. In 1919, Ma Bosheng returned to Shandong. He first worked at the British-American Tobacco Company and an insurance company in Jinan, then founded the Renfeng Textile Mill, gradually becoming a business giant in Shandong.
In 1927, Ma Bosheng founded the Rende School in Tai'an. He hired excellent teachers from Jinan, Qufu, and other places, allowed children from poor families to attend for free, and provided them with free textbooks and uniforms. Ma Bosheng also started literacy classes for common people and night schools to eliminate illiteracy and promote education. Ma Bosheng built the Rende Flour Mill across from the school. It produced 500 bags of "Mountain Tiger" brand flour daily, changing the production methods of Tai'an's manual workshops. The flour was high quality and affordable, and he regularly gave it to poor families for free, using the surplus to fund the school. Ma Bosheng worked with local gentry to start the Taishan Forest Company. They planted trees and cleared over 150 mu of land at Guangshengquan, where they bought apple trees and built an orchard.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian sits in the western suburbs. Its founding date is unknown, but a stone tablet from 1626 (the sixth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty) records that Li Qin was the imam at that time. The main hall of Xiawang Mosque was rebuilt in 1734 (the twelfth year of the Yongzheng reign). It was burned down during wartime in 1864 (the second year of the Tongzhi reign) and rebuilt again in 1873 (the twelfth year of the Tongzhi reign). It was listed as a Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 2013.
Xiawang Mosque stands on a high platform. The courtyard feels ancient and very solemn.
The kiln hall (yaodian) and north lecture hall at Xiawang Mosque in Taian, Shandong, have a late 20th-century feel. A pair of scripture boxes each hold 15 books, which is very traditional. There is also a group photo of the village elders at Xiawang Mosque from 1933. You can see everyone wearing long gowns (dagua), with those in the front row wearing mandarin jackets (magua), and everyone wearing small dark caps.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian houses many stone tablets:
The 1734 tablet for donated land records that Li Bingjie from Henggou Village donated 16.6 mu of land to the mosque, and Wang Zhangzhe from the same village donated an adjacent one mu of land to the mosque.
The 1837 renovation tablet records that Xiawang Mosque was renovated in 1821. In 1835, Han Qingyu from Xiaoyandi Village and the villagers donated money for building oil painting and decorations. In 1837, Yang Dianhua, Wang Jiesan, Wang Zhonghua, and others agreed to donate money to rebuild the water room and side rooms, and a daughter of the Ding family from Huangjia Village donated land.
The 1872 "Preface to the Renovation of the Mosque" records that the main hall of Xiawang Mosque was burned down during the war in 1863. Later, elders Yang Yucheng and Han Liqing were the first to donate money, and the whole village worked together to rebuild the mosque.
The 1872 "Preface to the Donation of Cypress Trees" records that Yang Yucheng bought back 23 ancient cypress trees in the mosque that were originally going to be sold to pay for the mosque's repairs, keeping them on the grounds.
The 1873 lawsuit settlement tablet records that the daughter of Xiawang Mosque imam Yang Taixiang died after suffering mistreatment following her marriage into the Ma family. Imam Yang wanted to go to the government to seek justice, but the villagers persuaded him to stay. After mediation, the Ma family was fined 100,000 jingqian coins to end the dispute. Imam Yang used the money to redeem two mu of mosque land to cover mosque expenses.
The 1875 land and money donation tablet records that elder Yang Yucheng donated money to redeem two mu of school land that had been mortgaged for mosque repairs, with the harvest from the land used for school expenses.
The 1894 "Record of the Renovation of the Rear Hall of Xiawang Mosque" only has the top half remaining.
Xiawang Mosque in Taian uses a wooden casket (tabu xiazi) for burials (mayiti), which is a feature of traditional Gedimu mosque communities. Traditional solid wood caskets are very heavy and require many people to carry them. Most have now been replaced by stainless steel ones.