Reposted from the web

Summary: This is the first part of a Ramadan visit to Qingzhou, with a focus on Zhenjiao Mosque, Chengli Mosque, and Zhaode Ancient Street. It preserves the original architecture, history, routes, local details, and photographs in clear English.

Zhenjiao Mosque

Zhenjiao Mosque in Qingzhou was first built in 1302 (the sixth year of the Dade reign of the Yuan Dynasty). It was rebuilt and expanded many times during the Ming and Qing dynasties and the Republican era. It is now a national-level cultural heritage site.

According to the Qingzhou Zhenjiao Mosque Founding Stele, the mosque was founded by the descendants of a Yuan Dynasty official named Bayan. Bayan was the grandson of the Yuan Dynasty's Prince of Xianyang, Sayyid Ajjal Shams al-Din. He served as a high-ranking official from 1292 to 1307. His descendants are the Zhao-surname Hui Muslims in Qingzhou today. According to the Zhao Family Genealogy of Qingzhou, Bayan had three sons. When the Yuan Dynasty fell, only the third son, Zhao Mingyuan, survived. He moved to Nanliu Village in Qingzhou to live as a commoner, arriving in 1368 (the first year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty).

The mosque's gate tower was rebuilt in 1734 (the twelfth year of the Yongzheng reign). It is 10 meters high and features brick-carved brackets and hanging flower pillars under the eaves, with screen walls and side gates to the north and south. The front of the gate tower has a gilded plaque reading 'Zhenjiao Mosque.' The back features traditional brick-carved calligraphy saying 'Masjid is the House of Allah,' inscribed with the date 'Twelfth Year of Yongzheng' and a note saying it was rebuilt in the Jia-yin year. The term 'Qin Yue' refers to Ramadan. Even today, a light box with the words 'Qin Yue' hangs at the entrance of the mosque.



















The main gate of Zhenjiao Mosque is usually closed, so visitors enter through the north or south side gates. After entering the side gate, you first see a screen wall and a rockery bonsai, then you enter the first courtyard. Directly facing the gate is the ceremonial gate (yimen) rebuilt in 1755 (the twentieth year of the Qianlong reign), with school buildings on the north and south sides. The north and south school buildings form their own courtyards, which have beautiful rockeries and ponds.



















There is a well pavilion inside Zhenjiao Mosque, with an Arabic stone tablet nearby.













The main prayer hall of Qingzhou Zhenjiao Mosque sits on a platform over 1 meter high. It consists of a front hall, a middle hall, and a rear kiln hall, connected in a linked style, with 36 pillars surrounding the porch. The kiln hall has a moon-watching tower (wangyuelou) with a double-eaved hip roof, and the roof corners have hanging wind bells.

In front of the main hall is the 'Hundred-Character Eulogy' (Baizi Zan) stele pavilion, rebuilt in 1985. The original was copied from the Jingjue Mosque in Nanjing in 1760 (the twenty-fifth year of the Qianlong reign).









































The main hall uses a beam-lifting wooden frame. In the center of the kiln hall is an arched mihrab with a single-eaved hanging-mountain style door cover above it.













Historical steles of Zhenjiao Mosque

The 1684 'Qingzhou Zhenjiao Mosque Founding Stele' records the construction of Zhenjiao Mosque and Chengli Mosque, as well as the efforts of the imam Zhao Huang to rebuild both.



The 1684 'Prayer Time Stele' records the prayer times for the four seasons and the standards for determining prayer times based on shadows throughout the twelve months.



The 1731 'Record of the Newly Built Second Gate of Zhenjiao Mosque' records how the elder Zhang Yongsheng donated money to build the second gate during the Yongzheng reign.



The 1758 'Record of the Rebuilding of the Second Gate of Zhenjiao Mosque' records the expansion of the second gate from one room to three rooms during the Qianlong reign.



The 1848 'Stele Record of the Rebuilding of the Rear Building of Zhenjiao Mosque' records donations from local officials, including the Dengzhou Town commander and the acting magistrate of Yidu, to rebuild the rear building.



Zhaode Ancient Street

Zhaode Ancient Street, home to the True Teaching Mosque (Zhenjiao Si), is a protected cultural heritage site of Shandong Province and one of the first famous historical and cultural streets in China. It is the best-preserved ancient street for Hui Muslims in Shandong. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, Zhaode Ancient Street has been a settlement for Hui Muslims in Qingzhou. The Zhao and Yang families among them are descendants of Prince Nasulading of Yan'an, who was the son of Prince Sai Dianchi Zhansiding of Xianyang.

The Yang family of Hui Muslims are descendants of Boyanchaer, the ninth son of Nasulading. They originally lived in the Yangshi Jiaotou area of the Yuan capital, Dadu, and took the surname Yang. They moved from Dadu to Qingzhou in the first year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming dynasty. In the sixth year of the Zhengde reign of the Ming dynasty, Yang Yingkui passed the imperial examination and later served as the prefect of Lintao Prefecture in Shaanxi and Nanyang Prefecture in Henan.

the ancestors of the Ma family on Dongguan Grain Market Street lived in Shizi Hutong outside the Qianmen Gate in Beijing.

In front of the True Teaching Mosque in Qingzhou stands the Stele Record of the Renovation of Zhaode Street from the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign, which records the renovations of Zhaode Street during the Qianlong and Guangxu periods:

Qingzhou is a bustling area where people and carriages crowd the roads and merchants gather. Besides fish and salt, silk is the primary commodity. The northern end of Zhaode Street is the key location for these gatherings. Zhaode Street sits on the main north-south thoroughfare and is a path that merchants must take. As for the year it was founded, it is too long ago to verify. It was only renovated during the Qianlong period. In recent decades, it has become half-collapsed, making travel difficult. At that time, our local magistrate, Li Gongyichen, had just finished renovating the streets inside the city, so he ordered the gentry and merchants of the East Gate to renovate the street. Gentry and merchants Xu Fang, Hu Xiang, and others met to discuss it. Roads exist to benefit travelers, so they discussed the repairs with their neighbors, and everyone agreed, with donors eagerly stepping forward first. Those in charge worked tirelessly, repairing nearly 1,000 feet of street, spending over 2,000 strings of cash, and finishing the work within a month. Because of this, those carrying loads, those driving carts, and the bustling crowds all cheered in relief. When asked, the residents said: 'Who is responsible for changing the collapsed road of the past into this smooth path?' Everyone said, 'It is us.'

'It is the power of Magistrate Li's initiative to repair it; otherwise, how could we have this scene today?' Therefore, I record these events to commemorate them.

Written by local student Wang Huifang.

Jointly established by twenty-four people including Zhao, Ma, Xu, Ju, Liu, Zheng, Li, Fa, Wang, Ma, Ding, Yang, and Zhang.

An auspicious day in the sixth lunar month of the Dingwei year, the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign of the Great Qing Dynasty.





































City Mosque (Chengli Si).

Qingzhou City Mosque sits south of the East Gate in Qingzhou. It originally stood right next to the Qingzhou Prefecture city wall. Later, the wall was torn down to make way for Yunmenshan South Road, so it is also called Yunmenshan South Road Mosque.

Qingzhou city originally had only one mosque, the True Teaching Mosque (Zhenjiao Si). Because the East Gate closed early and late, it was very inconvenient for the local Hui Muslims. In 1546 (the 25th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty), they raised money to buy a residential plot belonging to the Tao family in Taojia Lane inside the East Gate and officially built the City Mosque. In 1625 (the 5th year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty), Ma Zhiji, a director at the Imperial Academy, renovated it. In 1690 (the 29th year of the Kangxi reign), the imam Zhao Huang led the community to renovate it again.

The City Mosque originally had only a west gate. In 1710 (the 49th year of the Kangxi reign), Tuo Cheng led the construction of the east gate tower, the ceremonial gate, and the screen wall. In 1814 (the 19th year of the Jiaqing reign), the top-ranking military scholar Ding Dianxiang donated money to build the north lecture hall, and later, funds were raised to build the south lecture hall.

The main gate of the City Mosque was rebuilt in 1988. In the center is a stone plaque inscribed in 1710 (the 49th year of the Kangxi reign) by Zhang Liandeng, the prefect of Qingzhou from Guanzhong.



















The main prayer hall of the City Mosque sits on a moon terrace. It consists of a front hall, a middle hall, and a kiln-style rear hall. The second floor of the kiln-style hall is the Moon-Watching Tower (Wangyue Lou) with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The stone plaque embedded at the back of the main hall was reportedly inscribed by Dai Xu, the Prince of Ningyang during the Ming Dynasty.































East Gate Street (Dongmen Dajie).

There is a lot of delicious food on East Gate Street, including all kinds of braised meats, pastries, and snacks. Because it was Ramadan, I could not taste them, so I just bought a bag of sesame flatbread (shaobing). This kind of thin and crispy sesame flatbread from Shandong is like a snack, and my family loves eating it.

















Nanying Street.

Nanying Street is one kilometer long and is the main residential area for the Hui Muslim community of the City Mosque. The main surnames include Zhao, Ding, Liu, Yang, Ma, Zhang, Fa, and Sha.

During the late Qing and early Republic of China periods, there were many fur processing shops on both sides of Nanying Street, such as the Liu family's Changyuan and Changzeng, the Ding family's Zhongli, and the Zhang family's Wanju. During the Republic of China period, there were more than 50 shops producing six-paneled skullcaps (liuban bianmao). Today, after renovations, this area has become a showcase for the traditional style of Hui mosque neighborhoods in Shandong.



















Besides the City Mosque, Nanying Street also has the former sites of the Martial Champion Mansion (Wukui Fu) of the Qing Dynasty military graduate Ma Zhengji and the Top Scholar Mansion (Zhuangyuan Fu) of the military top scholar Ding Dianxiang.

The Ma family in the city are descendants of Yuan Dynasty nobles who inherited the position of Temür by merit. When Emperor Huizong of Yuan retreated north, the ancestors of the Ma family once shielded him with their own bodies to protect him. After the Ming Dynasty was established, the Ma family lived in seclusion in Shandong. Among their descendants, Ma Zhiji passed the imperial examination in the 5th year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty and once led the renovation of the City Mosque.

According to the family genealogy, the ancestors of the Ding family in the city were descendants of Ding Dexing, a founding official of the Ming Dynasty. One branch of the family moved from Jiangning to Zhangqiu in Shandong, then to Jinling Town in Zibo during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty. The sixteenth-generation ancestor, Ding Zan, later moved to the city of Qingzhou. The eighteenth-generation descendant, Ding Dianxiang, became the top martial arts scholar in 1814 (the nineteenth year of the Jiaqing reign). He later served as a military colonel in Guangxi and was granted the title of General of Martial Merit. In 1830 (the tenth year of the Daoguang reign), he donated funds to renovate the north side hall of the city mosque. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This is the second part of a Ramadan visit to Qingzhou, focusing on Zhenjiao Mosque, Chengli Mosque, and Zhaode Ancient Street. It keeps the original mosque and street details, image order, and historical context. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This is the first part of a Ramadan visit to historic mosques in Jinan, including Jinan South Mosque, North Mosque, and other Hui Muslim sites. It preserves the original routes, mosque history, food and community details, and all photographs in clear English.

I went to Jinan, Shandong, on the second Saturday of Ramadan in 2025. I visited the South Great Mosque, North Great Mosque, Nanguan Mosque, and Dikou Mosque. Adding these to the Dangxi Mosque and Dangdong Mosque I visited earlier, I am now sharing information about these six ancient mosques in Jinan.

Jinan South Great Mosque

The earliest mosque in Jinan was in Wumanla Lane, southeast of the government city. In 1295 (the first year of the Yuan-Yuanzhen era), it moved outside the west gate of the city to make room for the Shandong East Road Salt Transport Commission. This is the current site of the South Great Mosque. Later, an imam (mulla) named Aidi led the religious affairs. The Hui Muslims who originally lived in the east of the city moved west, forming a new mosque community near the west gate.

After Chen Li became the leader in 1436 (the first year of the Ming-Zhengtong era), he expanded the South Great Mosque significantly. Further expansions and repairs happened during the Ming dynasties of Hongzhi, Jiajing, and Wanli, and the Qing dynasties of Qianlong, Jiaqing, Daoguang, and Tongzhi, as well as the Republic of China era, creating the scale we see today.

The main prayer hall was rebuilt in 1436 (Zhengtong first year) and expanded in 1492 (Hongzhi seventh year). It stands on a twelve-step platform and looks very tall and grand. The main hall consists of three parts: the front porch, the front hall, and the rear hall. The front porch has a hip roof (wudian ding), the front hall has a gable-and-hip roof (xieshan ding), and the rear hall has a hip roof. There are 50 eaves pillars supporting the surrounding corridor. The main hall uses a beam-lifting wooden frame, and there is an arched door cover between the front and rear halls.



















The circular windows on the north and south gable walls of the main hall feature wooden carvings of scripture.









The twelve wooden windows carved with scripture in the main hall represent a high achievement in traditional Chinese Arabic-style wood carving. Unfortunately, the oil painting used during later repairs was not high quality, making some of the wood carvings blurry.













According to the "Stele Preface of the Hei Family" inside the mosque, the calligraphy on the wall facing the mihrab was written in 1810 (Jiaqing fifteenth year) by Hei Faxiang, who served as the imam of the South Great Mosque. In the 110 years following that until 1920, members of the Hei family, including Hei Yuanji, Hei Yonghua, Hei Qingjie, and Hei Guangzhi, served as imams of the South Great Mosque.

















The gate tower was built in 1914 and the moon-watching tower (wangyue lou) in 1936. Both have features from the Republic of China era. Teacher Liu Zhiping noted that the architectural style has many "new" ideas.

The center of the gate tower has a plaque reading "Mosque," with "Repaired in April of the Jia-Yin year of the Republic of China" written on it, signed by "The Community." Next to the main gate is a stone tablet from the thirteenth year of the Daoguang era titled "Record of the Screen Wall Outside the Mosque Gate."



















The back door of the mosque features beautiful plum blossom patterns carved into the bracket sets (que-ti).







On the north side of the front porch of the South Great Mosque are the two most important steles in the mosque: the "Laifu Ming" and the "Record of the Repair of the Mosque in Licheng County, Jinan Prefecture." They have a protective cover and display boards explaining the content, though the original text is hard to see through the glass.

The "Laifu Ming" was written in 1528 (Ming-Jiajing seventh year) by Chen Si, the leader of the South Great Mosque. His great-grandfather, Chen Ying, was a diplomat in the early Ming Dynasty who traveled to the Western Regions three times and worked in the Court of Imperial Entertainments. His descendants served as leaders of the South Great Mosque for over a hundred years. The "Laifu Ming" is the first Chinese-language stele written by a mosque leader. It is also the first work in China to combine Islamic teachings with Song and Ming Neo-Confucianism, starting the tradition of interpreting scripture through Confucianism in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. It has very high historical and philosophical value.









The "Record of the Repair of the Mosque in Licheng County, Jinan Prefecture" was carved in 1495 (Ming-Hongzhi eighth year) and is the earliest religious stone tablet in Jinan. The inscription records that the South Great Mosque moved from Wumanla Lane at the east gate of Jinan to the west gate in 1295 (Yuan-Yuanzhen first year). It was small at first, then expanded by Chen Li, the son of Chen Ying, in 1436 (Ming-Zhengtong first year), and expanded again by Chen Xi in 1492 (Hongzhi eighth year). The stele records these two expansion processes.











The Preface to the Permanent Prohibition of Hereditary Succession for the Three Religious Leaders was carved in 1715 (the 54th year of the Qianlong reign). The text was copied from a mosque (libaisi) in Jining Prefecture. Since the original Jining stele no longer exists, the Jinan stele has become the most important stone inscription representing the theological views of the Shandong school of scripture hall education (jingtang jiaoyu). The stele was written by Xue Zongjun, an official in the Imperial Board of Astronomy (qintianjian) who served at the Hall of Mental Cultivation (yangxindian). The text opposes the hereditary system for the three religious leaders and advocates for a selection system based on merit and ability. The text mentions that the author consulted with the founders of the Shandong school, teachers Chang Zhimei and Li Yanling, and received their approval for these views.



















The 1810 Record of Rebuilding the Mosque (libaisi). This records how the head of the Black Sect (hei jiaozhang) worked tirelessly to raise funds from all directions. It took ten years to gather materials and start construction, and the project was completed in five months.



The 1845 Stele of Ding Songnian Donating Storefronts. This records how Ding Songnian bought storefronts and donated them to the mosque, with the rent used to cover the needs of the bathhouse.





The 1872 Stele of the Zuo Ma Family Donating Land. This records how the Zuo Ma family donated farmland in Chenjiazhuang to the mosque's school to support grave visits, scripture recitation, and the maintenance of the imam (ahong) and students.





The 1921 Stele Record of Rebuilding the Two Lecture Halls of the Main Hall.



The 1890 Stele of Wang Qingchun's Aunt Donating Land. This records how Wang Qingchun donated land on behalf of his aunt.



The 1914 Stele Record of Rebuilding the Pillars, Wrapped Porch, and Brick Floor Around the Main Hall of the South Mosque.



The 1874 Inscription on Rebuilding the Two Lecture Halls. This records the construction of two lecture halls on the left and right sides of the main hall, where people studied and researched theology together after completion.



Jinan North Mosque (Beidasi).

During the Kangxi reign, Yang Kuiyuan Baba, a student of Chang Zhimei and a leader at the Jinan South Mosque, went out to collect funds and grain. During this time, an imam (ahong) from the Western Regions passed through the South Mosque and taught from the scriptures he carried. Later, Ren Runzhi Baba returned from the Hajj and brought back many scriptures, beginning to preach at the South Mosque and advocating for following the scriptures and reforming customs (zun jing ge su). After Yang Kuiyuan Baba returned to the South Mosque from his fundraising, he insisted on following ancient traditions and opposed the reforms. This led to him setting up a sorghum-stalk screen in the main hall so that each side could perform their namaz separately. History calls this the conflict between the new practice of 'Ikhwan' (houdusi) and the old practice of 'Gedimu' (gedimu). As the conflict between the new and old factions intensified, Imam Yang Kuiyuan led the followers of the old practice to build the North Mosque at the north end of Yongchang Street. It was continuously rebuilt during the Qianlong, Jiaqing, Daoguang, Guangxu, and Republican periods, eventually reaching its current scale.

The main hall of the North Mosque is built on a stone foundation. It features a large timber-framed roof with a triple-connected hip-and-gable design and upturned eaves. A pavilion-style moon-viewing tower is built above the middle hall, which can be accessed via stairs inside the hall.





































The main gate and ceremonial gate of the Jinan North Mosque.







The gutter between the main hall and the porch features dragon-head water spouts, and rainwater flows down the roof tiles of the hanging-flower gate (chuihuamen) between the two halls.



The two plaques from the Republic of China era at the North Mosque (Beidasi) match those inside the Ming-Shan Hall at the Qingjing Mosque in Quanzhou. I wonder if they are replicas.

Recognize the Oneness of Allah.

Respectfully erected in the eighth month of the eleventh year of the Republic of China.

Respectfully written by Tang Kesan, Superintendent of the Xiamen Customs, after ritual washing.



Three Awe-Inspiring Things and Four Admonitions.

An auspicious day in the latter ten days of the sixth month of the thirteenth year of the Republic of China.

Respectfully written by Tang Kesan, holder of the Second Class Order of the Golden Grain, former Superintendent of the Xiamen Customs, and Intendant of the Jinan Circuit in Shandong.

The text on the plaque comes from the Analects of Confucius, Book of Ji Shi: A gentleman has three things to stand in awe of: he stands in awe of the Mandate of Heaven, he stands in awe of great men, and he stands in awe of the words of the sages. And from the Analects of Confucius, Book of Yan Yuan: Do not look at what is contrary to propriety, do not listen to what is contrary to propriety, do not speak what is contrary to propriety, and do not do what is contrary to propriety.

Tang Kesan was a Hui Muslim from Zoucheng, Shandong. He was a famous social activist during the Republic of China era, serving as a negotiator for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Shandong, director of the Shandong Epidemic Prevention Office, Superintendent of the Xiamen Customs, director of the Shandong Road Administration, and Intendant of the Jinan West Circuit. He served as principal of the Chengda Normal School, founded the Yuehua magazine, helped establish the Chinese Islamic Progress Association, and organized and led the Hui Muslim movement to resist Japan and save the nation, making great contributions to the faith.



A glazed incense burner kept in front of the main prayer hall of the North Mosque.







Stone inscriptions at the Jinan North Mosque.

The 1806 Stele Record of the North Mosque. It records that someone donated funds to buy land, with the income used to cover the expenses of the mosque's school.





The 1938 Stele Record of the Extension and Repair of the Jinan North Mosque Main Hall. It records that the wife of Ma Runhan, Madam Hei, donated funds to buy land adjacent to the main hall, and Zhu Shouqing donated funds to extend the two-story main hall into a three-story structure. During this time, Zhu Shouqing passed away, and his brothers Zhu Guanzhou and Zhu Yunshan continued to renovate the beams and colorful paintings.





The 1943 Memorial Stele for the Virtuous Deeds of Mr. Mu Huating. Mu Huating was a Hui Muslim from Jinan and one of the founders of the Chengda Normal School. He joined the army at age 20 and served in the Shandong Army, the Nanjing Garrison, the Jinan Town Office, the Tianjin Customs, and the Second Border Defense Division, protecting merchants and civilians everywhere during the Zhili-Anhui War. After retiring home, he was devoted to the faith, went on the Hajj, participated in the repairs of the Jinan South Mosque and North Mosque, and collected nearly a hundred volumes of scriptures to store at the North Mosque. In 1925, he donated his own Mu Family Mosque (Mujia Chemen Si) to open the Chengda Normal School.





The 1850 Record of the Renovation of the North Mosque. The father of the author Jin Baofu helped rebuild the North Mosque in the 14th year of the Daoguang reign and again in the 30th year, which is why this stone tablet was erected.





The 1918 stone tablet titled 'Notice of Land Purchase by the Charity Hall' (Cishantang Goudi Yuanqi). It records how elders from the Mu, Fa, Ma, and Wang families donated money to buy land and storefronts inside Linxiang Gate in Jinan. The rent from these properties, along with rent from the Yuchang Soy Sauce Shop, paid for water heating fuel and supported the mosque's primary and secondary schools. The tablet is inscribed with the names of Jinan Garrison Commander Ma Zizhen (Ma Liang) and Jinan Circuit Intendant Tang Kesan.





The 1941 stone tablet titled 'Mr. Zhou's Donation of Property and Land' (Zhoujun Juanfang Juandi Bei). It records that the ancestors of the Hui Muslim youth Zhou Xiaopeng lived in Jinan for generations, and his family left official life to live in seclusion at the end of the Qing Dynasty. Zhou Xiaopeng followed his ancestors' wishes by studying books and scriptures and fulfilling the five pillars of Islam. His community had high hopes for him, but he unexpectedly passed away from illness at only twenty years old. On his deathbed, he left a will donating his ancestral home on the east side of Jiuxin Street in the West Gate area of Jinan and his family graveyard at Sili Mountain to the women's mosque, with the income to be used for mosque expenses.



The 1883 stone tablet titled 'Madam You's Land Donation' (Youshi Juandi Bei). It records that before Madam You died, she instructed her son and nephew to donate land to the North and South Mosques of Jinan to pay for the imams to visit the graves and recite prayers every year.



The 1922 stone tablet titled 'Record of the North Mosque' (Qingzhen Beisi Beiji). It records the initial establishment of a Chinese-language school at the North Mosque.



The 1909 stone tablet titled 'Resolving Disputes' (Painan Jiefen Bei). It records that a merchant named Wan Qingyan was doing business in Yuncheng. When his wife, Madam Yang, wanted to visit her parents, Wan Qingyan refused, and she became distraught and committed suicide by taking poison. Wan Qingyan asked his younger brother to send her body to Jinan, but Madam Yang's brothers found the situation suspicious and wanted to report it to the authorities. After mediation prevented a lawsuit, Wan Qingyan donated land and money to the North Mosque in Jinan.



The 1850 stone tablet titled 'Record of the North Mosque Redeeming Farmland' (Qingzhen Beisi Shutian Ji). It records that Huang Tingzhu sold farmland on the west side of Chenjiazhuang to the North Mosque.



The 1933 stone tablet titled 'Defending the Honor of the Faith' (Wei Jiao Zheng Guang). It records the 1932 protests by Hui Muslims against the Beixin Book Company and the Nanhua Literary Society in Shanghai for publishing articles that insulted their faith. The Nanhua Literary Society had described Hui Muslims as descendants of the pig demon Zhu Bajie, which angered the entire Hui Muslim community. The Shandong branch of the North China Hui Muslim Defense Association was formed, and they sent Mu Huating to Beijing to petition for strict punishment. They eventually succeeded in getting the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China to issue an order to punish the book company and the literary society according to the law.



The 1923 stone tablet titled 'Record of Building the Muslim School' (Xiujian Qingzhen Xuexiao Ji). Originally a tablet from the Mujia Chemen Mosque in Jinan, it records how Mu Huating donated the mosque, a kiln factory, city storefronts, and a public cemetery in 1922 to establish a school. This school was likely the predecessor to the Chengda Normal School founded in 1925. The original stone tablet is lost, and the current one is a replica.



The 19XX Republic of China era tablet inscription for the construction of the women's mosque. The women's mosque attached to the North Mosque sat just to its north. A female teacher (shiniang) led the local women in worship, and there was also an Arabic primary school. It was destroyed after 1966.



Jinan Nanguan Mosque.

Jinan Nanguan Mosque was first built during the Ming Dynasty. It moved to its current location in 1603 (the 31st year of the Wanli reign) and was renovated several times during the Xianfeng, Tongzhi, and Guangxu periods. The mosque now faces south, with the main prayer hall in the north building. The mihrab is on the west side, which is very rare for a traditional mosque. There is a screen wall outside the main gate, which features Qing Dynasty-style stone door piers. The side gate has a lintel from a renovation in the eighth year of the Xianfeng reign.

During the late Qing and early Republic period, the mosque's head elder was Ma Yunting, a famous Jinan doctor. He opened the Jinan Fourth Halal Primary School inside the mosque and served as its principal. In 1919, during the May Fourth Movement, Ma Yunting was killed for organizing the Hui Muslims National Salvation Group of Ten.

When I visited, it was time for the afternoon prayer (peshin), and only the imam and I were there to pray.



















The stele corridor on the east side of Jinan Nanguan Mosque. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This is the second part of a Ramadan visit to historic mosques in Jinan, including Nanguan Mosque, Dikou Mosque, Dangxi Mosque, and Dangdong Mosque. The English version keeps the original architectural notes, mosque names, historical details, and photographs in their source order.



A 1614 (42nd year of Wanli, Ming Dynasty) stone tablet records the completion of the Nanguan Mosque and lists the donors. It explains that there was an older mosque south of Jinan city, but it was hard to reach when the nearby canal flooded in summer and autumn. Three elders named Yang, Yu, and Tang led the community to fund and build a new mosque in 1603 (31st year of Wanli). The tablet lists the names of 147 people, including mosque leaders, military commanders, local officials, scholars, and students.





The 1864 (3rd year of Tongzhi) tablet records the renovation of the ancient Nanguan Mosque. It describes how the Nanguan Mosque was renovated in the early Xianfeng years and how a school was established there.



The 1906 (32nd year of Guangxu) tablet records the renovation of the Nanguan Mosque. It notes that the mosque was renovated during the Tongzhi era and again in 1904 (30th year of Guangxu) with funds donated by the military commander Ma Longbiao.





Additionally, a tablet from 1864 (3rd year of Tongzhi) titled 'Zuo Fengsheng Donates Property to Support Education' is embedded in the west lecture hall. It records that Zuo Fengsheng and his family donated two properties near the Nanguan Mosque to help pay for the school's food, oil, and coal.







Jinan Dikou Mosque.

The Cui family of Jinan originally came from Sanlihe in Beijing. They moved to Dikou Village in Jinan during the Zhengde years of the Ming Dynasty and built the Cui family's Dikou Mosque at the end of the Wanli era. In 1708 (47th year of Kangxi), leaders like General Cui Zhiyun and officer Cui Zhenyu arranged to move the main hall of the Yang Bo residence from Shangcai County, Henan, to Dikou Village. They used the military to transport it via the Grand Canal and the Yellow River. The mosque was renovated again in 1865 (4th year of Tongzhi) to reach its current state.

















The mosque originally had a 1708 renovation tablet. Today, only the top stone carving of two dragons playing with a pearl remains, and the body of the tablet is a replica.





A 1789 (54th year of Qianlong) 'Land Donation Tablet' is embedded in the wall. It records that Cui Zhili, a military officer, donated his mother's burial land and his own fields to the Dikou Mosque to fund grave visits.







While visiting the mosque, I was recognized by Imam Wang. We had been WeChat friends for a long time but had never met in person. Imam Wang told me about the Dikou Mosque and took me to the second-floor exhibition hall. It shows the folk culture of Dikou Village and the history of the local Cui family of Hui Muslims.









Dangxi Mosque.

Dangxi Mosque is in Dangjia Village in the southern suburbs. It was first built at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, burned down by the Red Turban Army, and rebuilt in 1397 (30th year of Hongwu). It was renovated many times during the Ming, Qing, and Republican eras and is an important ancient mosque in Jinan.



















On May 3, 1928, the Japanese army intentionally massacred Chinese troops in Jinan, an event known as the May 3rd Incident. On May 6, Chiang Kai-shek and Bai Chongxi led their troops to retreat into the Dangxi Mosque, where they held an emergency meeting to plan military strategy. During this time, the Japanese army shelled Dangxi Village. One shell pierced the main beam of the Dangxi Mosque but did not explode, becoming a historical witness to the Jinan Incident. When the Dangxi Mosque was renovated in 1995, the beam was replaced and has been on display in the main hall ever since to remind future generations not to forget the national humiliation.







The 1891 (17th year of Guangxu) 'Jin Family Repeated Donations and Renovations Tablet'. It records how four generations of the Jin family donated money and goods to renovate the mosque during the Jiaqing, Daoguang, Tongzhi, and Guangxu eras.



The 1941 stele record for the renovation of the mosque walls and bathhouse.



The 1941 stele for the renovation of the Dangjiazhuang Elementary School. Both steles were written and calligraphed by Zhang Fengji, the principal of Dangjiazhuang Elementary School.









Dangdong Mosque.

Dangdong Mosque is located in the East Village of Dangjiazhuang in the southern suburbs. It was first built in 1510 (the fifth year of the Zhengde reign of the Ming Dynasty) and was renovated several times during the Qing Dynasty reigns of Yongzheng and Qianlong, as well as during the Republican period. Records show that Dangdong Village was originally Zhuguanzhuang, a place set up for refugees in the early years of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty. Local Hui Muslims originally went to Dangxi Mosque for namaz. In the early years of the Zhengde reign, Chen Xi, the chief imam (zhangjiao) of Shandong, raised funds. Fa Zongxian, the commander of the Jinan Guard, and local Hui Muslims managed the purchase of land and materials to build Zhuguanzhuang Mosque, which was later renamed Dangdong Mosque.



















The 1844 stele, Official Proclamation of Licheng County. It records how the Licheng County magistrate handled a civil lawsuit in Dangjiazhuang. It mentions that four families of imams (zhangjiao) passed their positions down through generations and controlled mosque affairs, which caused public anger. The court ruled that imams could not pass their positions to their descendants and could not privately sell or handle the mosque's farmland. This stele is an important document for studying the changes in the imam system of mosques in Shandong.



The 1762 stele, Commending Good Deeds (Jingshan Bei). It records that Madam Zhou, the wife of the village elder Jin Ziliang, donated land to the mosque. view all