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Mosque in China Part C |
The Great Mosque of Xi'an
The Great Mosque of Xi'an (Huajue Mosque) is located near the Drum Tower (Gu Lou) on 30 Huajue Lane of Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China.It is a tranquil and historic mosque that has served Xi'an's Muslim community for more than a millennium. The largest and best preserved of the ancient mosques of China, its buildings are a fascinating fusion of Chinese and Arabian styles.
It was first built in the Tang Dynasty (reign of Emperor Xuanzong, 685-762), and renovated in later periods (especially during the reign of Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty). It remains a popular tourist site of Xi'an, and is still used by Chinese Muslims (mainly the Hui people) today as a place of worship. Unlike most mosques in Middle Eastern or Arab countries, the Great Mosque of Xi'an is completely Chinese in its construction and architectural style, except for some Arabic lettering and decorations, for the mosque has neither domes nor traditional-style minarets.
 The Great Mosque of Xi'an
Daxue Xixiang Mosque
Daxue Xixiang Mosque(Daxue Xixiang qingzhensi) also known as Xida Mosque, is located at northern side of Daxuexi Lane, Xian, Shaanxi Province which is near to the main road. It was built during Ming Dynasty and it was one of Hui's people Mosque and also among the earliest mosques. This mosque was in renovation on removing the old roof tiles and also there is some reconstruction the old part of the mosque made of timber to masonry wall. Current Imam of this mosque is Suleiman (Ma Ming Yei) and there is a man, Sei Xi'fu (Figure 4.11) who admitted that he is a voluntary guardian for the mosque. It is been told that the mosque already made 6 renovations since it was built. From overall arrangement of the mosque, it represents the structural style in China during early Islam which combines Chinese and western architecture style.
Daxue Xi Xiang was originally named as a temple and it's been built in 705 AD based on the existing stele in the mosque area. The building was also known as the Western Big Mosque or Xidasi ("Western Great Temple") because of the size and the location of the mosque which at the West of Shanxi Province. The original name of this mosque is a Puritan Temple, then it's been changed into Tangming Temple during emperor Xuanzong era (Tang Dynasty) and later, it changed into mosque during the reign of Minghongwu. Additionally, Emperor Xuanzong is commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang (Tang Minghuang). He was the seventh emperor of the Tang Dynasty (712-756) and he was the longest ruler during that time which had been credited for brought in Tang China to the top of culture and power.
Furthermore, this mosque once listed as Shaanxi Provincial protected cultural relic unit in 1956 because it able to survive from Yuan Dynasty until the end of Ming Dynasty even it has been renovated several times by Sai Dianchi, Tie xuan, Zhenghe and so on. Sai Dianchi is also known as Saiyed Adjall, a Muslim servant who also a governor at Yunnan Province during Yuan Dynasty. Before he contributes in renovated Daxue Xixiang, he had been credited for built the first version of mosque in Kunming during the thirteenth century. As for Tie Xuan, he was a faithful military servant during Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), however, he been killed cruelly after failed during war. Due to his devotion to the emperor, the later generation built a Tie Xuan temple as to memorize the spirit of Tie Xuan. As for Zhenghe, he was a Muslim voyager and also known as Cheng Ho. The similarity among those three is they are a warrior during ancient times which contribute in Islam development.
 Daxue Xixiang Mosque
Niujie Mosque
The Niujie Mosque also known as Cow Street Mosque is the oldest mosque in Beijing, China. It was first built in 996 and was reconstructed as well as enlarged under the Qing Emperor Kangxi (1622-1722).
The Mosque is located in Beijing's Xuanwu District, the spiritual centre for the 10,000 Muslims living in the vicinity and it is the biggest and oldest one in Beijing. Niujie in Xuanwu District, where the mosque is located, is the largest area inhabited by Muslims in Beijing.
The Niujie Mosque covers an area of approximately 6000 square meters. The mosque is a mixture of Islamic and Chinese cultures. From the outside, its architecture shows traditional Chinese influence while the inside has mostly Islamic decorations. The mosque, built out of timber, is home to some important cultural relics and tablets such as the upright tablet of an emperor's decree proclaimed in 1694 during the Qing Dynasty.
 Niujie Mosque
Dongsi Mosque
Beijing Dongsi Mosque is the oldest mosque in Beijing. It is located at No.13, the Dongsi South Street, Dongcheng District. There are different sayings about the construction time of Beijing Dongsi Mosque. Some people say that Beijing Dongsi Mosque was built in 1356 during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), but some other people think it was constructed in the 12th year (1447) during the Zhengtong reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) by a military officer named Chen You.
The entrance of Beijing Dongsi Mosque faces the east. The existing buildings include two gates, a minaret, a prayer hall and so on. The first gate was rebuilt in 1920. Originally, there was a minaret inside the second gate. The prayer hall can accommodate 500 people and Koran is carved on the hall's arches. There are five wing halls and three wing rooms respectively on the southern and northern parts of the courtyard with ambulatories in front of all of them. These buildings feature the Ming Dynasty architectural style. Many precious cultural relics are preserved in Beijing Dongsi Mosque. In the library located at the southern wing hall, you can find various versions of the Koran. The most precious one is a hand-written copy from the Yuan Dynasty. Also there are books presented by the emperor of Egypt.
The main hall is made entirely of wood. The Repository Hall, behind the main hall, is a beamless building whose supporting walls with varicolored motifs is in the style of the Ming Dynasty. On the surface of the dome-shaped roof the words of the Koran are engraved in Kufic script, the form of Arabic calligraphy reserved for religious and official purposes.
In 1486, a minaret was built which fell into ruins only in 1908. Today, only the bronze canopy remains, with the words "Cast in1486" still legible on its surface. Since the nation-wide liberation in 1949 the mosque hasundergone two major renovation efforts. The first took place in 1952 when all the dilapidated buildings were redecorated, and the second was in 1974.
Today, the mosque has three resident Imams who administer the five daily prayers and the Friday Djuma Service. When requested by foreign Muslim residents, they also perform religious ceremonies at births, weddings and funerals.
The mosque is the headquarters of the Islamic Association of Beijing.
 Dongsi Mosque
Tongxin Great Mosque
The Tongxin Great Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in China. It is located in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in Northwest China. Ningxia is the largest residential place of the Hui ethnic minority group in China. There are more that 2,000 mosques with Arabic and traditional Chinese architectural styles. The Tongxin Great Mosque is one of them.
The Tongxin Great Mosque, located in Tongxin County, is the most famous mosque in the southern mountainous area in Ningxia. Many famous Moslem scholars used to study and lecture there. The mosque was established around the 14th century at the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). All the buildings are built on a cyan platform of seven meters high. In front of the gate there is an imitated-timberwork entrance wall decorated with brick carvings. Visitors can climb to the pedestal of several meters high via an arch and a hidden passageway. On the pedestal, the first building you see is a two-storeyed minbar. Passing through the door beside the minaret, visitors can enter the courtyard that is composed of the main worship hall and the southern and northern sermon halls. The main worship hall consists of two connected halls, and can seat more than 1,000 worshipers.
 Tongxin Great Mosque
Nanguan Mosque
There is a number of mosques in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, as most of the Huis are believers of Islam. The Nanguan Mosque is a famous one among thousands of mosques in Ningxia. The original Nanguan Mosque was built at the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). After its expansion in 1953, it became a traditional, large architectural complex with an area of over 3,000 square meters (about 0.7 acre). Unfortunately it was pulled down during the 1960s. The present mosque was rebuilt in the 1980s and occupies an area of 2,074 square meters (about 0.5 acre).
The Nanguan Mosque is endowed with Islamic architectural style that is characterized by grand domes, long tines and arch doors and windows. There are five green domes on the top of this two-storey building. It is said that the biggest one in the center symbolizes the Mohammed, the prophet of Islamism, and that the other four symbolize four famous imams. On the first floor is a chapel, residences for the imams and bathing houses which are connected by the cloisters. Visitors can get to the upper floor by the spiral stairs outside.The spacious prayer hall on the second floor can accommodate about 1,000 worshipers at a time. The tabernacle in the hall is enchased with white marble and is engraved with the lection of Alcoran.
In front of the hall you will find a fountain featuring a leaping display of water. In the 1990s, two square 'Bangke' towers and winding corridors were set up in the forecourt. The high 'Bangke' tower is believed to help summon Muslims to attend church. The buildings are a mixture of elegance, gaudiness and sobriety, presenting a scene of Islamic characteristics.
 Nanguan Mosque
Najiahu Mosque
Located at the Najiahu Village, the Najiahu Mosque was first built in the third year of the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty (1524), one of the oldest mosques in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, covering 8000 square meters. During the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), this village was very famous among local people. After receiving repeated facelifts, the mosque is now opened for cultural and religious exchanges with foreign countries.
According to the Chronicle of Shaanxi Province, during the early Yuan Dynasty, a noble family named Zhan Siding who had a son called Nasulading. Nasulading had many children who were named Na, Su, La and Ding respectively and settled in various provinces where they grew up. So there is the Na family in Ningxi and the La family village at Chang'an. But much well developed family is the Na family village in Ningxia. Today, it has a population more than 4000, of which the Hui minority ethnic group makes up 97 percent. During the Ming and Qing dynasties the neighborhood of the Na family was an economic and cultural center for local Muslims.
The Najiahu Mosque, oriented to the east, turns out to be a courtyard built in traditional Chinese architecture, comprising a front gate-tower, a pair of aisle suites, a main hall and a bathroom which are spread out on a rectangular area of 2 hectares. There are two pagoda trees in front of the mail worship hall. The imam calls prayers to attend religious services by knocking a wooden block on the minaret when it is the worship time.
 Najiahu Mosque |
| Author/Editor By : Athena |
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