Longgang Mosque
Coordinates: 24°55′47.16″N 121°15′13.55″E / 24.9297667°N 121.2537639°E
Longgang Mosque 龍岡清真寺 Lónggāng Qīngzhēnsì | |
---|---|
Longgang Mosque Entrance Gate | |
Basic information | |
Location | No. 216, Long Dong Road, Zhongli,[1] Taoyuan County, Taiwan 320 Republic of China |
Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
Municipality | Zhongli |
Architectural description | |
Architectural type | Mosque |
Completed | 1967 (original building) 1989 (current building)[2] |
Construction cost | US$712,000[3] |
The Longgang Mosque or Lungkang Mosque (Chinese: 龍岡清真寺; pinyin: Lónggāng Qīngzhēnsì) is a mosque in Zhongli City, Taoyuan County, Taiwan. It is the fifth mosque to be built in Taiwan.
History
In 1953, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution condemning the Taipei government for its actions and guerilla warfare inside Burma.[4] Finally, an agreement was reached between Taipei, Rangoon, and Bangkok for evacuation of all Kuomintang Irregular forces under command of General Li Mi to Taiwan. Civil Air Transport transported 5,583 Kuomintang soldiers and 1,040 dependents to Taiwan.[5] The majority of these guerrilla forces were Muslim and had no place to worship in their new Taiwan home and so they started to raise funds to construct a mosque in 1964.[6]
First building
The original building of Longgang Mosque was completed in 1967.[7] Built over an area of 1,289 square meter,[8] at first the mosque was very small. But after joining the Chinese Muslim Association, they were able to raise money, including funds from Saudi Arabia to build a larger mosque.
Current building
To make a bigger mosque, they purchased a plot of land at Longdong Road (龍東路) in Zhongli. At this US$312,000 initial development stage, only the main prayer hall and basement area of the mosque were built. The mosque building occupies an area of 1,300 square meter and the mosque's main worship area can hold 150 worshipers.
On the US$400,000 second development stage, the mosque's minarets, a kitchen, dormitory and shower room were included to the main building. The current Imam is Abdullah Liu (traditional Chinese: 柳根榮; simplified Chinese: 柳根荣; pinyin: Liǔ Gēnróng).[9][10]
Over the time, due to the poor materials used to construct the building because of lack of funds, the mosque quickly deteriorated. After some discussion, a plan to reconstruct the mosque was finally put in place. With financial assistance from inside and outside Taiwan, the first reconstruction project for the mosque began in March 1988 and was completed in January 1989. And in 1995, the second reconstruction was completed again resulting in the mosque in use today.[11]
Activities
By 2008, the population of faithful Muslim community in Zhongli has reached 2,000, thus the mosque attained the level of traditional community mosque.
On weekends, winter and summer vacations, the mosque holds basic courses on Arabic and the Islamic faith for children to educate them about Islam.[12]
Architecture
The Longgang mosque has one prayer hall that can accommodate more than 150 people simultaneously. The other features of the mosque includes the imam office, staff office, reception room, children chanting room etc.[13]
Transportation
Longgang Mosque is accessible South East from Zhongli Station of the Taiwan Railway Administration. In the future, the mosque will be closer served from Longgang Station of the Taoyuan Metro.
See also
- Islam in Taiwan
- Chinese Muslim Association
- Chinese Muslim Youth League
- List of mosques in Taiwan
- Li Mi (ROC general)
References
- ↑ https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Longdong+Road,+320+Zhongli+City&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=24.930143,121.253631&spn=0.001481,0.002642&sll=24.929865,121.253738&sspn=0.002963,0.005284&hnear=No.+320,+L%C3%B3ngd%C5%8Dng+Rd,+Zhongli+City,+Taoyuan+County,+Taiwan+320&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=24.930177,121.253699&panoid=TekWXhFdk0HG8cKB4h9_iA&cbp=13,160.54,,0,5.3
- ↑ http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=97901&CtNode=124
- ↑ http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=97901&CtNode=124
- ↑ http://www.amcham.com.tw/content/view/3604/
- ↑
- Taylor, Jay. The Generalissimo's Son: Chiang Ching-Kuo and the Revolutions in China and Taiwan. ISBN 0-674-00287-3.
- ↑ Chang, Ya-Shan, (Tourist Attraction) Longgang Mosque — The One and Only Islamic Religious Centre in Taoyuan, TTNews, Taiwan.
- ↑ http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=97901&CtNode=124
- ↑ http://taiwanpedia.culture.tw/en/content?ID=4283&Keyword=mosque
- ↑ Loa Iok-sin, Feature: Muslims learn to deal with hurdles living in Taiwan, Taipei Times, 6 September 2008.
- ↑ http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=97901&CtNode=124
- ↑ http://taiwanpedia.culture.tw/en/content?ID=4283&Keyword=islam
- ↑ http://taiwanpedia.culture.tw/en/content?ID=4283&Keyword=mosque
- ↑ http://www.tranews.com/Show/Style200/Column/c1_Column.asp?SItemId=0131030&ProgramNo=A000203000004&SubjectNo=9451
External links
- 龍崗清真寺 (Longgang Mosque)
- Encyclopedia of Taiwan - Longgang Mosque
- YouTube - Longgang Mosque Documentary Video
- Longgang Mosque Friday Prayer Sermons (Mandarin)
|