List of mosques in China

This is a list of notable mosques in China. A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the religion of Islam. The first mosque in China was the Great Mosque of Xi'an, or the Xi'an Mosque, which was built during the Tang Dynasty in the 8th century C.E. Nowadays there are over 39,000 mosques in China,[1] 25,000 amongst those are in Xinjiang, a north-west autonomous region.[2]

In China, mosques are called qīngzhēnsì (清真寺, "Pure truth temple"), a name which was also used by Chinese Jews for synagogues. Other names include huíhui táng (回回堂, "Hui people's hall"), huíhui sì (回回寺, "Hui people's temple"), lǐbàisì (礼拜寺, "Temple of worship"), zhēnjiào sì (真教寺, "True teaching temple"), or qīngjìng sì (清净寺, "Pure and clean temple").[3][4]

During the Qing Dynasty, at the Mosque entrance of Hui Mosques, a tablet was placed upon which "Huángdì wànsuì, wànsuì, wànwànsuì" (皇帝萬歲，萬歲，萬萬歲) was enscribed, which means, "The Emperor, may he live forever". Wansui means Ten thousand years, which means forever in Chinese.[5] Westerners traveling in China noted the presence of these tablets at mosques in Yunnan and Ningbo.[6][7]

Most mosques have certain aspects in common with each other however as with other regions Chinese Islamic architecture reflects the local architecture in its style. China is renowned for its beautiful mosques, which resemble temples. However, in western China the mosques resemble those of Iran and Central Asia, with tall, slender minarets, curvy arches and dome shaped roofs, as well as the unique multi-layered portals. In northwest China where the Chinese Hui have built their mosques, there is a combination of eastern and western styles. The mosques have flared Buddhist style roofs set in walled courtyards entered through archways with miniature domes and minarets (see Beytullah Mosque).[8]

The style of architecture of Hui Mosques varies according to their sect. The traditionalist Gedimu Hanafi Sunnis, influenced by Chinese culture, build Mosques which look like Chinese temples. The reformist modernist (but originally Wahhabi inspired) Yihewani build their Mosques to look like Middle Eastern Arab style Mosques.

Famous mosques in China

Name Images City Year Remark
Niujie Mosque
Beijing 996 [9]
Huaisheng Mosque
Guangzhou, Guangdong 627 [10]
Id Kah Mosque
Kashgar, Xinjiang 1442 [11]
Kowloon Mosque
Kowloon, Hong Kong 1896
Tongxin Great Mosque
Tongxin County, Ningxia ca.1400
Great Mosque of Xi'an
Xi'an, Shaanxi 742 [12]
Dongguan Mosque
Xining, Qinghai 1380 [13]

There are around 20,000 - 45,000 mosques in China today.[14][15][16] Gallery of Chinese mosques on Flickr:[17]

List of famous mosques

Name City or District Region or Province Remark
Ammar Mosque Wan Chai Hong Kong
Chai Wan Mosque Chai Wan Hong Kong
Dongguan Mosque Xining Qinghai
Fuyou Road Mosque Huangpu Shanghai
Great Mosque of Xi'an Xi'an Shaanxi
Huaisheng Mosque Guangzhou Guangdong
Id Kah Mosque Kashgar Xinjiang
Jamia Mosque Mid-levels Hong Kong
Jiezi mosque[18] Xunhua Salar Autonomous County Qinghai
Jinan Great Southern Mosque Jinan Shandong
Khotan Mosque Hotan Xinjiang
Kowloon Mosque Tsim Sha Tsui Hong Kong
Macau Mosque Our Lady of Fatima Parish Macau
Multicoloured Mosque Linxia Gansu
Niujie Mosque Xicheng Beijing [19]
Qingjing Mosque Quanzhou Fujian
Stanley Mosque Stanley Hong Kong
Xiaotaoyuan Mosque Huangpu Shanghai

Galleries

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Strengthen and promote the standardization of mosque management" (in Chinese). CPPCC News. 2014-12-18. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
  2. ↑ "The amount of mosques in Xinjiang is increasing to near 25,000" (in Chinese). Chinese Youth Daily. 2009-07-17. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
  3. ↑ Shoujiang Mi, Jia You (2004). Islam in China. 五洲传播出版社. p. 29. ISBN 7-5085-0533-6. Retrieved 2011-05-16.
  4. ↑ The Chinese repository, Volume 13. Printed for the proprietors. 1844. p. 31. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
  5. ↑ Broomhall 1910, p. 290.
  6. ↑ The Chinese repository, Volumes 11-15. Printed for the proprietors. 1842. p. 33. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  7. ↑ Michael Dillon (1999). China's Muslim Hui community: migration, settlement and sects. Richmond: Curzon Press. p. 77. ISBN 0-7007-1026-4. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  8. ↑ Saudi Aramco World, July/August 1985 , page 3035
  9. ↑ http://www.islamichina.com/page/niujiemosquesinbeijing.htm
  10. ↑ http://www.islamichina.com/page/hshmosquesinguangzhou.htm
  11. ↑ http://www.islamichina.com/page/mosquesinkashgar.htm
  12. ↑ http://www.islamichina.com/page/gmosquesinxian.htm
  13. ↑ http://www.islamichina.com/page/gmosquesinxian.htm
  14. ↑ Muslims 2014
  15. ↑ Madrasahs
  16. ↑ MEMRI: Special Dispatch Series - No. 729
  17. ↑ Chinese Mosques - a set on Flickr at www.flickr.com
  18. ↑ http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-04/09/content_11159058.htm
  19. ↑ http://www.islamichina.com/page/niujiemosquesinbeijing.htm

External links

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