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, built during the Tang Dynasty in the 8th century CE. Today there are over 39,000 mosques in China,[1] 25,000 of these 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.[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.

List of mosques

Name Images City or District Province or Municipality Year Remarks
Niujie Mosque Xicheng Beijing 996 [9]
Qingjing Mosque Quanzhou Fujian
Dunhuang Mosque Dunhuang Gansu
Multicoloured Mosque Linxia Gansu
Huaisheng Mosque Guangzhou Guangdong 627 [10]
Nanning Mosque Nanning Guangxi
Daowai Mosque Harbin
List of mosques in Hong Kong Hong Kong
Macau Mosque Our Lady of Fatima Parish Macau
Tongxin Great Mosque Tongxin Ningxia ca.1400
Dongguan Mosque Xining Qinghai 1380 [11]
Jiezi mosque[12] Xunhua Salar Qinghai
Great Mosque of Xi'an Xi'an Shaanxi 742 [13]
Jinan Great Southern Mosque Jinan Shandong
Fuyou Road Mosque Huangpu Shanghai
Xiaotaoyuan Mosque Huangpu Shanghai
Lhasa Great Mosque Lhasa Tibet
Afaq Khoja Mausoleum Haohan Xinjiang
Khotan Mosque Hotan Xinjiang
Id Kah Mosque Kashgar Xinjiang 1442 [14]
Najiaying Mosque Yuxi Yunnan

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/gmosquesinxian.htm
  12. ↑ http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-04/09/content_11159058.htm
  13. ↑ http://www.islamichina.com/page/gmosquesinxian.htm
  14. ↑ http://www.islamichina.com/page/mosquesinkashgar.htm
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