Id Kah MosqueMosques first appeared in China during the Tang Dynasty (618–907) when Islam was introduced to China by Arabic traders. The first mosques were built in Arabic settlements, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Quanzhou.
Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou, Qingjing Mosque in Quanzhou, Zhenjiao Mosque in Hangzhou, and Libai Mosque in Yangzhou werethe oldest four mosques in China.
Mosques were set up before the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) followed Arabic architectural styles. However, during the Ming and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties elements oftraditional Chinese architecturebegan to appear in mosques. Mosques which were built during these periods, such as Niujie Mosque in Beijing, the Great Mosque in Xi'an, and Songjiang Mosque in Shanghai, are a mixture of Chinese garden and Arabic styles.
Islamwas developing fast during the Qing Dynasty and a lot of mosques were set up throughout the country. Nowadays there are about 20,000 mosques in China. Below are four the most architecturally stunning of them..
1. Niujie Mosque
Beijing Niujie Mosque- Location:BeijingChina
Niujie Mosqueis one of the oldest mosques in Beijing. It was first built during the Liao Dynasty (907-1125) and then it was reconstructed and enlarged three times.
Niujie Mosque reflects a mixture ofChinese and Islamic architectural designs: outer architecture shows Chinese influence while inner presents a blend of two cultures. Nowadays many people from Islamic countries visit it for tourism reasons.
2. Kowloon Islamic Center in Hong Kong
- Location:Hong Kong, South China
- Top Things to Do in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Tour Packages
Kowloon Islamic CenterThe Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centreis a beautiful big square building with a pink roof and a dome on the top.
It isthe biggest Islamic mosque building in Hong Kongand it is located in Tsim Sha Tsui where there are a lot of people from Muslim countries. The building was designed by an architect I.M. Kadri. It can accommodate about 3,000 people at one time.
3. Idgar Mosque in Kashgar, Xinjiang Province
- Location:Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Northwest China
- Kashgar Attractions List
The building complex is in agrand Islamic stylewith strong religious features. It consists of a gate tower, a courtyard, a teaching hall and a big Hall of Prayer.
In the local dialect "Idgar" means a shrine during a festival. Over yearsIdgar Mosquehas become a sacred religious place as well as a place for celebrating important festivals.
4. The Great Mosque in Xi'an
- Location:西安城市, Shaanxi Province, Northwest China
- Top Things to Do in Xi'an
- Xi'an Tour Packages
It isthe largest and one of the most important Islamic shrines in China.
The construction started in 742 AD and it represented a combination of traditional Chinese architecture and Islamic art.The Great Mosquewas constructed at that time to honor the Islam founders in China. Since then many other mosques have been erected throughout the country.
5. Dongguan Giant Mosque
- Location:Xining,Qinghai Province, West China
Architecture of the mosque combines traditional Chinese style and some local features withgrand appearance and dazzling inner ornaments.
The mosque has a prayer hall which can seat up to 3,000 people. Now this mosque serves as an educational center and institution of Islamic higher learning and also it is the leading mosque in Qinghai.
Mosques in China
- Beijing Mosques
- Changchun Mosques
- Changsha Mosques
- Chengdu Mosques
- Chongqing Mosques
- Dalian Mosques
- Dunhuang Mosques
- Guangzhou Mosques
- Guilin Mosques
- Guiyang Mosques
- Hangzhou Mosques
- Harbin Mosques
- Hefei Mosques
- Jinan Mosques
- Kunming Mosques
- Lanzhou Mosques
- Lhasa Mosques
- Nanchang Mosques
- Nanjing Mosques
- Ningbo Mosques
- Qingdao Mosques
- Shenyang Mosques
- Shijianzhuang Mosques
- Suzhou Mosques
- Taiyuan Mosques
- Tianjin Mosques
- Turpan Mosques
- Urumqi Mosques
- Wuhan Mosques
- Xiamen Mosques
- Xi'an Mosques
- Zhengzhou Mosqus
Touring China's Mosques with China Highlights
China Highlights are your China travel expert. We can help youcustomize a Muslim China tour.
Back toMuslims in China
