Islam was introduced to China in the early Tang Dynasty(618-907). In ancient times, Islam was called the Hui Religion by the Han-Chinese. According to the historical records, in the year of 651, some traders from Arab and Persia sailed to the southeastern coast of China. In the subsequent years, more Muslim traders traveled to China from the Middle East and settled in cities, like Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Yangzhou, Quanzhou and Xi’an.
In the early Yuan Dynasty(1279-1368), a large number of Muslims were forced to migrate to China from the central and western Asia by the Mongols. Most of them resided in the northwest part of China, such as Xinjiang, Ninxia, Shaanxi and Gansu. They were known as Semu people. Semu means people of mixed race. Those immigrants were the ancestry of some ethnic groups in China, such as the Hui Nationality, the Dongxiang Nationality and the Salur Nationality. They built mosques at their settlements.
In the year of 1953, Chinese Muslims founded the Islam Association of China in Beijing. Nowadays, the total population of Muslims in China is over 20 million. There are 10 Chinese ethnic groups whose religion is Islam, including the Hui Nationality and the Uighur. Over 35,000 mosques have been opened to the public and 57,000 imams are working in the mosques. Most of Chinese Muslims are Sunnis. A small number are Shiites.
The Mawlid al-Nabi Festival and the Lasser Bairam are the most grand celebrations of Muslims. The former is a religious ceremony that Muslims celebrate the birthday of Muhammad(570-632), the founder of Islam. The latter is held on the first day of the 10th month. Muslims fast during Ramadan. The Ramadan refers to the 9th month of the Muslim year. Men older than 12 and women older than 9, both do not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset.
The Famous Mosques in China
The Lighthouse Mosque in Guangzhou
The Lighthouse Mosque is also called Huaisheng Mosque. It is one of the oldest mosques in China. The mosque was originally built in the year of 1343. The present buildings can be dated back to 1695. It covers an area of 1,553 square meters(1,857 sq.yd). The Lighthouse Mosque was designated as a National Key Historical and Cultural Relic Site in 1996. The address of the mosque is No.56, Guangta Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou.
The Phoenix Mosque in Hangzhou
The Phoenix Mosque was added to the list of National Key Historical and Cultural Relic Sites in 2001. It could be traced back to the early Tang Dynasty. The mosque was reconstructed and damaged several times. The present mosque was rebuilt in the year of 1646. It is situated at No.227, the Middle Section of Zhongshan Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou. The Phoenix Mosque is called Fenghuang Mosque in Chinese.
The Crane Mosque in Yangzhou
The Crane Mosque is called Xianhe Mosque in Chinese. It is located at No.111, Nanmen Street, Guangling District, Yangzhou. The mosque was originally built by Puhading during the Xianchun Period of Song(1265-1274). Puhading was a direct descendant of Muhammad. The present compound was reconstructed in the year of 1523. It was listed as a National Key Historical and Cultural Relic Site under Protection in 2019.
The Kylin Mosque in Quanzhou
The Kylin Mosque is also known as the Ancient Qingjing Mosque or Shengyou Mosque. It was originally constructed in the year of 1009 and rebuilt in the year of 1609. The mosque covers an area of 2,184 square meters. It features Arabian architecture. In 1961, the Kylin Mosque was designated as a National Key Historical and Cultural Relic Site under Protection. The address of the mosque is No.108-110, the Middle Section of Tumen Street, Licheng District, Quanzhou.
The above are the top four mosques in Mainland China. There are many famous mosques in the major cities, such as the Huajue Grand Mosque in Xi’an, the Dongsi Mosque and the Niujie Mosque in Beijing, the Héytgah Mosque in Kashgar, the Dongguan Grand Mosque in Xining, the Grand Mosque of Tongxin Town in Ningxia and the Huangcheng Mosque in Chengdu.
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Author: Tina Luo
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