List of Mosques in China

List Of Mosques In China

This is a list of 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.

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 temple").

During the Qing Dynasty, at the Mosque entrance, 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. Westerners traveling in China noted the presence of these tablets at mosques in Yunnan and Ningbo.

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).