Beijing's most historical and majestic mosque, it is situated on the Ox Street (Niujie in Chinese) in the city's Xicheng District. First built back in 996, it has a history that stretches back over a thousand years, in which time it has undergone numerous refits and extensions, and has greeted Muslims from all over the world to worship.
Unlike south-facing Buddhist temples, it points towards Mekka, the holy land of Islam, in the west. The layout is symmetrical and compact. The entrance gate is fronted by a large wall with a white marble pedestal, which stretches for around 40 meters. A series of relief sculptures sit on the wall, depicting images of happiness and fortune. After passing through the entrance gate, visitors are faced by the Watching Moon Tower; a hexagonal, two-storied structure, reaching over 10 meters tall and housed under a golden-glazed roof.
Walking along the path that runs beside the tower, visitors eventually reach the The Prayer Hall-the most important building in it. It is a place only open to Muslims. Covering an area of 600 square meters, the hall has the capacity for a few thousand worshippers. The hall's arched gate is decorated with script from the Koran and poems of worship. Some of the text is written in the ancient Arabic characters of Al-Kufi, which is rarely seen in China. The room is also adorned with various paintings of flowers, strings of glass beads and colored glass, which contribute to the hall's air of great importance and holiness.
It offers visitors not only the chance to admire a truly unique building, but also the opportunity to broaden their knowledge about Islam and its place in Chinese cultural history. It should certainly rank highly on any visitor to Beijing's itinerary.
By Bus: Take bus No. 10, 48, 88, 717 and get off at Niu Jie Li Bai Si Station; Take bus No. 381, 715, 717, 687, 5, 477, 6, 38, 109, 57 and get off at Niujie Lukou Xi Station.
By Subway: Take Subway Line 2 to ChangchunJie Station, get out from Exit C1 and walk about 1.5km south to it; or get out from Exit A and take bus 10 for only 4 stops to it.
Source: travelchinaguide.com
