Great Mosque of Xi’an, China
Located near the Drum Tower on Huajue Lane of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, the Great Mosque of Xi’an
is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in
China. It is really well worth a trip to see the Great Mosque, not only
for its centuries-old history but also for its particular design of
mixed architecture combining traditional Muslim and Chinese styles.
The Great Mosque was originally built in 742 during the Tang Dynasty
(618-907) to honor the founders of Islam in China. Islam was introduced
into Northwest China by Arab merchants and travelers from Persia and
Afghanistan during the mid-7th century when some of them settled down in
China and married Han people. Their descendants became Muslim of today.
The Great Mosque is about 250 meters from east to west and 50 meters
from south to north, covering an area of 13,000 square meters. Unlike
most mosques in Middle Eastern or Arab countries, this mosque has
neither domes nor traditional-style minarets; it has the layout of a
Chinese temple, with successive courtyards on a single axis and
pavilions and pagodas adapted to suit Islamic function. Unlike a typical
Buddhist temple, however, the grand axis of the Great Mosque of Xi’an
is aligned from east to west, facing Mecca. The complex consists of four
courtyards, each with a signature pavilion, screen, or freestanding
archway, leading to the prayer hall located at the western end of the
axis. Landscaped with gardens, the further you stroll into its interior,
the more serene you feel.
At the center of the courtyard is an imposing wooden archway, dating
back to the 17th century. This nine-meter high archway is a four
columned roofed structure buttressed on all sides by wooden props,
anchored into stone bases. Multiple tiers of meticulously carved dougong
brackets support its blue glazed tile roof. Three chambers stand either
side of the archway, in which is now displayed some furniture preserved
from the Ming and Qing dynasties.
In the center of the second courtyard there is a stone memorial
archway, behind which stand two steles on both sides. On one stele is
the script of a famous calligrapher named Mi Fu of the Song Dynasty; the
other is from Dong Qichang, a calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty. Their
calligraphy is considered to be a great treasure in the art of
handwriting due to the elegant yet powerful characters.
At the entrance to the third courtyard is a hall that contains many
steles from ancient times. As you enter the courtyard, you will see the
Xingxin Tower (Tower for Introspection). This brick tower is over
ten-meter tall with three stories separated by eaves and wrapped by
wooden balconies. Its eaves are decorated with blue glazed tiles and
dragon heads are carved into the ridges. Inside, a moveable staircase
leads up to the ceiling caissons, which are carved and brightly painted
with lotus flowers.
The prayer hall, preceded by a large platform, is at the western end
of the fourth courtyard. Before the platform stands the Phoenix
Pavilion. Its roofline connects three distinct pavilions, extending from
the central hexagonal structure towards two pyramidal roofed gazebos.
This apparently Chinese roofline conceals the wooden cupola that crowns
the central space, carried on squinches, attesting to the continued use
of imported Islamic elements in interior space.
The Prayer Hall covers an area of 1,300 square meters. Its ceilings
are carved with over 600 classical scriptures. Huge wooden boards
inscribed with the Koran in Arabic and Chinese are placed in the hall.
They are marvelous carvings of art, rarely seen in the other mosques in
the world. This hall can hold more than 1,000 Muslims in service and
prayer services are held five times everyday respectively at dawn, noon,
afternoon, dusk and night according to traditional custom.
The Great Mosque is the largest Islamic service
center in Xi’an, and it is the only mosque in the country that is open
to visitors. Non-Muslims, however, are not admitted to the main prayer
hall or during times of prayer.
Source: http://www.chinatravelpage.com
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