The Niujie Mosque ( "Oxen Street House of Worship" or "Oxen Street Mosque") is the oldest

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...

, China. It was first built in 996 during the

Liao dynasty The Liao dynasty (; Khitan: ''Mos Jælud''; ), also known as the Khitan Empire (Khitan: ''Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur''), officially the Great Liao (), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed between 916 and 1125, ruled by the Yelü ...

and was reconstructed as well as enlarged under the

Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to ...

(r. 1661–1722) of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

. The mosque is located in the Niujie area of Beijing's

Xicheng District Xicheng District () is a district of Beijing. Xicheng District spans , covering the western half of the old city (largely inside the 2nd Ring Road - the eastern half is Dongcheng District), and has 706,691 inhabitants (2000 Census). Its postal ...

, the spiritual centre for the 10,000 Muslims living in the vicinity and it is the biggest and oldest one in Beijing. It was within the Xuanwu District before it merged into Xicheng in 2010. Niujie in Xicheng District, where the mosque is located, is the largest area inhabited by Muslims in Beijing. The Niujie Mosque covers an area of approximately 10,000 square meters. The mosque reflects a mixture of Islamic and Han Chinese cultural and architectural influences. From the outside, its architecture shows traditional Chinese influence and the inside has blend of Islamic calligraphy and Chinese design. The main prayer hall is 600 square meters in area, and can hold more than 1,000 worshipers. The mosque, built out of timber, is home to some important cultural relics and tablets such as the upright tablet of an emperor's decree proclaimed in 1694 during the Qing dynasty.

History

The Niujie Mosque, the largest of all the mosques in

, was first built in 996 during the

(916–1125). The local Muslim community constructed the mosque using traditional Chinese architecture, with the exception that it displays Arabic calligraphy in the interior. It was originally designed by Nazaruddin, the son of an imam. After it was destroyed by armies of Genghis Khan in 1215, the mosque was rebuilt in 1443 in the Ming dynasty. Muslim eunuchs contributed money in 1496 to repairing Niujie Mosque. It was significantly expanded in 1696 under the

. During the Qing dynasty, the neighbouring markets were known for

Halal ''Halal'' (; ar, حلال, ) is an Arabic word that translates to "permissible" in English. In the Quran, the word ''halal'' is contrasted with '' haram'' (forbidden). This binary opposition was elaborated into a more complex classification k ...

beef and mutton, even until today, the presence is still quite strong with Muslim grocery stores with Arabic sign along the road. The actual name of the Mosque is Lǐbàisì, which is given by the

Chenghua Emperor The Chenghua Emperor (; 9 December 1447 – 9 September 1487), personal name Zhu Jianshen, was the ninth Emperor of the Ming dynasty, who reigned from 1464 to 1487. His era name " Chenghua" means "accomplished change". Childhood Zhu Jianshen wa ...

in 1474, since it is located in Oxen Street (Niú means Oxen and jiē means street) this Mosque is simply called Niujie. It is now one of the major mosques in north China. The mosque has undergone three renovations since the founding of the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

in 1949, respectively in 1955, 1979 and 1996. As of 2002 the master plan of the renovation of Niujie stated that the mosque will remain at its current location and that a grassy area and large square would be developed around the mosque.Wang, Wenfei, Shangyi Zhou, and C. Cindy Fan.
Growth and Decline of Muslim Hui Enclaves in Beijing

Archive
. '' Eurasian Geography and Economics'', 2002, 43, No. 2, pp. 104-122. Cited page: p. 117.

Architecture

The mosque consists of group of buildings which follow the norms of traditional Chinese architecture. It has two courtyard according to the Siheyuan layout. Facilities include a worship hall, the Wangyue Building, Building for Publicising Etiquette, a lecture hall, the Tablet Pavilion, the Twin Pavilions, and bathrooms. The mosque is home to an ancient Quran over 300 years old, tombs of Arabian sages, and an incense burner dating from the Ming dynasty. The mosque also houses a library with ancient manuscripts.

Tourism and official visits

The

Government of the People's Republic of China The Government of the People's Republic of China () is an authoritarian political system in the People's Republic of China under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It consists of legislative, executive, mili ...

often uses the Niujie Mosque as a visiting site for delegations coming from Islamic countries. Han Chinese and Hui tourists and Muslims from outside of China visit the Niujie Mosque for tourism reasons.Wang, Wenfei, Shangyi Zhou, and C. Cindy Fan.
Growth and Decline of Muslim Hui Enclaves in Beijing

Archive
. '' Eurasian Geography and Economics'', 2002, 43, No. 2, pp. 104-122. Cited page: p. 118. While non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the prayer hall, people working at the mosque are quite friendly to all visitors and happy to talk about their beliefs with those who can speak Chinese. Visitors to the mosque may also be interested in the China Islamic Institute, which is just southeast, at the corner of Nanheng W. Road and Jiaozi Hutong.

Transportation

The mosque is accessible within walking distance south west of Caishikou Station of

Beijing Subway The Beijing Subway is the rapid transit system of Beijing Municipality that consists of 25 lines including 20 rapid transit lines, two airport rail links, one maglev line and 2 light rail lines, and 463 stations. The rail network extends ...

Gallery

File:Niujie Mosque01.jpg, Main hall File:Niujie mosque main prayer hall.jpg, Main prayer hall File:Niujie Mosque - CIMG3696.JPG, The Minaret File:Niujie Mosque - CIMG3698.JPG, The Courtyard File:Niujie Mosque - CIMG3716.JPG, The Moon Tower File:Niujie Mosque - CIMG3714.JPG, Main entrance

References

{{Authority control Mosques in Beijing Xicheng District Liao dynasty architecture Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Beijing 996 establishments 10th-century establishments in China Religious organizations established in the 10th century 10th-century mosques