Situated in Dongguan Street, Xining City, Dongguan Mosque is the biggest mosque in Qinghai Province. It was built in 1380, and now boasts a history of more than 600 years. The Mosque is not only famous for its magnificent architecture but also as a religious education center and as the highest learning institution of Islam.
Covering an area of 11,940 square meters ,the mosque in Dongguan Street of Xining was built during the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty more than 500 years ago.
The front gate of the mosque is imposing and is flanked by two elegant minarets. Behind the gate is a spacious courtyard.
The main structure is built in traditional Chinese palace style with dark gray brick walls and a green roof with upturned eaves. Mosque's style combines both Chinese traditional architectural art and Islamic architectural features. When traveling to the Mosque, the first thing you can see is the elegant arched door on which is written 'Dongguan Mosque'. On either side of the front door stands the Xuanli Lou (Xuanli Pavilion). The Xuanli Lou is special as the place where the Imams invite people to pray. It is 8 meters (some 26 feet) high, and consists of three floors which are hexagonal in shape.
There is a square with an area of some 30,000 square meters (about 7 acres). The prayer hall is the main building in Dongguan Mosque. It covers an area of 1,136 square meters (about 0.3 acres). The whole prayer hall is resplendent and magnificent. It can hold more than 3,000 people at prayer at the same time. Since the Mosque was built, it has become an important place of worship and assembly for Muslims. When Islam's important festivals come round, tens of thousands of the Prophet's followers from every quarter come to participate in ceremonies and religious activities. On such occasions, the Mosque wears a festival mood.
The harmoniously arranged secondary buildings stand symmetrically on the north and south. On each service day or folk festival, tens of thousands of Muslims gathered here to practice their religious service. With magnificent and well lay-out, the mosque is one of the most famous of its kind in Northwest China.
(First Photo) Muslims gather to mark the Eid-al-Fitr Festival in Dongguan Mosque in Xining of Qinghai Province, China. Eid-al-Fitr Festival, known as the Festival of Fast-Breaking, marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. During the festival, Muslims dress in their finest clothes, adorn their homes with lights and other decorations, and enjoy visits with friends and family. Muslims attach great importance to charity and good deeds during this day, sharing their blessings by feeding the poor and making contributions to mosques.
