Dongguan Mosque

Dongguan Mosque is located in Dongguan Street of Xining city. It is the biggest mosque in Qinghai province and one of the four most important mosques in north western China. The mosque has a history more than 600 years. it was originally built in the Ming dynasty of 14th century, but was damaged and repaired for many times in history. The existing building was built in 1913 and rebuilt in 1946 and 1979.SBcSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

The mosque covers an area of 13,602 sq meters and has housing area around 4654 sq meters. The huge construction complex is a mixture of Chinese traditional style and Islamic style. The Dongguan Mosque has the 5th biggest Islamic community in the world and accepted most worshipers in China. It can host 40,000-60,000 worshipers at same time and the record in 2012 was 300,000 people. On the day of the three major Islamic festivals, the street in front of the mosque is closed to traffic. Because the mosque can not hold so many people the worshipers fill up the whole street.SBcSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

When traveling here, 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.SBcSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

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.SBcSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours