Niu Jie Mosque, Beijing
View of the mosque complex from the minaret. Photo
Michael Cross.
Roofs of the mosque and new apartments. Photo
Michael Cross.
Photo
erwinkarim.
Glimpse inside the prayer hall. Photo
Ilmari Hyvönen.
Arabic inscription on the mosque. Photo
Anne-Laure PY.
One of the two pavilions housing stone steles. Photo
Cindy K. Built in 995, the Niu Jie Mosque is Beijing's largest and oldest mosque and the spiritual center for the city's estimated 200,000 Muslims.
History
The mosque was constructed by two Arabs in 995. Throughout the Yuan, Ming and Qing periods (13th-19th C), it underwent several alterations and since 1949 it has been repeatedly restored.
What to See
Niu Jie (Ox Street) is a cramped road running north-south in the Muslim Quarter, about a mile directly west of the Temple of Heaven. It is lined with offal stalls and vendors selling fried dough rings, rice cakes and shaobang (muffins), and populated by men wearing white hats and beards.
The Niu Jie Mosque occupies a site of over 6000 m² and includes several buildings: the prayer hall, the Bangge Lou (minaret), a six-cornered moon observatory tower, and two pavilions with stone steles.
The exteriors are designed in classic Chinese style, looking very much like Buddhist temples, but the interiors are more traditionally Arab. And of course, there are no idols to be seen. Both Chinese and Arabic inscriptions adorn the buildings.
Non-Muslim visitors cannot enter the prayer hall (which is usually fairly empty except on Fridays), but can admire the architecture of the exteriors and look around the courtyards. A small courtyard on the south side contains the graves of two Persian imams who preached here in the 13th century. Nearby is a copper cauldron, used to prepare food for devotees.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Niu Jie Libai Si; Niu Jie Mosque; Niujie Qingzhen Si Mosque; Ox Street Mosque |
| Type of site: | Mosque |
| Faith: | Islam |
| Status: | Active |
| Dates: | 996 AD |
| Location: | On east side of Niu Jie (Ox Street), Xuanwu Qu |
| Address: | Niu Jie 88, Beijing, China |
| Phone: | 010/6353-2564 |
| Hours: | Daily 8am-7pm |
| Cost: | ¥10 for non-Muslims |
| Bus: | 61 to Libai Si from Changchun Jie metro stop (205, exit D) |
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of Niu Jie Mosque. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Beijing Map or get our free Google Earth download.
Sources
- The Rough Guide to China 4 (October 2005), 111-12.
- Frommer's Beijing, 4th ed. (March 2006).
- Beijing - Niujie Qingzhen Si Mosque - PlanetWare
