Tianzhuangtai Mosque

Tianzhuangtai Mosque

Tianzhuangtai Mosque is a cultural tourism attraction.

During the Qing Kangxi and Qianlong eras, Muslim residents first began settling in Tianzhuangtai. The Muslim community built a three-room earthen flat-roofed main hall at Ximalianpo West Vegetable Garden in western Tianzhuangtai, flanked by rooms for the imam and a ablution area. This was the town’s earliest mosque.

In the 18th year of the Daoguang reign (1838), it was moved to its present location (west of Nanda Community, Tianzhuangtai Town). A three-room brick-and-wood flat-roofed main hall was erected, complete with rooms for the imam and an ablution area, where local Muslims conducted religious activities.

In the 19th year of the Guangxu reign (1893), Zuo Baogui (a Hui Muslim), who was then stationed in Fengtian as commander of the Fengtian Army and held the titles of Governor of Gaozhou Prefecture in Guangdong, awarded the First-Class Peerage with Double Peacock Feathers and the military title of General Jianwu, collaborated with Tianzhuangtai Muslim elders such as Liu Guoen, Yang Shi, Yang Litang, Liu Chongfeng, and Zhang Shengyi during his posting in Yingkou to renovate the prayer hall of Tianzhuangtai Mosque. The rebuilt prayer hall covered a construction area of 325 square meters, featuring a three-room wooden main hall facing east, which could accommodate over 300 worshippers. A pavilion-style moon-viewing tower was erected atop the hall. The site also included separate male and female ablution areas, rooms for the imam, and a women’s prayer hall. The entire compound was enclosed by walls, had a main gate, and was flanked by side gates. The whole complex spanned 3,483 square meters and was entirely constructed in the classical Qing architectural style.

The mosque features a horizontal plaque inscribed with “Qingzhen Yixue” (Islamic School of Righteousness) by Li Panlin, a Qing-era selected scholar from Gaotun Village, and another horizontal plaque in the prayer hall inscribed with “Qingzhen Gujiao” (Ancient Islamic Faith) personally written by Prince Li of the Guangxu reign in the 31st year of his reign (1905) in the winter.

During [a period not specified], Muslim religious activities were halted, and the mosque fell into disrepair. In March 1975, a sentry’s gunshot hit the roof ornament of the moon-viewing tower, causing a fire that destroyed it, and the main prayer hall of the mosque was also demolished.

In 1976, after the Cultural Revolution, the government reinstated national and religious policies. In response to the wishes of the Muslim community, the municipal and county governments allocated 19,000 yuan in 1981, supplemented by public fundraising, to construct a 72-square-meter brick, stone, and cement prayer hall, renovate a 120-square-meter ablution area, and build offices, allowing Muslims to resume normal religious activities. In 2003, the municipal and county governments allocated funds twice totaling 150,000 yuan to rebuild the east-facing prayer hall, expanding its area to 210 square meters to accommodate over 200 worshippers. A pavilion-style moon-viewing tower was erected atop the hall, matching its design, and a traditional-style main gate along with north and south side gates were reconstructed, along with walls made of finely joined blue bricks and topped with green tiles. In May 2004, Muslim devotees from Panshan, Dawei, and Tianzhuangtai donated 130,000 yuan to add nine rooms north of the prayer hall, including rooms for the imam, offices, meeting rooms, a women’s area, and a ritual washing room, covering a construction area of 218.28 square meters. South of the prayer hall, 12 single-story rooms were built, including male and female ablution areas, a boiler room, dining hall, and storage, covering 305.9 square meters. The total area of the mosque complex is 1,729.66 square meters, with a construction area of 737.09 square meters. The horizontal plaque on the prayer hall, inscribed with “Qingzhen Gujiao,” was written by Chen Guangyuan, President of the China Islamic Association; the main gate features a plaque inscribed with “Qingzhen Si” (Mosque) by Yang Dianshou, Vice Chairman of the Panjin Municipal CPPCC; and inside the gate hangs a plaque inscribed with “Renzhu Duyi” (Monotheism) donated by local elders. The mosque also has an ancient Chinese honey locust tree (planted around 1892) as well as lilacs and wild roses. The courtyard is neat and clean, the architecture simple and elegant, rich in ethnic character.

The mosque houses a monument commemorating its renovation and another commemorating the preparatory committee for the renovation.

The mosque is currently managed by the 7th Management Committee (since May 2006), with Bai Zongjiu serving as the head of the committee and Ma Mingyuan as the 22nd imam.

Religious activities mainly include recitation, prayer, and fasting.

Major religious festivals include Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and the Prophet’s Birthday.

Tianzhuangtai Town: Located in the southeastern part of Dawei County, Panjin City, Tianzhuangtai Town borders the Da Liao River to the east and the Bohai Bay to the west, adjacent to the Liaobin Coastal Economic Zone. Historical records indicate that the area was initially inhabited by families surnamed Tian and Zhuang, and a Ming Dynasty beacon tower remains to the west of the town, hence the name “Tianzhuangtai,” which has a history of over 600 years. The original town covered an area of 1.24 square kilometers. After merging with the former Gaojia Township in 2002, the area expanded to 39 square kilometers, with a population of 35,000, encompassing 1… More details about Tianzhuangtai Town++