Hulan Mosque

Hulan Mosque

Hulan Mosque is a cultural tourism attraction.

The mosque is located at No. 212 Xihuan Road. It was originally built in 1877, the third year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty, and relocated and rebuilt in 1956. The main building area is 182 square meters. The primary structures of the mosque include the prayer hall and the dome hall, covering 161 square meters. The prayer hall features architectural elements of Qing-style flush gable roof, exposed columns, rolled shed roof, and finely carved brickwork with mortise-and-tenon joints. It consists of a three-bay structure with a depth of three bays. The dome hall is located 2 meters south of the prayer hall, with a building area of 17 square meters and an overall height of nearly 10 meters, approximately two stories tall. Its architectural style is characterized by a square shape with upturned eaves and a pagoda-like spire. Below the spire are carved four large characters: “Qing Zhen Gu Feng” (Ancient Charm of Islam). On the north side of the mosque courtyard is a row of five imitation Islamic-style buildings. The east side houses a three-room rest area, and the west side has a two-room warm hall. The mosque is enclosed by a square brick wall with the main gate opening to the south. The entire architectural layout is simple, elegant, and unadorned. The original mosque was built near the banks of the Hulan River but collapsed due to river erosion. Most of the components used in the current mosque structure are from the original building. The mosque has become a community center for the Muslim residents of Hulan County over the years.

Address: No. 212 Xihuan Road, Hulan District

Hulan Mosque is situated to the west of the scenic Hulan River. It was first built in the 15th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1810) under the leadership of a local Hui elder named Wang. At that time, it consisted of only three simple grass-roofed rooms serving as a modest prayer space.

The Hui people are one of the ethnic groups who practice Islam. The Hulan Prefecture Chronicles state: “Originally from Shaanxi and Gansu, they gradually migrated eastward, and eventually could be found throughout the entire Hulan Prefecture,” often settling around mosques. As their population grew year by year, the original mosque could no longer meet the needs of religious life. This led to calls for the construction of a larger mosque. According to the recollections of Hulan Muslim Han Zaiyuan: In the early Guangxu period, to expand the mosque, the son of Wang, the elder who had initially led the mosque’s construction, organized local worshippers to raise funds and sought donations from Muslims in Suihua, Harbin, and other areas. The proposal to rebuild the mosque on its original site gained the support of Zhang Xieling, a local Qing official at the time, who also donated land. With preparations in place, reconstruction began. However, just after the foundation was laid, it was obstructed by local troops and the Eight Banners people (Manchu), who claimed that constructing the dome hall would suppress the dragon’s head and disrupt the feng shui of nearby burial grounds. This forced the project to halt. After discussions among the worshippers, it was decided to send Elder Wang to Mukden (now Shenyang) to seek help from General Zuo Baogui (courtesy name Guanyan, of Hui ethnicity), the Commander of Gaozhou Town. Upon arriving in Mukden, through introductions and the help of a secretary, Wang finally met with Zuo Baogui and explained the challenges facing the mosque’s construction. Zuo immediately pledged his support, personally inscribed a plaque, and had it delivered to Hulan via military horse cart. Later, he went to Beijing to report the matter to Empress Dowager Cixi. It is said that Cixi sent a Nine-Dragon Imperial Stele plaque previously stored in the imperial warehouse—one of two such plaques, the other having been bestowed by Emperor Kangxi in his lifetime to the Niujie Mosque in Beijing—to Hulan. As an imperial decree, the obstruction to rebuilding the mosque was resolved. The reconstruction was completed in the third year of the Guangxu reign (1877).

The expanded mosque covered an area of about 5,000 square meters. At the time, it had a blue brick wall, with the prayer hall facing east. The main gate was opened only during Islamic festivals, while the south gate remained the everyday entrance. Two wooden plaques were hung above the gate, inscribed with “Qing Zhen Gu Dao” (The Ancient Path of Islam) and “Ren Zhu Du Yi” (Recognize the One God). The inner courtyard was paved with walkways, and to the west of the prayer hall were exquisitely patterned bricks and carved floral motifs. The prayer hall, consisting of the main prayer space and the dome hall, once displayed the Nine-Dragon Plaque and the plaque bestowed by Zuo Baogui. The main hall was built on a high foundation, requiring worshippers to ascend steps to enter, and could accommodate up to 2,000 people for prayer. The main hall featured a structure of “three visible (bays) and three hidden (bays),” with undulating surfaces, soaring eaves, and gray clay tiles, creating a particularly majestic sight. The dome hall was a three-story square structure topped with a 130-kilogram white tin dome adorned with dragon sculptures at each corner, standing behind the main hall. The wooden carvings on the prayer hall walls mostly depicted floral and religious motifs; the windows and doors featured delicate openwork floral carvings; the brick and stone carvings were all relief floral designs, adding splendor to the architecture. To the southwest of the prayer hall was a small brick-warmed room used for winter prayers. To the east was a brick building that served as the ablution room, equipped with a hanging water kettle—used by Muslims for major ritual washing—suspended from the ceiling with a drainage trough below, along with a kettle for minor ablutions, characterized by its tall body and long spout. There was also a kitchen and an office. To the south of the northern part of the prayer hall was a room serving as the imam’s office, student dormitories, and lecture hall; to the east were thatched rooms functioning as the women’s ablution area, water room, and women’s prayer hall. In front of the main hall were planted roses, peonies, lilacs, three large pine trees, and a grape trellis. Behind the main hall were two storage rooms for funerary purposes and a vegetable garden for the daily use of the mosque staff. The main gate was to the west. The entire complex was symmetrical, harmonious, and tranquil, forming a self-contained, Chinese palace-style ancient mosque with a main structure and complementary elements.