Shunhe East Grand Mosque

Shunhe East Grand Mosque

Shunhe East Grand Mosque is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural tourism site.

The East Grand Mosque is located in the Hui ethnic neighborhood of Nanguan, central Jining District. It serves as the Islamic activity center for southwestern Shandong and was designated as a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit by the provincial government in 1992. Historical records indicate that the mosque was first built during the Xuande era of the Ming Dynasty (1426–1435). Many ancient architecture experts recognize the mosque’s grand and magnificent architecture as truly unprecedented, ranking it among the finest examples of mosque construction in China. Since the Ming Dynasty, the East Grand Mosque has undergone renovations in successive dynasties, reaching its final form during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty under imperial decree. Since 1980, comprehensive renovations have been carried out with government funding and public donations, giving the ancient mosque a completely renewed appearance.

The entire mosque complex is grand and majestic in scale, with ingenious design that blends Chinese architectural principles—emphasizing symmetry and monumentality—with Arabic styles, harmonizing beautifully with the surrounding environment. The architectural complex faces east and is primarily built with brick and wood structures, along with brick-stone, wood-stone, and brick-wood-stone combinations. The main structures are arranged along an east-west axis and consist of three major parts: the front courtyard, the main prayer hall, and the moon-viewing tower. These include the stone memorial archway, the main gate, the bangke pavilion (minaret), the prayer hall, the moon-viewing tower, and the rear gate memorial archway. On both sides are the north and south lecture halls and ablution rooms for wudu and ghusl. The layout is compact, solemn, and well-organized. With its layered structure, tight arrangement, logical design, and dense composition, it stands as one of the representative works of Islamic architecture in China. The main prayer hall covers a floor area of 1,057 square meters, with a maximum width of 27.5 meters and a depth of 41.5 meters. The base of the hall is 1.3 meters high and is supported by 40 bright red wooden pillars and 12 stone pillars. The hall consists of three sections: the portico, the front prayer hall, and the rear mihrab, all interconnected. The rear mihrab is a three-story pavilion topped with a hexagonal umbrella-shaped roof that rises 30 meters high. The roof is adorned with a bronze-gilded finial. Among the many mosques in Shandong Province, this finial is unique both in design and historical significance. When caught in strong winds, it gleams even more brilliantly. The main gate, bangke pavilion, prayer hall, moon-viewing tower, and rear gate memorial archway are all crowned with yellow and green glazed tiles, while their ridges and gable walls are decorated with dragon and geometric-patterned glazed ornaments. The mosque’s stone memorial archways, carved dragon and phoenix pillars, and decorative drum stones showcase some of the finest stone craftsmanship in the decoration of Islamic architecture in China.

After its restoration, the East Grand Mosque has hosted numerous domestic and international dignitaries, including recitation groups from Iran, international visitors from Lebanon, Iraq, Pakistan, compatriots from Hong Kong and Macau, as well as leaders from the central government and various provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions who came to visit and exchange ideas.

Customer service hotline: 0537-2266315

Address: No. 4, Xiaozhashang West Street, Jining City

Information source: Shandong Provincial Tourism Development Commission