Liao Cheng Dongsi Mosque

Liao Cheng Dongsi Mosque

Liao Cheng Dongsi Mosque is a cultural tourism attraction.

Liao Cheng Dongsi Mosque is located on the north side of Laoye Street (locally referred to as Xiaolaiye Street by the local Hui community), along Loudong Street in Dongchangfu District, Liao Cheng City. It was first built during the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty under the supervision of Bai Lin, the garrison commander of Dongchang Prefecture. Throughout history, the mosque has undergone multiple renovations but has largely retained its original architectural style. The site houses a copper incense burner and incense box made during the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, which are considered the temple’s treasured relics and important physical materials for studying the history of Islam in Liao Cheng. It is now a key cultural relic protection unit of Liao Cheng City.

The mosque faces east and covers an area of 2,400 square meters, with a construction area of 1,260 square meters. Its overall layout employs traditional Chinese design techniques to form several enclosed courtyards, adorned with flowers, plants, and rocks, enhancing the beauty of the temple environment. The architectural composition is well-organized with clear primary and secondary structures, harmonious and symmetrical, strictly following Islamic ritual protocols, and demonstrating ingenious design concepts.

The main gate of Dongsi Mosque faces east and features a large red plaque with golden characters that read “Qing Zhen Si” (Mosque). Upon entering the gate, you will find a courtyard with a ablution room on the south side. The main prayer hall is five bays wide and consists of a front section and a rear section. The front part has a single-eave flush gable roof with a rolled shed porch, while the rear part features a double-eave hip-and-gable roof. The two sections are connected. Inside the prayer hall, above the doorway between the front and rear sections, there is a horizontal plaque inscribed with the Arabic Bismillah. The central back wall is fully adorned with Arabic scripture grilles and a wooden plaque inscribed with the Hundred-Word Eulogy. Outside the southern wall of the hall stands a Moon-Watching Pavilion. In front of the pavilion is a flower bed, and to the south of the courtyard is a Ming Dynasty-era hall supported by seven beams with three bays, constructed from nanmu wood, known as the “Old Hall,” also called the Chengxin Hall. In the courtyard south of the Old Hall, there is an ancient well surrounded by a flower bed.

To the west of the Old Hall is an attached lower room, with round gates on the north and south sides leading to the second courtyard. This second courtyard has long been destroyed. The structure combines traditional Chinese palatial architectural forms with strong Arabic decorative elements, creating a unique style of Chinese Islamic architecture that holds certain value for the study of Islamic architecture and religious history during the Ming and Qing periods. The prayer hall has been renovated and is structurally stable, with a solemn and dignified exterior. The lecture halls to the north and south were added later. On the east side of the prayer hall stands a two-story minaret. To the east of the minaret is a matching hall, which currently houses ancient Arabic porcelain ware, handwritten scriptures, and various printed versions of religious texts.

In addition, the courtyard is shaded by lush ancient cypresses, complemented by the lecture halls and classic traditional gates, exuding a sense of dignity and serenity. Outside the prayer hall, there are several stone steles inscribed with records of the mosque’s historical development, though unfortunately, the inscriptions have become faded and difficult to read.