Jinxian Mosque

Jinxian Mosque

The Jinxian Mosque is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Jinxian Mosque is located at the Jinnan Neighborhood Committee in Jinxian Town, Linzi District, Zibo City. It is one of the mosques in Shandong Province with a long history and large scale. The entire building is majestic and magnificent. It was built during the Ming Dynasty. In 2013, the Jinxian Mosque was listed as part of the fourth batch of provincial-level cultural heritage protection units by the People's Government of Shandong Province.

The Jinxian Mosque was built during the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty but was destroyed during the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty in a war. It was rebuilt on the original site during the Guangxu period. During the Cultural Revolution, the main gate was demolished and the building was repurposed. Since 1978, the mosque has been restored and underwent three phases of renovation. A moon-viewing tower and a women’s prayer hall were newly built, and the main gate and the second gate tower were reconstructed. The complex covers a total area of 4,250 square meters, with a construction area of 1,521 square meters, and can accommodate nearly 1,500 worshippers at the same time. The main buildings face east and are arranged from west to east, including the main gate, the second gate, the moon-viewing tower, the prayer hall, and the ablution room. The architecture combines traditional Chinese palace-style design with Arabic architectural art. The courtyard is lush with trees, tranquil and solemn.

The three characters “清真寺” (Mosque) on the main gate were inscribed by the modern calligrapher Gao Qiyun. On both sides are traditional fan-shaped eight-character walls, each with a side door at the ends and an ornamental roof canopy above. The gate tower is imposing. The second gate tower has two floors, with a small courtyard in front featuring a stone stele from the 58th year of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign (1793) and a monument commemorating the mosque’s reconstruction. To the east stands the hexagonal, pointed-roofed “moon-viewing tower” made of blue bricks, topped with a silver crescent (the symbol of a mosque), rising gracefully above the clouds. The front courtyard features three-room side halls on the north and south sides, connected by a bluestone-paved pathway. Ahead lies the grand prayer hall, which faces east and is five bays wide and three bays deep. It has a double-beam structure, with three ridges connecting the roof, flying eaves extending on all sides, and a green-glazed tile roof. Forty-eight crimson wooden pillars support the interior. The floor is covered with brown carpets donated by Muslim worshippers. The front mihrab is inscribed with verses from the Holy Quran in Arabic, and there is a traditional pulpit at the front. The rear courtyard houses an ablution room that can accommodate ten people at once, facilitating the religious life of Muslim worshippers. To the left of the south side hall is a lecture hall. South of the moon-viewing tower is the women’s prayer hall, dedicated to female Muslim worship. The entire mosque complex presents a well-arranged ensemble of towers, halls, and pavilions.

Jinnan Community: Jinnan Community…… More details about Jinnan Community++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units