Dongguan Mosque in Suixian County

Dongguan Mosque in Suixian County

Dongguan Mosque in Suixian County is a national AA-level tourist attraction and a cultural relic protection unit of Henan Province.

Dongguan Mosque in Suixian County is located in the eastern part of the county town. Originally built in 1380, it has a history of over 600 years. Currently covering an area of more than 60 acres with over a hundred buildings, it is one of the most historic and well-preserved ethnic cultural ancient structures in eastern Henan. During the Suixian-Zhoukou Campaign in 1947, General Su Yu, commander of the East China Field Army, set up his command post here, adding a revolutionary touch to this precious ancient ethnic mosque. The architecture of the mosque features Ming and Qing styles, including a main prayer hall, covered porch, moon-viewing tower, ablution area, lecture hall, women’s mosque, charity hall, and garden. Most structures are built with blue bricks and green tiles, featuring carved beams, painted walls, and intricate wood carvings. The craftsmanship is exquisite, and the scale is majestic.

Dongguan Mosque in Suixian County is located in the eastern part of the county town and is a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit. Originally built in the mid-Yuan Dynasty, it has a history of over 600 years. It is one of the most historic and well-preserved ethnic cultural ancient structures in eastern Henan. Its architecture is uniquely designed, grand and magnificent. Despite centuries of weathering, it remains a place for Hui people to conduct scripture readings, prayers, fasting, and gatherings. In 1947, during the Suixian-Zhoukou Campaign, General Su Yu of the East China Field Army set up his command post here, further enriching this valuable ancient ethnic mosque with revolutionary significance, making it also a modern revolutionary heritage site.

Dongguan Mosque covers an area of more than 30 acres and includes a main prayer hall, covered porch, moon-viewing tower, southern and northern lecture halls, corridors, martial arts school, stele pavilion, gatehouse, charity hall, garden, and separate bathing facilities for men and women. Most of the existing buildings feature Ming and Qing architectural styles, constructed with three-tiered roof ridges, blue bricks, green tiles, upturned eaves, painted walls, and wood carvings. The overall architecture showcases exquisite craftsmanship and a majestic presence. Unlike traditional Chinese buildings that face south, Dongguan Mosque faces east, with the prayer hall at its center, surrounded by a gatehouse, lecture halls, charity hall, and bathing rooms. The prayer hall features a large roof with intricately carved floral designs on the ridges, upturned eaves, painted walls, and four corner eaves extending outward—serving as a valuable physical example for studying ancient architectural culture. To the north of the main hall stands a sturdy and twisted honey locust tree with lush foliage, a trunk diameter of 2.35 meters, and a height of 30 meters. Experts have determined it to be over 580 years old. In the southeast corner of the mosque is an ancient stone-ringed well with an outer diameter of 55 cm and an inner diameter of 33 cm. Though not deep, the water is sweet and refreshing. Even in drought, the well never dries up. Lamb slaughtered with this water is not only tender and delicious but also stays fresh for a long time, earning the well the title of “Sacred Well.”

In the summer of 1947, after the outbreak of the Suixian-Zhoukou Campaign, General Su Yu, commander of the East China Field Army, established his command post at Dongguan Mosque in Suixian County, directing hundreds of thousands of People's Liberation Army troops in a decisive battle against the reactionary Kuomintang forces—a fight that would determine the fate of the Chinese people. Here, one can easily imagine General Su Yu’s heroic strategic brilliance. Today, two chairs and a canopy bed once used by General Su Yu are still preserved in the mosque as historical relics. In 1986, Fei Xiaotong, then Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and a renowned sociologist, visited Suixian. After hearing a report on the work of Dongguan Mosque, he expressed great interest and immediately instructed: “The Hui people have a long history in the Central Plains, and Dongguan Mosque is a powerful testament to that. You must seriously protect and study it.”

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units