Jianchangying Ancient Mosque

Jianchangying Ancient Mosque

Jianchangying Ancient Mosque is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Jianchangying Mosque is located within the Hui Ethnic Village. It was first built in the sixth year of the Xuande era during the Ming Dynasty (1431 AD) and renovated in the twenty-first year of the Jiajing era (1542 AD), boasting a history of over 570 years. The ancient mosque features an architectural style of royal gardens from the Ming and Qing dynasties, with a unique shape, solemn and classic design, and is hailed as the “Foremost Mosque in Eastern Beijing.”

The mosque complex covers nearly five acres and includes 36 halls, pavilions, and rooms. These consist of a gate tower, front porch, main prayer hall, top floor, lecture halls and classrooms in the north and south, as well as a women’s prayer hall and ablution room. The main prayer hall is formed by three buildings integrated into one. The front porch has three rooms facing east, topped with tube tiles and mudfish ridges, giving it a solemn and classic appearance. The central hall displays a plaque inscribed with “The Beauty of the West,” gifted after its renovation by local gentry Li Mei and his son in the fifty-eighth year of the Kangxi reign. The brick pillars on both sides are finely carved, particularly the “deer foraging” scene on the southern wall, which is especially exquisite. The painted patterns and floral motifs on the pillars and beams shine brilliantly. Beneath the prayer hall’s portico hangs a carved couplet: “Purity lies herein, a piece of ice-like heart seeks the true essence; Truth is found beyond form, where moonlight on midnight waters reveals the root.” The dragon chasing a pearl on the ridge of the rear hall is vividly sculpted, with its head raised and tail curled. The north and south lecture halls stand opposite each other, complementing the main hall in harmonious contrast. Inside the mosque, there is also a bronze incense burner cast under the supervision of Wu Bangzuo, Minister of Works in the sixth year of the Xuande era, with Arabic inscriptions engraved on its exterior.

In 1924, a 17-meter-high hexagonal top floor was added to the prayer hall constructed west of the original structure. The brick wall behind the prayer hall bears four large characters, “Ancient Mosque,” inscribed by Li Muchen. Towering pines and cypresses shade the ground, while the soaring top floor shines brilliantly. During the Cultural Revolution, the mosque suffered damage, and most of the ancient couplets and plaques were lost.

In 1976, after the downfall of the “Gang of Four,” with the care and support of the United Front Work Department of the Qian’an County Committee, the Mosque Management Committee was established. With funding from both county and town governments as well as donations from local Muslims, the three southern lecture rooms, the ablution room, and the main prayer hall were restored in 1980. In 1982, the mosque was designated as a key cultural relic protection unit of Qian’an County. From 1986 to 1993, the water room, gate tower, women’s water room, and women’s prayer hall were successively built.

In 1996, the main prayer hall and the ritual purification room were expanded, and all halls underwent general renovation. The main prayer hall was fully carpeted, and all 18 front doors were replaced. The portico now displays several plaques, including “At the Beginning of All Beginnings” and “Reverence for the Path,” inscribed by calligrapher Jia Zongwu, as well as others written by Muslims, adding a rich cultural depth to the ancient mosque.

Transportation Guide

Address: Shiji Street, Jianchangying Town, Qian’an City, Hebei Province

Getting There: Take a bus from Qian’an Bus Terminal bound for Jianchangying, then take a taxi or walk to the western end of Shiji Street upon arrival in Jianchangying Town.