Jiucai Ping Gongbei

Jiucai Ping Gongbei

Jiucai Ping Gongbei is a cultural relic protection unit of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Jiucai Ping Gongbei is situated atop Nangeda Mountain in Jiucai Village, Jiucai Ping Township. Established in the second year of the Tongzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1863), it spans an area of 25 mu. This site is the sacred resting place for the remains and spirits of sixteen esteemed figures of the Hui "Gadrienie Menhuan," such as the fifth-generation spiritual leader Feng Laotaiye, the seventh-generation leader Yang Baoyuan, the eighth-generation religious master An Hongxiu Zhen Shi, the ninth-generation leader Yang Zhiyun, among others. It also functions as a cemetery for Hui followers. The annual religious events held here are renowned for their grandeur, enjoying fame both within and beyond the region.

During the 15th year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty (around 1890), to ease tensions, the Qing government dispatched envoys of the second to highest rank to offer consolation at the Gongbei and also presented Yang Baoyuan with a twelve-panel screen inscribed with calligraphy. In the Republican era (around 1935), senior military officials and notable Hui figures such as Bai Chongxi, Ma Hongbin, Ma Bufang, Ma Hongkui, and Ma Yuanting gifted plaques, left inscriptions, erected steles, and composed writings for Jiucai Ping Gongbei. In the early years after liberation, Chairman Mao and Commander Zhu sent a soft plaque inscribed with the words “Long Live All Nationalities,” which was unfortunately lost during the Cultural Revolution.

The current Gongbei was gradually rebuilt between 1985 and 1995 under the leadership of the tenth-generation religious leader Li Degui. It is divided into six sections: the Gongbei area on the mountaintop, the quiet chamber and Taoist hall area of the Seventh Patriarch, the prayer area of the Gongbei at the foot of the mountain, the guesthouse area for female visitors in the fortress section, the greening area in the mountain hollow, and the processing and other functional zones. The architecture is staggered in an orderly fashion across the mountain and valley, shaded by green trees, filled with birdsong and floral scents, and presents a spectacular view from afar. The brick carvings on the Gongbei and mosque structures are exquisitely detailed and widely used, featuring various motifs including calligraphy, floral patterns, geometric designs, and auspicious symbols, making it a great spot for visitors to admire brick carving artistry. The architectural structure of the ancient fortress Taoist hall at the foot of the mountain is particularly unique—its exterior resembles a miniature ancient city, with about ten-meter-high rammed earth walls and watchtowers at each of the four corners. The buildings on the mountain follow a “one-entry, four-courtyard” layout, mainly including an “Eight Trigrams Hall” with a “vaulted awning,” the “Zhonghe Hall,” a water-milled brick-carved “screen wall,” three gates, enclosing walls, and more, all of which hold high ornamental value. From the inscriptions and patterns of the brick carvings, the integration of Hui and Han cultures is very evident. For example, couplets on the gates use Buddhist language to encourage virtue, while decorative patterns feature Han cultural elements such as the yin-yang fish, lotus flowers, and bamboo. This cultural fusion is relatively unique among Islamic architecture in Ningxia. With its elegance, unique terrain, majestic brick carving artistry, and novel, distinctive layout, it showcases a classic ethnic style.