Urumqi Tatar Mosque

Urumqi Tatar Mosque

The Urumqi Tatar Mosque is a cultural tourism attraction.

Urumqi Tatar Mosque

The Tatar Mosque is located at the southern end of Jiefang Road. It was funded and built by members of the Tatar ethnic group in 1897. In 1919, a local company called Dehe Foreign Firm provided additional funding for its reconstruction, hence it is also known as the Foreign Firm Grand Mosque. The Tatar Mosque is a main site for religious activities of the Uyghur, Tatar, Uzbek, and other ethnic groups in the city, and it is also an open mosque for visitors.

Domestic and international tourists can enter the mosque for a visit upon prior arrangement, and may also observe Muslim prayers from the back of the prayer hall. According to Islamic regulations, women are not allowed to enter mosques. However, at the Tatar Mosque, female visitors may be permitted inside upon prior consent. The mosque covers an area of over 3,000 square meters, with the prayer hall occupying about 800 square meters. Its front porch features elaborately carved and painted columns, giving it a richly decorated appearance. The prayer hall consists of four sections, all carpeted, and can accommodate up to a thousand worshippers. The roof reflects Tatar architectural style.

The mosque is built along the terrain with a staggered layout. Among its most famous structures are the Eight Pagodas, the Grand Golden Tile Hall, the Small Golden Tile Temple, the Flower Temple, the Great Scripture Hall, and the Nine-Bay Hall. The Eight Auspicious Pagodas are located in the square in front of the temple. It is said that these eight pagodas were built in 1776 to commemorate the eight great deeds of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. They share similar designs but vary slightly in detail—their height reaches 6.4 meters, the base circumference is 9.4 meters, and the base area is 5.7 square meters. The pagodas are coated with white lime, have blue-brick bases, and are adorned with decorative waistbands. Each pagoda features a niche on its southern face, containing Sanskrit inscriptions. The various Buddha halls of Ta’er Monastery are celebrated for their artistry, particularly the “Three Excellences” of embossed embroidery, murals, and butter sculptures, among which the butter sculptures are especially renowned. These sculptures are made from butter, which is pure white, soft, and delicate, making it easy to mix with pigments to create exquisite artistic floral forms. The butter sculptures of Ta’er Monastery represent the pinnacle of sculptural artistry—not only possessing high artistic value and a unique style, but also created on a grand scale with rich and diverse subject matter. There are depictions of vibrant flowers and leaves, whimsical birds and beasts, majestic landscapes, quaint pavilions, lifelike portraits, and many stories drawn from history and mythology. On the 15th day of the first lunar month each year, Ta’er Monastery holds its annual Butter Sculpture Lantern Festival. During this event, monks display exquisitely crafted butter sculptures in the square outside the monastery for thousands to admire. Many people travel great distances specifically to witness the splendor of these sculptures.

Murals adorn the walls of the various halls, mostly painted on cloth hangings but also directly on the walls and beams. The dyes used in the murals are derived from natural mineral pigments, resulting in bright colors that endure over time. The murals of Ta’er Monastery belong to the Tibetan Buddhist painting tradition, thus reflecting a strong Indian and Tibetan aesthetic. The content of the murals primarily illustrates tantric Buddhist doctrines, with skillfully conceived compositions, harmonious color schemes, exquisite craftsmanship, and fine detailing.

The temple features Central Asian architectural styles. The main prayer hall has spacious corridors on its front and sides, and a distinctive moon-viewing tower is built at the center of the hall’s rooftop. The monastery also includes scripture lecture rooms, living quarters for imams, and reception areas. It serves as a key venue for religious activities among local Uyghur, Kazakh, Tatar, Uzbek, and other ethnic communities. The temple also frequently hosts visits from international Muslim guests.

Ta’er Monastery, also known as Kumbum Monastery, gets its name from the large silver stupa built within the Grand Golden Tile Hall in honor of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism. In Tibetan, it is called “Gonben Xianba Lin,” meaning “Maitreya Temple of the Hundred Thousand Lion’s Roar Buddha Images.” Located in the Lotus Mountain Valley, southwest of Lushar Town, Huangzhong County, it is one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism in China. It is also a leading historical site in Qinghai Province and a nationally protected cultural heritage site.