Taierzhuang Mosque

　　After the Taierzhuang Canal was completed during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, Taierzhuang became a vital hub for north-south water transport, attracting a bustling crowd of merchants, many of whom were Muslim immigrants. To have a place for worship, they built a small mosque inside the east gate of Taierzhuang City. In the early Qing Dynasty, the prosperity of water transport brought flourishing times to Taierzhuang—"merchants and travelers gathered here, residents were well-off, and the town was the largest in the region, known as the 'Number One Village under Heaven.'" More and more Hui Muslim merchants settled in Taierzhuang, and the original mosque could no longer accommodate their needs for worship. By the time of the Qianlong Emperor in the Qing Dynasty, Imam Li Zhonghe initiated the reconstruction of the mosque to promote and uphold Islam. According to an inscription on a stone tablet in front of the mosque: "Li Zhonghe cast aside vanity, devoted himself purely to religious teachings. He traveled south to Sichuan and Fujian, north to Henan and Yan, saving funds for years before achieving his goal in a single effort." The rebuilt Taierzhuang Mosque was located on the former site of the Yuji Garden inside the north gate of the old city, covering an area of 38 mu. The main entrance of the mosque faced east, with a five-bay hallway, five-bay lecture halls to the north and south, three-bay smaller lecture halls to the east and west, a three-bay washroom to the west, and a prayer hall consisting of 25 bays. The rear entrance faced west, flanked by a pair of magnificent marble amethyst stone drums. The courtyard was lush with pine and cypress trees, blooming flowers, serene and elegant. In the late Qing Dynasty, the southern lecture hall was converted into the main gate, which then faced south, and the plaque above the gate was changed from “Ancient Mosque of Islam” to “Muslim Mosque.” It is noted that most mosques have gates facing east, toward Jerusalem—the holy city of Islam—yet Taierzhuang Mosque uniquely faces south. In the early years of the Republic of China, Imams Chen Xingzhen and village elder Ma Zhentang led two fundraising efforts to renovate the mosque. The ancient structure, with its exquisite halls and pavilions, became quite majestic and gained fame across southern Shandong and northern Jiangsu. Worshippers flocked here, making the place bustling with activity.

　　However, the ravages of war reduced it to ruins. In the spring of 1938, the Battle of Taierzhuang broke out between Chinese and Japanese forces. The Taierzhuang Mosque, with its tall and sturdy architecture and location near the northern part of the city closest to the frontline, was chosen as the command post by the defending 186th Regiment of the Chinese army, making it a focal point contested by both sides. After seven days and nights of fierce back-and-forth fighting, the mosque was burned to the ground. The corpses and bloodshed atop its broken walls formed an extremely tragic and solemn scene. Of the four ancient cypress trees, two were reduced to ashes. The surviving two were more than half-burned; the western one had its main branch damaged, becoming dry and cracked. It endured over 60 years before dying, leaving only a withered trunk that still stands proudly in front of the prayer hall. The other, though riddled with bullet holes, survived and continues to thrive, lush and green. The western small lecture hall was also heavily damaged, and an 80-square-centimeter section of its bullet-riddled brick wall was removed in October 1988 by the Museum of the Chinese Revolution for exhibition.

　　After the Battle of Taierzhuang, village elder Ma Zhentang raised funds from over ten grain businesses in Taierzhuang and oversaw the mosque’s reconstruction in 1942. In addition to restoring the original buildings, a new 28-meter-high Moon-Viewing Tower was added. With green tiles, upturned eaves, corridors extending on all sides, carved beams, and painted rafters, the tower was an impressive sight and the tallest building in Taierzhuang at the time. However, these structures suffered severe damage during the ten-year Cultural Revolution, falling once again into disrepair.

　　After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Party’s policies on ethnic groups and religion brought a fresh breeze, allowing the ancient mosque to regain its vitality. In 1983, the district government allocated 50,000 yuan, and the Hui community donated 35,000 yuan to rebuild the main prayer hall of the Taierzhuang Mosque according to its original design. The hall has a construction area of 120 square meters, with glazed tiles and red walls, resplendent and distinctly ethnic in style. Later, the district government also funded the construction of surrounding walls, a washroom, a gatehouse, and the outdoor plaza. The former “Muslim Mosque” sign was replaced once again with “Ancient Mosque of Islam.” Rebuilding the Moon-Viewing Tower cost 500,000 yuan.

　　The project was completed in 2006. The reconstructed Moon-Viewing Tower is a seven-story building standing 28 meters tall, with soaring eaves and elegant contours, adding a sense of tranquility and grandeur to the classic-style Taierzhuang Mosque. Meanwhile, the historic South Mosque in the southern part of the city was also restored, facilitating the religious life of local Muslims.

　　Throughout the series of reconstruction, renovation, and remodeling projects of the Taierzhuang Mosque, the Taierzhuang District has consistently emphasized preserving the historical relics of the Battle of Taierzhuang. The battle-scarred walls and dense bullet holes, the half-dead ancient cypress trees with embedded bullet fragments, silently recount the tragic heroism of those times and bear witness to the unyielding spirit of the Chinese nation and the inevitable defeat of the invaders.