Jining Dong Mosque

　　Jining Dong Mosque is located at No. 4, Shanghe West Street, Xiaozhakou, Yuehe Subdistrict, situated by the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Built along the river, it is commonly known as the "Shunhe Qingzhen Dong Mosque." The entire mosque covers an area of 7,200 square meters, with a construction area of 4,000 square meters. It was first built during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty and has a history of over 600 years. It began to take shape in the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty, and further large-scale construction took place during the Kangxi and Qianlong eras of the Qing Dynasty, eventually reaching its current scale. Along with the Jining West Mosque, Nanjing Jingjue Mosque, Xi’an Huajue Mosque, and Lanzhou Qiaomen Street Mosque, it is recognized as one of the five major ancient Islamic architectural mosques in China, and Jining Dong Mosque is particularly noted for its grandeur. In May 2006, it was listed as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

　　Dong Mosque is a classic example of a dragon-head-style architectural complex. Along its central axis are four main structures: the main gate, the bangke tower, the main prayer hall, and the moon-viewing tower. On either side of the central axis are the south and north lecture halls, ablution facilities, and a stele corridor. The main prayer hall, the principal structure of the mosque, is 28 meters wide, over 40 meters deep, and reaches a maximum height of about 30 meters, covering a construction area of 1,057 square meters. The entire hall consists of three sections— the arched portico, the front hall, and the rear窑殿—all interconnected. The hall is supported by 40 red wooden pillars extending to the ceiling and 12 stone pillars. The rear窑殿 is a three-story pavilion, with the upper part featuring a hexagonal pyramidal roof. The rooftop features steep, undulating ridges, with brackets beneath the eaves and upturned corners, covered in yellow-green glazed tiles. At the top sits a bronze-gilded precious vase, shimmering brilliantly. Behind the hall is the “moon-viewing tower,” a brick-and-wood structure renowned for its exquisite and delicate design.

　　In 2009, the municipal and district governments of Jining carried out a comprehensive renovation of Dong Mosque. It reopened to the public on May 1 and was rated as a National 3A-level Tourist Attraction in November. Over the following two years, it received over 130,000 visitors from both home and abroad, including more than 2,000 international tourists from 30 countries who came to visit the mosque. The site has achieved significant social benefits and serves as an important window for promoting Jining and the central district.