Tianmu Mosque North

　　Tianmu Mosque North is situated to the north of Tianmu Village. It is said to have been built in the sixth year of Emperor Yuan of the Tang Dynasty, but this is unverified. Historical records state it was built in the second year of the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, making it the oldest in Tianjin’s history. Over time, it underwent multiple renovations, but on November 25, 1948, it was burned down by fleeing Kuomintang troops, reduced to ruins. It was rebuilt in 1949, with villagers raising funds to construct the front hall, and the rear hall was completed in 1951. During the Cultural Revolution, it suffered further damage, with the main hall repurposed as a production workshop. In the early 1980s, municipal and district governments funded repairs, supplemented by donations from villagers, who also built the Moon-Viewing Tower northwest of the hall. Later, villagers raised funds to reconstruct the north and south lecture halls and the reception hall, and a bathing room was added in 1986. Due to earthquake damage, the main hall was rebuilt in 1992, and the original scripture storage building was converted into a two-story structure. The project was completed in 1995. The total investment exceeded 7 million yuan, including 2 million yuan from the government and over 5 million yuan in donations and materials from various sectors of society and the Hui community. On April 15, Tianjin’s mayor, Vice Mayor Zhang Haosheng, and other relevant city and district leaders attended the unveiling ceremony.

　　The rebuilt mosque includes front, rear, and central halls, side halls, a bathing room, a gate tower, and a Moon-Viewing Tower. The main hall is a wooden structure in the style of Ming and Qing dynasty palaces, capable of accommodating a thousand worshippers. Notable imams include Bai Baba and over 30 others. Behind the mosque lies a women’s mosque in the cross courtyard, built by Zhang Qingyuan in 1931 and burned down along with the main mosque in 1948. It was rebuilt between 1994 and 1995. The site now covers 4,967 square meters, with a construction area of 1,500 square meters.

　　Tianmu Mosque North, like an unwritten stele, objectively showcases the development of the Tianmu Hui settlement and outlines the arduous entrepreneurial history of the Hui people. It once housed invaluable cultural relics and artifacts, including donation letters from the early liberation period, in which the elders of Muzhuang Village called on fellow villagers to raise funds for the mosque’s reconstruction. These documents describe the construction and renovation of the mosque and record an unforgettable journey through turbulent times.

　　In 1997, a stele was erected for Tianmu Mosque North, with the inscription composed by Gao Yaokuan and calligraphy by Mu Ruizheng.

　　Above the mosque’s gate screen hangs a horizontal plaque inscribed with “Islamic Prayer Hall,” written by Liu Mengyang. On either side of the gate screen is a couplet in the handwriting of Li Hongzhang. The upper line reads, “Since ancient times, the transmission of Islamic teachings values enlightenment through wisdom,” and the lower line reads, “To this day, the faith remains undivided, inheriting the compassionate spirit of the faith.” The horizontal scroll reads, “Purity Beyond Dust.”

　　Inside the mosque, the north lecture hall bears a plaque reading “True Teachings of the West,” while the south lecture hall’s door is inscribed with “Autumn Waters, Winter Mountains.” The reception hall above is labeled “Ancient Islamic Faith.”

　　The main hall’s porch houses four plaques: one inscribed “Manifesting Virtue,” attributed to Prince Qing of the Qing imperial family; “Upholding True Faith,” written by Prince Cheng of the Qing imperial family; “Ancient Islamic Tradition,” by Prince Li of the Qing imperial family; and “Benevolence and Justice,” by Mu Chengrong. Inside the main hall is a Chinese horizontal plaque reading “Silent and Odorless,” unsigned. By unwritten rule, the main hall prohibits the display of idols or named inscriptions, complicating efforts to trace the origins of its calligraphy. The mosque’s north gate features the plaque “The World’s True Unity,” and the south gate bears “Radiance of the True Light.” These phrases were penned by Mu Xingkai, grandfather of Imam Mu Chengren and known as “Uncle Kai the Second.” His words suggest considerable Confucian scholarship, though their use in a mosque is considered inappropriate. These plaques were engraved during the Republican era by Wang Jincheng, whose background remains unclear. At the back of the hall is a brick inscription reading “Ancient Islamic Faith,” calligraphed by Gan Yanyang (a late Qing scholar-official) and carved by Ma Shaoqing, a master of brick engraving.

　　Transportation

　　Address: Le Shan Hutong, Qingzhen Si Da Jie, Beichen District, Tianjin

　　Transportation: From downtown Tianjin, take bus routes 10, 18, 611 (direct), 865, 912, 952, 607, 610, 611, 802, 810, 850, 879, 906, 961, Convenience Route 2, or Jincheng Route 12, and get off at Carrefour Beichen Stop.