Haiyuan Mosque

　　Guide     Haiyuan Mosque is the oldest Islamic temple in Haiyuan County, originally built during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty's Emperor Shenzong, boasting a history of over 420 years. The mosque is located in the northwest part of Haiyuan County, specifically within Dasi Alley, serving as the central venue for Islamic religious activities in the county.  　 　    Introduction      Haiyuan Mosque has been expanded and renovated multiple times. It covers a total area of 4,100 square meters, with a building area of 1,025 square meters, including a prayer hall and main worship space totaling 460 square meters. The architectural style combines traditional Chinese palace design with Arabic architectural art. The prayer hall consists of five bays, and the main worship space has seven bays, all built with brick and wood. The main structure of the worship hall spans two ridges with one dome, covering 300 square meters and accommodating over 600 worshippers. The covered porch covers 110 square meters. The prayer hall has three levels: the lower level with five bays, the middle level with three bays, and the upper level with one bay, totaling 240 square meters and standing 11.7 meters high.

　　    The moon-viewing platform, prayer hall, and main worship space are all paved with 3-centimeter-thick pine wood boards. The second courtyard houses three main rooms (with five rafters), six side rooms on the east and west, five passage/classrooms, three washrooms, five storage rooms, and one restroom, totaling 24 rooms covering 360 square meters, with an overall building area of approximately 1,470 square meters.

　　    The eaves, corners, front porches of the prayer hall and main building, as well as all windows and doors, feature exquisitely carved patterns. The upper edges of the doors and windows are adorned with gold-inlaid Quranic inscriptions in relief, giving the structure an especially solemn and sacred appearance. The grand arched gateways are built from brick, topped with a three-story wooden minaret reaching up to 8 meters in height. The entire complex presents a majestic, solemn, and magnificent aura. Surrounding the mosque are 14 towering elm trees of the same age as the mosque, with trunk circumferences of around 4 meters, further enhancing the grandeur of the site.

　　 Zhongwei, Ningxia