Xi'an is the place where the Muslim ancestors have lived for generations after they settled in China. The history and community of the Hui people can be said to be ancient and have remarkable historical sites. According to research, before the Qianlong Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty, "seven temples and thirteen squares" had appeared in Xi'an City. "Fang" is not only a regional concept in history, but also a form of grassroots social organization. The famous "Huifang" or "Fangshang" near the Bell and Drum Tower in Xi'an is both a regional concept and a cultural concept. As far as the regional concept is concerned, it refers to the place where the Hui people have lived in Xi'an. As a cultural concept, it includes independent mosques centered on each mosque, as well as the entire Hui Islamic cultural area composed of various mosques.
The seven temples refer to: Huajue Lane Mosque, Daxue Lane Mosque, Dapiyuan Mosque, Xiaopiyuan Mosque, Xiaoxue Lane Mosque Yingli Mosque, Beiguangji Street Mosque and Sajinqiao Ancient Mosque . Thirteen lanes refer to: Huajue Lane, Xiyangshi, Beiyuanmen, Maiyan Street, Dapiyuan, Xiaopiyuan, Beiguangji Street, Shishimiao Street, Daxuexiang, Xiaoxuexiang, Damaishi Street, Sa Jinqiao and Huihui Lane in the south of the city.
The Hui people in Xi'an are concentrated in the "Seven Temples and Thirteen Lanes", forming a circular tourist promenade with a total length of 1,100 meters, which is commonly known as "Muslim Street". Friends who have been to Xi'an Huimin Street always feel that they have a great appetite but a too small stomach. Famous restaurants include Pingwa Barbeque, Jia San Guan Soup Steamed Buns, Hong Hong Fried Rice, Feifan Te, Xibeilou, Jinjia Casserole, etc. Walking around the block, you can see commercial outlets with a fusion of traditional Chinese architectural style and Muslim architectural style everywhere, as well as ethnic costumes, handicrafts, halal food, restaurants and Muslim snack bars. More than 40 ancient trees are dotted here, and the bell and drum towers not far away make people feel like they have stepped into the depths of history.
The Great Mosque in Huajue Lane
The Great Mosque is located in Huajue Lane northwest of Drum Tower in Xi'an. It is also called the Great Mosque in Huajue Lane. It is also called the Great Mosque in Xi'an Daxue Lane The two oldest mosques in Xi'an, China, are also called Dongda Temple because they are located to the east of Daxuexiang Temple.
The Great Mosque is a large-scale Chinese palace-style ancient building complex with a long history. It is the crystallization of the fusion of Islamic culture and Chinese culture. The temple was first built in the first year of Tianbao in the Tang Dynasty (AD 742). It has been repaired and protected in the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, and has become its current layout. The temple is a key cultural relic protection unit in Shaanxi Province. In 1988, it was promoted to the third batch of key cultural relic protection units in the country. In May 1997, it was rated as one of the top ten tourist attractions in Xi'an.
The total area of ??the temple is 13,000 square meters. There is a large wooden archway with a height of 9 meters built in the early 17th century. The archway has a glazed tile roof, odd-angled cornices and fine carvings; it runs in a square shape from east to west. , *** is divided into four courtyards. There are seven stone tablets in the hall, with inscriptions in Arabic, Persian and Chinese. In the second courtyard, there are authentic calligraphy works by Mi Fu, a great calligrapher of the Song Dynasty, and Dong Qichang, a great calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty. In the fourth courtyard, there is a hall with an area of ??about 1,300 square meters, which can accommodate more than a thousand people for worship. There are more than 400 murals in the hall, with Arabic patterns on the books, and the compositions are unique.
The architectural form and tone of the mosque are in the Chinese national style. However, all the arrangements in the temple are strictly in accordance with the Islamic system. The carvings and arabesque decorations in the temple are all composed of Arabic carvings. The harmonious combination of traditional Chinese architecture and Islamic architectural art styles is so amazing that it is listed as one of the world's Islamic cultural relics by UNESCO. Dapiyuan Mosque in Xi'an
Dapiyuan Mosque in Xi'an was first built in the ninth year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1411). It was purchased and constructed by Mr. Ma Daozhen. In 1959, it was used for other purposes and fell into disrepair. The main hall and the north and south pavilions collapsed. In 1985, the party's ethnic and religious policies were further implemented. With donations from local parishioners, under the leadership of academic director Bai Zhiqing, after five years of hard work, not only the original appearance of the mosque was restored, but also stone-carved fences, paihang, and manchurian mosques were built. Facilities such as Lalou and Huguobalou.
It currently covers an area of ??about 5 acres, with a total construction area of ??1,610 square meters and a worship hall with a construction area of ??354 square meters. It is a Chinese classical architectural style. The temple is surrounded by towering trees, flowers and grass, and the environment is clean and quiet. It is a holy place for local Hui Muslims to engage in religious activities.
The temple has a collection of 51 Arabic classics and a Ming Xuande copper incense burner. There are Ma Yingchun, Chen Shouling, Tong Zhongjing, Su Xiangrui, Sun Peiheng, Li Benyuan, Ma Zhenfan, Jia Yongxin, Zhao Mingzhou, etc.