The three dynasties together create a seamless whole (Beijing)

When it comes to Niujie, most people first think of the delicious food, with Ju Bao Yuan, Turpan, Ma Bei Er, Halal Supermarket... Oh, I can't think too much, or tears will start flowing from the corners of my mouth unconsciously Besides the food, when talking about the iconic buildings of Niujie, it must be the Niujie Mosque. This mosque, covering an area of 6,000 square meters, is the largest and oldest mosque in Beijing, and also one of the famous mosques in the world It must be clarified that ☞ the mosque is not open to tourists except on special holidays. Moreover, due to the impact of the operation of Metro Line 19 on the ancient buildings, protective monitoring has been ongoing recently, and major repairs will be carried out around the end of June, so those who want to visit may be disappointed. The most distinctive feature of the Niujie Mosque is its Chinese palace-style architecture. From the outside, it looks no different from the typical Buddhist and Taoist temples, but the interior has a strong Arab decorative style. The most worthy part of the mosque to see is the prayer hall, which is extremely rare as it is connected by buildings from three different dynasties: The earliest part was built during the Liao Dynasty (AD 996) in the form of a kiln hall (Pictures 17-20), located at the deepest part of the hall, a hexagonal pavilion-style building, all wooden structure. On the front niche, there are exquisitely carved Arabic script and flowers. Due to its age, it is currently supported by horizontal wood for protection, and the top wood and painted decorations are severely cracked and decayed, which is worrying when touched In the ninth year of the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty (1496), a large hall was built outside the kiln hall, and the two were connected by a semi-circular shadow wall, forming the hook-and-connect construction style we see today, where the two buildings integrate seamlessly without any sense of incongruity. By the thirty-fifth year of the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty (1696), another hall was built outside the Ming Dynasty's grand prayer hall, also using the hook-and-connect construction style. Thus, a grand prayer hall was formed, connecting buildings from the Liao, Ming, and Qing dynasties into one. Spanning seven hundred years, it is a marvel in the history of architecture The current prayer hall is grand in scale, with carved beams and painted rafters, and the arches with a strong Arab style are based in bright red with gold leaf on top of white powder. The floor is made of alternating strips of green carpet and cool mats, and the ceiling is hung with various chandeliers made of glass beads and colored lampshades, giving the whole place a solemn and sacred atmosphere. Besides the prayer hall, the shadow wall, Wang Yue Tower, Stele Pavilion, and Bang Ke Building are all worth seeing. If you happen to be there during Eid al-Fitr, you can also experience Muslim culture, looking forward to the completion of the renovation soon