Xi'An Grand Mosque: Amazing Architectural Mix and Cultural Heritage

#chinaattractions The Grand Mosque in Xi'an (Grand Mosque in Xi'an), formerly known as “Qingxiu Temple” and also known as “Dongda Temple”, is located at No. 30 Huajue Lane, Lianhu District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province. It is a place of Islamic religious activities.The temple was built in the first year of Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao in Tang Dynasty (742 AD). After the maintenance and protection of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, it has formed its existing scale and architectural style. Historical background The establishment of Xi'an Grand Mosque can be traced back to 742 AD. At that time, merchants, diplomats and religious people from Arabia, Persia and Central Asia settled in Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty. Xi'an Grand Mosque was built to satisfy the religious beliefs and studies of Muslims. After the reconstruction and renovation during the past dynasties, especially, after the three large-scale rennovations happened during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the present architectural style seen today have been finally formed. Architectural features Xi'an Grand Mosque is an ancient architectural complex that perfectly combines classical Chinese architecture with Islamic architectural styles. The mosque covers an area of about 14,000 square meters and is divided into four courtyards, each of which forms a complete courtyard. The architectural style is unique, with both elements of traditional Chinese architecture, such as arches, glazed tiles, resting on the top of the mountain, cornices, corners, etc., as well as Islamic decorative features, such as well-shaped ceilings, Arabic patterns, etc. The praying hall is a masterpiece of halal painted decorative art. The ceiling branches are green and red flowers, and the ceiling of the whole temple is painted with more than 600 patterns, which fully demonstrates the unique technique of color painting in ancient Chinese mosques. Cultural significance Xi'an Grand Mosque is not only a place for religious activities, but also has high historical and cultural value. It is one of the largest and most complete Islamic mosques in China that adopts traditional architectural forms and layout. In 1988, Xi'an Grand Mosque was listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit, and in the 1990s it was selected as one of the “Top ten Tourist Attractions in Xi'an”. In addition, Xi'an Grand Mosque also enjoys a high international reputation, attracting a large number of tourists and believers to visit and study.