Great Mosque of Xi’an - one of the oldest mosques in China
Last Update: 9th October 2020
What is the Great Mosque of Xi’an?
Located in Huajue Lane, northwest of Drum Tower, Xida Street, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, the Great Mosque of Xi’an was originally built in 1392.
Also known as “Islamic Grand Mosque in Huajue Lane”, it was rebuilt and expanded three times during the Jiajing Period (1522 – 1566), Wanli Period (1573 – 1620) of the Ming Dynasty, and the Qianlong Period 1736 – 1796) of the Qing Dynasty to form the existing scale.
The Great Mosque of Xi’an is the largest and most complete Islamic mosque in China with traditional architectural forms and layouts.
- Chinese Name: Xi’an Da Qingzhensi (西安大清真寺) or Huajuexiang Qingzhen Dasi (化觉巷清真大寺)
- Area: more than 12.3 square kilometers
- Things to do there: Photography, Architectural Study, Muslim architecture
- Who visits: Photographers, Islamism Believers
- Time required: 1 – 2 x hours
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours including the Great Mosque of Xi’an, among other attractions and destinations. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.
Visitors can view many wood carvings in many wooden doors and brick carvings in walls built with bricks. The three-dimensional technique of Islamic art style is used to depict the patterns of Chinese flowers and plants. The worship hall is very important in the temple and a place for Islamic worshippers to worship. The hall features a peacock blue glazed tile roof. There are more than 400 colorful paintings with Arabic characters in the hall. There are 30 wooden carvings of the Quran with a height of around 4 meters in the hall. Please note, non-Muslim and women are not allowed to enter the hall.
In addition, visitors can admire the old furniture made in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, stone steles with Arabic, Persian and Chinese characters, calligraphy by the calligraphers – Mi Fu (1051 – 1107) in the Song Dynasty and Dong Qichang (1555 – 1636) in the Ming Dynasty.
If you are planning to get acquainted with Muslim culture, the best time to visit Grand Mosque is on the noon of Fridays as many Muslim always worship at that time. The best months to visit are from March to May, and from September to October.
Grand Mosque is situated in the downtown Xi’an. As Grand Mosque is very close to Bell Tower in Xi’an, visitors can take the buses to the Stop of Bell Tower (钟楼站) as follows, and then walk westwards along the Xida Street (西大街). Walk along the small lane in the Muslim Street to the mosque. Therefore, there are some options.
- Rent a vehicle to Xida Street. Walk along the small lane in the Muslim Street to the mosque. This is the quickest and most direct option.
- Take Bus 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12,15, 16, 26, 29, 35, 36, 37,43, 45, 46, 47, 201, 203, 208, 218, 235, 229, 300, 600, 606 603, 608, 609, 604, 611, 622, 616 and Tourist Bus 7 and 8 to the Stop of Bell Tower (钟楼).
- Take Metro Line 2 to the Stop of Bell Tower. Walk westwards along the Xida Street (西大街). Walk along the small lane in the Muslim Street to the mosque.
- Opening hours: 08:00 – 21:00
- As at 9th October 2020, entrance pricing to Grand Mosque is 25 CNY per person in the peak season; entrance pricing to Grand Mosque is 15 CNY per person in the low season. For the latest pricing information, please contact us via email (info@wendyweitours.com)
- Please respect the Muslim tradition in the mosque.
- Be sure not to take sausages or other food made of pork with you in the mosque.
- When worshipping, be sure not to talk loud and take photos.
- Be sure not to wear shorts, short clothes, shirt skirts and minidresses in the mosque.
- It is recommended that you wear long clothes in the mosque.
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours including the Great Mosque of Xi’an, among other attractions and destinations. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.