Niujie Mosque

There is no shortage of celebrity guests from the one and a half billion Muslims worldwide, but Niujie Mosque's primary task remains the same as it was 1,000 years ago-- to serve the faithful of the Beijing Muslim quarter, currently numbering 11,000, who live along a narrow, ancient street of green doors and bustling stalls.

In the heart of the Moslem quarter, Niujie was built in 996 by Nazruddin, an Arabian scholar who served as an official in the Liao Dynasty. It was enlarged and renovated in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, and twice under the Communists. It is the oldest and the largest of the city's 68 mosques. A high wall surrounds the 6,000 square-meter garden of ancient trees and buildings that combine elements of Arabic and Chinese architecture.

The Great Mosque in Xi'an

The Great Mosque in Xian is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China and its location is northwest of the Drum Tower (Gu Lou) on Huajue Lane.

According to historical records engraved on a stone tablet inside, this mosque was built in 742 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). This was a result of Islam being introduced into Northwest China by Arab merchants and travelers from Persia and Afghanistan during the mid-7th century when some of them settled down in China and married women of Han Nationality. Their descendants became Muslim of today. The Muslim played an important role in the unifications of China during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Hence, other mosques were also built to honor them.