x-default

©CHRIS TAYLOR/500px

Great Mosque

Xi'an


Bigger than many temples in China, the Great Mosque is a gorgeous blend of Chinese and Islamic architecture and one of the most fascinating sacred sites in the land. The present buildings are mostly Ming and Qing, though the mosque was founded in the 8th century. Arab influences extend from the central minaret (cleverly disguised as a stumpy pagoda) to the enormous turquoise-roofed Prayer Hall (not open to visitors) at the back of the complex, dating from the Ming dynasty.

It's a beautiful place to visit in spring, as the white and pink magnolias burst into bloom; in the slow season, the mosque can also be a haven of solitude and an oasis of tranquillity in a very busy area of the city.

Facing west (towards Mecca) instead of the customary south, the mosque features classic Chinese temple features, including spirit walls, designed to keep demons at bay, stelae on the backs of antediluvian bixi (mythical tortoise-like creatures usually seen populating Confucian temples) and memorial arches, not to mention the glazed-tile Chinese-style roofing. The gardens, too, with their rocks, pagodas and archways are clearly Chinese. The presence of the mosque's white-capped Hui custodians is a constant reminder, however, of its Muslim purpose.

To get here, follow Xiyang Shi several minutes west of Bei Jajie and look for a small alley leading south past a gauntlet of souvenir stands.

Transportation

  • metro: Zhonglou

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Xi'an attractions

1. Folk House

0.06 MILES

This well-rounded historic residence also serves as an art gallery, entertainment centre and teahouse. Originally the home of the Qing bureaucrat Gao…

2. Drum Tower

0.08 MILES

While the Bell Tower originally held a bell that was rung at dawn, the Drum Tower, standing at the foot of the smoky and uproarious street of Beiyuanmen,…

3. Muslim Quarter

0.34 MILES

The backstreets leading north from the Drum Tower have been home to the city’s Hui community (non-Uyghur Chinese Muslims) for centuries, perhaps as far…

4. Bell Tower

0.36 MILES

Occupying a central place at the frantic bulls-eye intersection of Xi Dajie, Dong Dajie, Bei Dajie and Nan Dajie, the domineering form of the Bell Tower…

5. Forest of Stelae Museum

0.89 MILES

Housed in Xi'an’s Confucius Temple, this museum holds more than 1000 stone stelae (inscribed tablets), including the nine Confucian classics and some…

6. Xi'an City Walls

1.07 MILES

Xi'an is one of the few cities in China where the imposing old city walls still stand. Built in 1370 during the Ming dynasty, the magnificent 12m-high…

7. Guangren Temple

1.27 MILES

The sole Tibetan Buddhist temple in the entire province, Guangren Temple dates from the early 18th century, but was largely rebuilt in the 20th century…

8. Little Goose Pagoda

1.52 MILES

Standing in the pleasant grounds of Jianfu Temple, Little Goose Pagoda had its top shaken off by an earthquake in the middle of the 16th century, but the…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "china/shaanxi-shanxi/xian/attractions/great-mosque/a/poi-sig/475748/356065",
      "destination": "Xi'an",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "China",
      "city": "Xi'an",
      "position": "superzone"
    }