Great Mosque of Xi'an
| Great Mosque of Xi'an | |
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| 西安大清真寺 | |
Second courtyard of the Great Mosque
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Xi'an, China |
| Geographic coordinates | 34°15′48″N 108°56′11″E / 34.2633°N 108.9364°ECoordinates: 34°15′48″N 108°56′11″E / 34.2633°N 108.9364°E |
| Affiliation | Islam |
The Great Mosque of Xi'an (Chinese: 西安大清真寺; pinyin: Xīān Dà Qīngzhēnsì) is the largest mosque in China. An active place of worship within Xi'an's Muslim Quarter, this courtyard complex is also a popular tourist site. The majority of the mosque was built during the early Ming dynasty. It now houses more than twenty buildings in its five courtyards, and covers 12,000 square meters.
The mosque is also known as the Huajue Mosque (Chinese: 化觉巷清真寺; pinyin: Huàjué Xiàng Qīngzhēnsì), for its location on 30 Huajue Lane. It is sometimes called the Great Eastern Mosque (Chinese: 东大寺; pinyin: Dōng Dàsì), as well, because it sits east of another of Xi’an’s oldest mosques, Daxuexi Mosque (Chinese: 大学习巷清真寺; pinyin: Dàxuéxí Xiàng Qīngzhēnsì).
The mosque was constructed during the Hongwu reign of the Ming dynasty, with further additions during the Qing dynasty. Previous religious complexes (Tanmingsi and Huihui Wanshansi) are known to have stood on the same site, dating to as early as the Tang dynasty.
In 1956, the mosque was declared a Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the Shaanxi Province Level, and was later promoted to a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 1988. The mosque is still used as a place of worship by Chinese Muslims, primarily Hui people, today.
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