Songjiang mosque

Songjiang mosque is the oldest Islamic temple in Shanghai. It was built between the Yuan Dynasty and the Zheng Dynasty. The temple is a fusion of Chinese classical palace style and Arabic architectural style of Islamic temple. On the east side of the temple is the Bangke gate tower, also known as the minaret, which is used by Muslims to worship. The roof is crisscross ridge, the inner wall is brick arch dome, and the door opening is the entrance. This is a typical Arab architecture. On the west side is the worship hall, which is a Ming Dynasty building with antique flavor, symmetrical with the exquisite bunker gate.

Songjiang mosque

Songjiang mosque, originally called Zhenjiao temple, was built between the Yuan Dynasty and the Zheng Dynasty, i.e. from 1341 to 1367. It is the oldest Islamic building in Shanghai. The existing temple and tomb walls are the buildings where Chinese and Arabic cultures blend, especially the kiln hall, bangkelou and daluhuachi tombs, which have strong characteristics of the times and precious historical and artistic value. In 1961, it was listed as a county-level cultural relics protection unit, and in 1980, it was designated as a municipal cultural relics protection unit.

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Historical evolution

Also known as Songjiang Zhenjiao temple, it is the earliest mosque in Shanghai. Located in Songjiang District, it was originally founded in the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368) to the Zhengnian period (1341-1368), because the governor of the area was a Muslim at that time. In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in 1391, the government ordered reconstruction, followed by three expansions, and four renovations in the Qing Dynasty, so it still retains the style of mosques in the yuan and Ming Dynasties. The mosque faces north in the south, with a traditional Chinese architectural wall inside the door, which reads "mosque". The original temple is surrounded by Muslim cemeteries. Its architectural style not only keeps the shape of Arabian column vault, but also has the architectural style of Ming and Qing Dynasties. The main buildings include the main hall, kiln hall, corridor, South and North lecture halls, Bangke gate and water room, among which kiln hall and Bangke gate are the two most characteristic buildings of the temple. There are four stone inscriptions in the temple. On August 26, 1980, the Shanghai Municipal People's government designated the Songjiang mosque as a cultural relic protection unit. In 1985, the temple was overhauled and listed as a key cultural relic protection unit in Shanghai. It opened to the outside world in 1989.

Songjiang mosque is the oldest Islamic temple in Shanghai. It was built between the Yuan Dynasty and the Zheng Dynasty. It is an Islamic temple with Chinese palace style and Arabic architectural style. On the east side of the temple is the Bangke gate tower, also known as the minaret, which is used by Muslims to worship. The roof is crisscross ridge, the inner wall is brick arch dome, and the door opening is the entrance. This is a typical Arab architecture. On the west side is the worship hall, which is a Ming Dynasty building with antique flavor, symmetrical with the exquisite bunker gate.

According to the records of Songjiang Zhi Fu, when the Yuan Dynasty unified China, Nasu stabbed the Central Asian Persians who once led the tribe. Click here to add a picture from Jiaxing

Enter Songjiang. After that, their tribe and descendants settled in Songjiang, which is the source of Songjiang Muslims. Since the Hui people are actually descended from Arabs, when they moved to Songjiang more than 600 years ago, they were honest and devout, and they were captured by the Mongolian rulers at that time because of their defeat. Of course, they could not forget their own national religious beliefs and activities. Mosques should be built for them to worship in the places where they settled. This is the origin of the Songjiang mosque. The construction of Songjiang mosque is an important relic of ancient cultural exchange between the Arab and Chinese nationalities, and also one of the symbols of the combination of Islam and Chinese culture.

Architectural features

Ancient Islamic temples in China. Also known as Songjiang Zhenjiao temple, also known as Yunjian Baihe Temple ("Yunjian" is the ancient name of Songjiang, it is said that Songjiang is Baihe's hometown, hence the name). It has a history of more than 600 years. There are different opinions about the beginning of the temple: one is that it was founded in 1341-1368 by daruhuachi, the prefect of the Yuan Dynasty; the other is that it was founded in 1295 when nashulin, a Muslim from the western regions, was in charge of Songjiang. According to records, the temple was rebuilt in 1391 by Zhu Yuanzhang. Yongle five years (1407) and Jiajing fourteen years (1535) two reconstruction and expansion. In the 10th year of Wanli (1582), it was decorated again. In the 15th year of Shunzhi (1658), the 16th year of Kangxi (1677), the 17th year of Jiaqing (1812), the 2nd year of Daoguang (1821) and 1985, it was renovated and renovated several times. The layout of the temple maintains the traditional style of combining Islamic temples and tombs in Yuan and Ming Dynasties. To the north of the gate of the temple, there are four big brick characters "Qingmiao Yuanzhen" embedded in the front wall. There are two words of "Chijian" on the forehead of the temple gate, an inner wall and the inscription "mosque". Through the two doors of the corridor, there is a winding dragon wall. Outside the southeast wall, there is a cemetery, namely Songjiang Huihui tomb, which is the tomb of the Hui people in Songjiang. According to the inscriptions in the temple, nashulin, the governor of the Yuan Dynasty, was buried in the temple (the tomb has been restored). Inside the dragon wall is a complete mosque building, whose style maintains the characteristics of the combination of the Arabian column vault style and the Chinese palace style classical architecture. On the east side of the temple is the brick bucket arch structure of the bunk building. Inside the wall of the building is an Arabic brick arch ball top, about 4 meters high. There are exquisite brick carvings on the wall. The arched door opening is the access road, and there are two convenient doors beside the building. To the east of the front of the chapel is a wooden hall style building in Jiangnan of the Ming Dynasty. It is antique and symmetrical with the exquisite bonker building. The main hall is connected with the end concave hall by the Sichuan corridor. "The concave hall is about 8 meters high, with three doors from north to South and East, spherical vault, double eaves, cross ridges, and wing angles. It is ancient, simple and vigorous, and it is far away from the bunker tower. There is a bath room on the south side of the main hall of worship, and there are wing rooms in the north and south of the courtyard, which are the lecture hall and the place for Imam to chant and receive visitors. There are four existing Islamic inscriptions in the temple, which record the historical evolution of the mosque and the repair process of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The temple is an important relic of cultural exchange between Arab and China, and also one of the symbols of the combination of Islamic culture and Chinese culture. It is a key cultural relic protection unit in Shanghai.

Main buildings

The screen wall, also known as the screen wall, is a unique setting in front of the gate of ancient Chinese architecture, forming the first space of the building. The outer screen wall serves as a sign, while the inner screen wall serves as a barrier for the inner courtyard, and makes people feel the change of space. The screen wall of Songjiang mosque is not only a symbol of the integration of Islam and Chinese Han traditional culture, but also a historical witness of Songjiang mosque.

Bangke gate tower was built in Yuan Dynasty, rebuilt in 1559, and then repaired. Bangkelou was originally a tower built by mosques to summon Muslims to worship, but this building is a gatehouse integrating Arabic and Chinese styles, which is rare in mosques across the country. There are fine brick carvings and ancient scriptures on the gatehouse, and the Scripture on the West forehead is: "the first mosque that Allah instructed the world to build is the kebair mosque in Mecca."

The main hall of worship - the main hall of worship is divided into the front hall and the back hall. The front hall is built in the Ming Dynasty, facing east from the West. After taking off their shoes, Muslims enter the hall to worship Allah. It is a holy place of Islam. Carpet in winter and mat in summer make the whole building solemn and solemn. The back hall is a building of Yuan Dynasty, with brick arch and ball top, three doors, a concave wall of worship, and double eaves and cross on the roof. It is commonly known as kiln hall and beamless hall, which reflects the ingenious combination of Chinese and Arabic architectural art in Yuan Dynasty.

The North lecture hall, built in the Ming Dynasty, was donated by the Muslim shaozongbo (JUE) MA Ziqiang. According to the history of the Ming Dynasty, "Ma Ziqiang was the Minister of rites in September of Yihai in the third year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty. He was a native of Tongzhou (now Shaanxi) and a Jinshi in the 32nd year of Jiajing He moved to Shao Zhan to serve as a bachelor and take charge of the Imperial Academy. " Ma Ziqiang's donation can be seen in the half of the Ming Dynasty monument in the mosque. Ma was an important official of the imperial court, who donated money to build houses for the Songjiang mosque. This shows the important position of the Songjiang mosque among the Muslims in ancient China.

Built in the Qing Dynasty, the South lecture hall, together with the North lecture hall, was a place where the imams (religious teachers) of the Songjiang mosque taught scriptures and studied doctrines to Haihai (Temple students) or Muslim villagers. It also served as a meeting place for local Muslims. Ancient Muslims gathered around mosques, and lecture halls played an important role in their religious life. The South lecture hall has been set up as an exhibition hall with the exhibition of "Songjiang mosque and Islam in Shanghai" for the audience to understand the long history of Songjiang mosque and the development of Islam in Shanghai.

Ancient cypress - there is an ancient cypress on the north side of the main hall. It was planted in the Ming Dynasty and has a history of more than 400 years. Through the wind and frost, the ancient cypress is still standing tall and luxuriant, showing strong vitality. According to Muslim legend, Chang Yuchun, a general of Ming Dynasty, once tied his horse here. To the left of the ancient cypress is an ancient well in the Ming Dynasty, with a circle shaped stone fence, simple in shape and full of ancient flavor.

Traffic information

Address: gangpeng lane, Zhongshan Middle Road, Songjiang District (from Huating old street)

Transportation Guide: take Songmei special line (Songjiang Meilong southwest bus station) and Husong special line to Songjiang Ledu bus station, and then transfer to Songjiang 2nd road to Huating old street; take the train (Shanghai Hangzhou line) to Songjiang 5th Road and 8th Road to Huating old street.

Zuibaichi station of line 9, walk northward along Renmin South Road, and you can see that there is a Gangyu Lane on the other side of Shenyue square. Just go in.

Self erecting route: inner ring viaduct - humin viaduct - Xinzhuang interchange - G

Chinese PinYin : Song Jiang Qing Zhen Si