Niujie Mosque

　　

　　

The Niujie Mosque is located at Xuanwu District of Beijing City. It is the largest and oldest mosque in Beijing City. From the cultural perspective, it is a sign of the spread of Islam in China in the early period. It was originally built in the 14th year (996) during the Tonghe reign of the Liao Dynasty (916-1125).

　　The buildings in the mosque are symmetrically arranged. The main buildings include the Wangyue Pavilion, the Worship Hall, the Stele Pavilion, and so on. Many important cultural relics, such as steles from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and cupreous hollowware from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), are preserved in the mosque. From the past to the present, Muslims come here to bathe and warship everyday. Especially on Islamic festivals, native and foreign Muslims gather here and celebrate the festivals together. Now Niujie is the residential place for more than 13,000 Muslims in Beijing City. Because Muslims mainly eat beef, there are a large number of stores selling beef and restaurants providing foods made of beef. Therefore, this place is called Niujie (Beef Road).