Nanguan Mosque, Xining – A Self-Sufficient Religious Site

Nanguan Mosque (南关清真寺), located in Xining, was originally constructed in 1934 during the Republic of China era with the personal approval of Ma Bufang. At that time, the mosque covered an area of 800 square meters. According to local accounts, the Nanguan area was sparsely populated, with about 80% of the land used as vegetable gardens. There were only 18 Hui Muslim families living nearby, and elderly residents faced significant challenges when traveling to the Dongguan Grand Mosque for daily prayers due to the distance and inconvenience.

To address these difficulties, the local Hui Muslim community raised funds and purchased land from a local farmer, Madam Liu, to construct the mosque. The original structure consisted of three rooms with a wooden frame in the west, which served as the main prayer hall, and three rooms in the north for student accommodation. The well-respected Ahong, Mai Chengzhang, was invited to teach at the mosque. Over the years, as the local population grew, the number of worshippers increased, and the original buildings became inadequate to accommodate everyone.

In response, key community leaders, including Su Qilu, Ma Fucheng, and Yang Shengchun, petitioned Ma Bufang to build a larger mosque in the Nanguan area. Ma Bufang agreed to the construction of a new mosque, and the expanded structure included a five-room main hall, additional rooms in the north, east, and west, and a water pond. After its completion, Mai Chengzhang continued his teaching duties, and additional Ahongs, including teachers from Gansu and other regions, were appointed over the years.

During the late 1940s and the religious reforms in the 1950s, the mosque underwent several transitions. In 1958, it was repurposed by Xining’s Embroidery Factory, and later, from 1961 to 1979, it was used as a school by Nanshijie Primary School. In 1979, following the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the mosque was returned to the local religious community as part of the nation’s policy on restoring religious freedoms.

The local Muslim community raised 200,000 yuan for its expansion, and today, Nanguan Mosque features a brick-and-concrete prayer hall with an area of 108 square meters, two-story buildings with rooms for teaching and community purposes, and a 15-meter-tall minaret for the call to prayer.

Basic Information

Location and Transportation

Nanguan Mosque is located at No. 23, Nanxiao Street, Chengdong District, Xining, Qinghai Province, China. To get there, take bus 41 and get off at Nanxiao Street Stop (南小街站).