China's Dairy Capital, The Green City Beyond the Great Wall (Part IV): The Great Mosque

The Great Mosque, located on Tongdao South Road in Da Bei Street of Hui Min District in Hohhot, the capital city, is a well-preserved ancient building, constructed in the 32nd year of Emperor Kangxi's reign (1693 AD). According to the inscriptions on the stele of the mosque's north and south lecture halls, 'Since the establishment of the Great Qing dynasty, it has been built over many years.' Initially, the construction was quite simple, but it was significantly renovated in the 54th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (1789 AD). In 1923, the local Hui people raised funds for another renovation, which led to its current scale. The mosque covers an area of about 4,000 square meters. After the renovation, the main hall was raised by 1.7 meters, and the total area of the mosque was expanded by several dozen square meters. The mosque faces east to west, with the main entrance in the middle bearing a plaque with the inscription 'The Great Mosque' and the words 'National Peace' and 'People's Safety'. There was originally a screen wall in front of the temple gate, over one Zhang tall (now demolished). The outer back wall of the main hall faces the main entrance directly. There are side doors to the south and north of the main entrance, with blue walls on both sides. Inside the main gate is the main hall—the main building of the temple, with a unique design. The hall door faces east and has three arch-shaped doors. The lintel is engraved with fine Arabic script, and in front of the main hall is a 'moon platform,' which leads into the main hall when ascended. In addition to the sanctuary, there are also north and south lecture halls, Muslim baths, the Moon-Watching Tower, the Imam's office, the elders' meeting room, the scripture hall, and other buildings. There is a stele pavilion in the mosque, among which the 'Hongwu Emperor's Inscribed Hundred-Word Stele for the Huihui Religion' and the 'Stele of the Great Mosque's Renovation in Suiyuan' are of significant research value. The Moon-Watching Tower, the minaret to the southeast of the mosque, was built in 1933. It is 33 meters high, hexagonal in plan, and has a hexagonal spire. It is named for its use during the month of Ramadan to mark the beginning and end of fasting upon sighting the new moon. The tower has two stories, shaped like bamboo sections, forming a hexagonal body. The west side of the tower is inscribed with the words 'Moon-Watching Tower' in both Chinese and Arabic. The Great Mosque