Tucked away in Xi'an's Muslim Quarter, the Great Learning Alley Mosque is a free attraction
The Great Learning Alley Mosque, located on the north side of the Great Learning Alley in West Avenue, Xi'an, is a mosque hidden in the alleys of the Muslim Quarter, also known as the West Great Mosque, and is one of the oldest mosques in Xi'an. According to the existing stone inscriptions in the mosque, it was originally built in the year of Yisi during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of the Tang Dynasty (705 AD), and was named Qingjiao Temple. It was renamed Tangming Temple during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, and was given the name Huihui Wanshan Temple during the Zhongtong period of the Yuan Dynasty, and was named Qingzhen Mosque during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty. The mosque has undergone several renovations and expansions, including contributions from the Yuan Dynasty's Sayyid Ajall (a Semu person, a famous Hui politician of the Yuan Dynasty), the Ming Dynasty's Minister of War Tie Xuan (Hui), and the renowned navigator Zheng He (Hui). In 1413, when Zheng He was preparing for his fourth voyage to the Western Seas, everything was ready except for a translator proficient in Arabic and Sinhala. After a national audition, Zheng He finally invited Hasan, the head of the Great Learning Alley Mosque in Xi'an, to take on this important task. Hasan did not disappoint and completed the mission perfectly. After returning to the country, Zheng He and Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty renovated the mosque, and thus Zheng He presided over this major renovation. The mosque still preserves the 'Zheng He Stele' that records this history, which is also a national treasure-level cultural relic well-preserved in the mosque.
The architectural style of the Great Learning Alley Mosque blends Chinese tradition with Islamic cultural elements. Most of the existing buildings in the mosque were rebuilt under the supervision of Zheng He. The architecture adopts the traditional Chinese courtyard style, mainly with wooden structures, displaying a distinct Chinese style. The mosque consists of buildings such as the screen wall, stone arch, main gate, three courtyards, Xinxin Pavilion, north and south halls, stele pavilion, Imam's room, bathing room, and the main prayer hall. The Xinxin Pavilion was built during the Song Dynasty, a four-cornered tower-style building with three layers and three eaves, with a solemn and elegant layout, now painted in colors, reflecting the green and flying cinnabar, exquisite and dazzling, still maintaining its original appearance to this day. The main hall's entrance hangs a plaque handwritten by Empress Dowager Cixi with the words 'Paiyan Tianfang', and the front center of the hall has a niche with the original text of the Quran written above, harmonious in color, and especially serene. The entire mosque is solemn and majestic, compact and spectacular, with an exterior that is simple and elegant, and an interior that is symmetrical and harmonious, possessing extremely high artistic value, and is now a key national cultural relics protection unit.
📍Detailed address:
No. 94, Great Learning Alley, Lianhu District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province
🚉Transportation strategy:
{Board at Xi'an North Railway Station}, take the Metro Line 2 to Bell Tower Station, and walk for 30 minutes to reach.
{Board at Xi'an Railway Station}, take bus 611 to Qiaozikou Station, and walk for 5 minutes to reach.
🕙Business hours:
08:00-19:00
🎫Ticket: Free admission
Daxuexiang Mosque is located on the north side of Daxuexiang Lane, West Street, Xi'an City, and is far from the east and west of Huajuexiang Mosque. The temple is large in scale, second only to Huajuexiang Mosque on the east side, so it is also known as Xida Temple, which is one of the oldest mosques in Xi'an.
1. The Daxuexiang Mosque in Xi'an City is located on the north side of Daxuexiang Lane in West Street, Xi'an City, and is far from the east and west of Huajuexiang Mosque. The temple is large in scale, second only to the Huajuexiang Mosque on the east side, so it is also known as the West Grand Mosque. It is one of the oldest mosques in Xi'an. 2. Islam was introduced to China when the Emperor Yuan Wendi. The construction of mosques was mostly about 150 years after the introduction of Islam, but for various reasons, it was repeatedly built and destroyed. 3, the Tang Dynasty built mosques have no trace, Xi'an City preserved more complete mosques are the current East and West two temples, they built the earliest date back to the Song and Yuan periods, most likely to be built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. From Yuan to the end of Ming Dynasty, it was rebuilt and expanded several times by Saidianchi, Tieqi, Zheng He and others. Ming Yongle, Apocalypse and Qing Dynasty all had monuments. The government has allocated two repairs since liberation. 4, the layout of the mosque, platform, pavilion, hall of the Great Learning Lane is solemn, the appearance is ancient and bright, the structure is spectacular and compact, the internal view is symmetrical, harmonious, and the monument, carving, painting are rare. 5. The Great Learning Lane Mosque covers an area of 9.1 mu, with a total construction area of 270O square meters, consisting of Zhaobi, Shifang (with the words "Lujian Luci"), gate, three courtyards, peace of mind pavilion, north and south hall, stele pavilion, Azhai, bathing room, worship hall and other buildings. According to legend, the Pavilion was built in the Song Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty Zhenghe four times came back to the west when the mosque was renovated. After many repairs, it still remained the original appearance to this day. 6. For more information and photos about the Daxuexiang Mosque in Xi'an, please refer to my Trip.com travel note "The appearance of the building, platform, pavilion, and hall is ancient, spectacular, compact, and the interior is well-balanced and harmonious; the monument, carving, and painting are rare - Xi'an Daxuexiang Mosque visit, Link address: http://you.ctrip.com/travels/xian7/3647196.html
I found a mosque here that is free and still in use during my leisure trip! It is worth a visit. I am a tourist from a Muslim neighborhood. I have some understanding. I came to Xi'an for the first time. I didn't expect to see and understand the religious places that have been used for more than 1,000 years. The tour guide for the next day's group tour roughly introduced the Daxue Lane and the entire Xi'an tourism strategy. It is recommended that the self-service tour first participate in the group for a day tour, and then consider the route or your own tour.
I am a person who likes to go shopping and play by myself. I unknowingly walked to the big learning alley and saw a mosque. The style I have seen before is different. At that time, my classmates were going to pick me up for dinner. The phone was out of power. I was in a hurry. I saw a big sister holding a mobile phone at the door of the mosque. I took pictures while charging the power bank. I borrowed it as soon as I went up. Thanks to the big sister. This mosque is all Tang style. It is really different from the dome I saw before. No tickets are required. I will suddenly find a small scene. Very good, like this feeling.
[On the fifth day of the National Day holiday, I suddenly remembered the Daxue Lane that I often walked through and walked into the Daxue Lane Mosque. The architecture here still retains the style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The true one of the believers is reflected in the daily chanting and worship under the guidance of the Akun. Every time I feel the culture here with a pious heart, I always think of a great historical figure Zheng He.
The Daxue Lane Mosque is said to have a history of thousands of years. It is absolutely beautiful and the standard is a Chinese temple structure. The chapel is similar to the Daxiong Temple of the Buddha Temple, the moth-dougong, and the light-flying pavilion, carrying the big monument, it is a long time since the words have been unclear. Beautiful mosque.