Description of the attraction
The Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou began to be built back in 627. This is one of the oldest mosques in China. According to legend, it was founded by the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad and one of his most famous associates, Saad ibn Abu Waqqas. He was the first Islamic missionary in China. However, according to most scholars, the mosque was completed during the reign of the Chinese Tang dynasty, and subsequently restored several times.
Huainsheng translated from Chinese means "remember the Prophet." But the mosque also has a second name - "Lighthouse Tower". It acquired this unofficial name due to the shape of its minaret. It really looks like a lighthouse, and the height of thirty-seven meters made it noticeable to passing ships, who used it as a reference point. The minaret itself is called Guanta, that is, "tower of light", which also confirms the version that the mosque served as a lighthouse. Not far from the location of the building is the mouth of the Pearl River.
In the architecture of Huainsheng, styles are intricately intertwined, traditional both for Ancient China and for Arab architecture. The mosque consists of a minaret, a two-story prayer hall and an open pavilion. Also nearby is an ancient Muslim cemetery. According to legend, forty Islamic missionaries were buried here.
Tradition says that the first Muslim companions, led by Saad ibn Abu Wakkas, arrived in Guangzhou in 627. These were the first missionaries of the young religion to arrive in the Celestial Empire. In the same year, they began to build a minaret of the mosque for the Arab traders who lived there. Indeed, thanks to its convenient location, Guangzhou quickly became a rich center of international trade, in the circulation of which mainly Arab and Persian merchants participated. Subsequently, a large Muslim community was formed here.
Huainsheng is one of the first Chinese-style mosques and one of the many attractions in Guangzhou.
