As most of the Hui people are believers of Islam, Nanguan Mosque holds an important position in their mind and is where they go to give prayers.
Nanguan Mosque was originally built at the end of Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and expanded in 1953 to become a grand architectural complex with 63 halls and an area of 1,200 sq.m. (12,917 sq. ft.) ranking first among seven of the mosques in Yinchuan at that time.
Originally, it had a traditional Chinese architectural style reflected by the exquisitely carved doors and windows made of red pine. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in the Cultural Revolution (1966 - 1976) and was rebuilt in 1981 to take an Arabic architectural style.
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Nowadays, Nanguan Mosque is a two-floor building connected by a flight of spiral stairs and encompassing an area of 1,300 sq.m. (13,993 sq. ft.)
On the first floor, you'll find a chapel, residences for imam, bathing houses and a reception room connected by winding corridors.
There is a spacious prayer hall on the second floor that can accommodate about 1,300 worshipers at a time.
On the whole, the architectural style of Nanguan Mosque is characterized by five green domes and a square palace with arch doors and windows.
It's said that one of the largest dome in the center on top of the palace symbolizes Mohammed, the prophet of Islam and the other four at each corner of the square palace are symbols of four famous imams.
All the features combine to make Nanguan Mosque a landmark of Ningxia and large crowds of tourists have been swarming there for a sightseeing.
Final travel tips for you: Nanguan Mosque opens all day and the ticket fee is 10 RMB (1.65 USD).
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