📜 About & history
Formerly called the Zhiyuan Old Mosque, the Shenqiu Ancient Mosque was founded in 1273 (Yuan Zhiyuan 10) by a Persian named Ali who came to China during the early Yuan western expeditions, and moved to its present site in Huaidian in 1502 (Ming Hongzhi 15). It was restored in 1524 and enlarged as northwestern Hui migrated in; damaged in the late Ming Chongzhen years, it was rebuilt by Ma Hui of Hongdong (Shanxi) and his descendants, with work completed in 1703 (Qing Kangxi 42). Facing east on a rectangular plan, it covers 9,072 sq m with about 3,000 sq m of buildings in classical Chinese palace style along a central axis.
🕌 Prayer & visiting
Five daily prayers and Friday Jumu'ah; the leading mosque of Huaidian, a designated Hui town. Chinese/Hui imam. Main prayer hall, moon-watching tower and passage hall on the central axis.
📍 Address
🇨🇳 Inside China use Baidu or Amap; Google Maps needs a VPN.
🚇 How to reach the mosque
No metro. From Zhoukou or Shenqiu, take a bus/taxi to Huaidian Hui Town, East Gate community.
Huaidian is a majority-Hui town; the Hui commercial and community life centres on this ancient mosque.
Huaidian is the seat of Shenqiu County, about 70 km east of Zhoukou city; taxi within Huaidian to the old mosque.
One of the oldest and largest mosques in eastern Henan; halal food throughout Huaidian's Hui town. A key site of Zhoukou's Islamic heritage.