📜 About & history
The Datong Great Mosque traces its origin to the second year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang dynasty (628), making it one of the oldest recorded mosques in China. The surviving complex is a Qing-era rebuilding arranged along an east-west axis, with a gate, screen wall, bangke (minaret) tower, arched bridge, prayer hall and carved stone screen. It blends Chinese classical timber-frame architecture with Arabic decorative motifs, a hallmark of mosques in old Shanxi cities. It was listed as a Datong municipal protected cultural relic in 1981 and a fifth-batch Shanxi provincial protected site in 2016.
🕌 Prayer & visiting
An active congregational mosque holding the five daily prayers and the Friday (Jumu'ah) prayer around midday; the main hall is the focus on Fridays and Eid.
📍 Address
🇨🇳 Inside China use Baidu or Amap; Google Maps needs a VPN.
🚇 How to reach the mosque
Located inside Datong's walled old town near Jiulou Alley; several city bus routes stop along Da Xi Jie and Da Bei Jie a short walk away. A taxi or DiDi to the old town is easiest.
From Datong South (Nan) high-speed railway station take a taxi about 25-30 minutes into the walled old town; the mosque sits just off Qingyuan Street.
The mosque is within the old city, about 1 km from the Drum Tower and Huayan Temple; walkable from most old-town sights in 10-15 minutes.
One of Datong's landmark historic mosques and a highlight for Muslim visitors touring the old town. Show this line to a driver: 请带我去大同清真大寺