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The Great Mosque

As one of the tour destinations along the silk road, it is best place where you can not only tasty the delicious food or snacks, but also experience the Muslim culture.

Introduction of Huajue Lane Great Mosque:
The Great Mosque is located in Huajue Lane, which branches off from the West Main Street. It is the major spot for the religious activities of over 60,000 Muslim in Xi'an. Meanwhile, it is also an important and historical monument in Shaanxi province. Unlike Arabian mosques with splendid domes, skyward minerals, and dazzling patterns, this mosque posses much Chinese tradition in both design and artistic outlook. It assumes the striking features of Chinese pavilions, with painted beams ad engraved ridgepoles.
The Great Mosque is the most sizable of its kind in the city of Xi'an, and also one of the oldest and well-preserved mosques in China, The Stone Tablet on the Building of the Mosque says that it was built in the Tang Dynasty. However, judging from the architectural style, it was probably built in the Ming dynasty. Its four courtyards cover an area of more than 12,000 square metres, with a building area of 4,000 square metres. The Still intact wooden memorial arch in the front yard was built at the turn of the 17th century. With glazed titles, spectacular corners and upturned eaves, it stands about nine metres high and has a history of about 360 years.

What to visit in Huajue Lane Great Mosque?
Huajue Lane Mosque is small in size, and the pattern has adopted the traditional symmetrical courtyard, travelers can walk along the central axis to visit it. The screen wall in the mosque is the starting point of the central axis, however, along the central axis, you will see the wooden archway, five buildings (two gates), stone archway, Rongxiu Hall (three gates), Provincial Centre building, Liansanmen Hall (four gates), Phoenix Pavilion, platform, worship hall, and other main buildings.

The Worship Hall:
The Worship Hall is a very essential building in the mosque, and it is also a place for Hui people to worship. The hall has a peacock blue glazed tile roof, the ceiling algae of Mosque are painted with Caisson painting, which is quite beautiful. Inside of the hall, you can see the 30 pieces of wood carved "Koran". Unfortunately, non-Muslims and women are not allowed to enter the worship hall, and the vast majority of visitors can only look inward at the entrance of the hall.

The Stele of Huajue Lane Great Mosque:
In addition, there is a stele around the stone archway, with the words "Tao and Fa Sheng Tiandi", which is the handwriting of Mi Fu, a calligrapher of the Song Dynasty. Continue to visit, you will see a horizontal plaque of "Tingzhi Worship Hall", on the door of Rongxiu Hall, that is handwritten by Dong Qichang, a calligrapher of Ming Dynasty. These are all handwriting that calligraphy enthusiasts cannot miss.

When is the best time to visit?
Every March to October is the best time to travel to Xi'an, because, at that time, tourists can not only enjoy the view of Xi'an but also see some cultural relics of Xi'an.
In which I have to say that from June to September is the peak season of tourism in Xi'an every year, but during this period, the weather will be very hot and there will be many tourists.
By the way, from Mid-November to March is the off-season of tourism in Xi'an, at that time, the climate of Xi'an is cold and dry and the temperature is really low, so there are fewer tourists. Although it is not the peak season of tourism, most scenic spots carry out off-season prices. Considering the economic factors, it will be the best time to travel to Xi'an.

Travel tips:
1.In Muslim residential area, and tourists should respect their customs and habits.
2.Please take care of your valuables during the peak season.

The admission fees:
Peak season: 25 RMB/Person
Off season: 15 RMB/Person

Opening Time:
Peak season: 7th July to 15th September ( 8.00 AM to 9.00 PM )
Off season: 16th September to 6th July ( 8.00 AM to 7.00 PM )

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