Want to taste the best of Muslim culture during Beijing China tour? Then you really should put Niujie Mosque on the top of your list.

A street in the southwestern urban area of Beijing where Hui people are living in compact community is named Niujie Street. Built on the eastern side at the middle section, Niujie Mosque is the largest and most ancient mosque in the region of Beijing. Buildings in the mosque are in the form of traditional Chinese wooden structure. However, the mosque’s general layout and detailed decorations still retain the features of Islamic buildings. With a Beijing trip down to the mosque, you can see it for yourself.

Main structures include the entrance gate, Wangyue Tower, Service Building, Bangke Building, Tablet Pavilion as well as baths. Though it area is not big, its layout is well designed, the structure of the halls is varying, its gingerbread is beautiful, compared with Buddhist temples. It achieved the same result with different methods.

According to Islamic religious rules, the believers, when doing religious service, have to face the west to worship the holy place Mecca, that’s why the mosque’s gate sits in the east but faces the west. The west side of the hall is also honored. And because according to Koran, it is forbidden to use the image of animals as adornment, so the decorative figures of the building are all in the Arabic alphabetic and geometric pattern.

All in all, Niujie Mosque is worth exploring during your Beijing package tour.