Huaishengsi Guangta, Guangzhou

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This mosque also goes by several other names such as the Huaisheng Mosque and Lighthouse Mosque due to its 36 foot tall tower which served as a beacon for sailors. It is said to have been founded during the Tang dynasty over 1,300 years ago by Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas who was an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad which, therefore, makes it one of the oldest mosques in China. He was on his first Muslim mission to China in the 630s. The mosque was rebuilt in 1350 then in again in 1695 after being destroyed in a fire. Unfortunately, non-Muslims are not allowed to visit.

Huaishengsi Guangta, called "Remember the Prophet Mosque" in English, is a truly amazing site, among many truly astounding sites all across the old city of Guangzhou. This mosque, built in classical Chinese architectural style, was rebuilt on the site of a former mosque that is said to have been established all the way back in 627 A.D. (roughly around the time of Muhammad himself!) by the first Muslim missionary to China. That fact gives you an idea of the power and influence of the Arab empire at that early stage of development... The present structures are Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), as the original mosque was destroyed by fire in 1343 under unknown circumstances... The minaret of this mosque is one of the well-known symbols of old Guangzhou, alongside the pagoda at the Temple of Six Banyan Trees... When I visited, the mosque was open to the public...

The present structures of the mosque are Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), as the original building was destroyed by fire in 1343 under unknown circumstances... The minaret of this mosque is one of the well-known symbols of old Guangzhou, alongside the pagoda at the Temple of Six Banyan Trees. Take a look at this very old map of Guangzhou and you will see the minaret on the lower left hand side where it says "Pagoda M." (M for mosque).

When I visited, the mosque was open to the public...