Da  Qingzhen Si ( Great Mosque)

Arabs and Persians came here along the silk route introducing Islam to China in 742AD.  They remained, intermarrying with the Han Chinese.  Today very few are able to speak Arabic.

This is one of the largest mosques in China, built in a combination of Arabic and Chinese styles. 

The Minaret

This is the only mosque in the world where the call to prayer is in Chinese and the minaret is a pagoda.

Around the courtyards are bath houses as it is mandatory to bathe before prayer.

Waiting for the call to prayer.

During the Cultural Revolution a band of Red Guards arrived to destroy the Mosque.  They were persuaded by the Iman to spare the historic buildings.  The Mosque was closed and the occupants sent to work in the fields.