📜 About & history
The ancient town of Miancheng has a history of more than 1,500 years as a historic seat of successive prefectures and counties. Before the founding of the People's Republic it had two mosques: the East Mosque, built during the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty at Qilicheng, and the West Mosque, built during the Jiajing era at Honghuadi. Japanese warplanes destroyed both mosques in the autumn of 1938, and in 1941 Nationalist army troops (128th Division) burned them, leaving them in ruins. In 1955 a new mosque was rebuilt on the site of the West Mosque, comprising a star-watching tower, prayer hall, and bathhouse. Miancheng is today Hubei's only Hui ethnic town, home to nearly 7,000 Hui residents who regard the mosque as a symbol of their community.
🕌 Prayer & visiting
The five daily prayers and Friday prayer are held regularly, and Islamic holidays bring together the town's Hui residents in large numbers.
📍 Address
🇨🇳 Inside China use Baidu or Amap; Google Maps needs a VPN.
🚇 How to reach the mosque
Local buses connect central Xiantao City with Miancheng Town.
There is no Arab quarter in Xiantao; the mosque serves the historic Hui community of Miancheng Town.
Miancheng Town is a short drive from central Xiantao City, and the mosque is its most prominent historic landmark.
The ancient town of Miancheng merits an extended visit given its 1,500-year history and other historic sites alongside the mosque.