Strolling in Lanzhou ‖ Nanguan Grand Mosque, a rare sight in Northwest China

Lanzhou's Nanguan Mosque has a long history and a unique overall architectural shape, which is rare in the northwest region. The mosque is located in the ethnic flavor street in Nanguan, Lanzhou, and was built in the Ming Dynasty. The original site of the temple was outside the South Gate. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Nanguan Temple was relocated and rebuilt to its current location.
The prayer hall of Nanguan Mosque is built in the style of an Arab mosque, imitating the Green Dome of the Rock Temple in Jerusalem and is divided into four floors. The main hall is composed of a frame of 12 reinforced concrete top columns and 24 cross beams.
The mosque faces east and sits west, with the Nanguan Night Market at the entrance. As you enter the temple, the majestic green-domed hall comes into view. The building has distinct layers and the green and white tones are fresh and bright. The mosque has two courtyards, front and back, and adopts the traditional palace-style wooden structure.
Lanzhou Nanguan Mosque has a gatehouse, a wake-up building, a prayer hall, a pond and other buildings in sequence. It has a compact and harmonious layout, a magnificent and solemn appearance, and a gate towering over the street. In the center is a three-story red pillar with green tiles rising into the sky, decorated with Chinese scripture couplets and plaques, which is simple and elegant.
The main gate of the mosque is a traditional wooden structure with floral and brick carvings on both sides. On both sides of the gate are two four-story wooden awakening buildings facing each other, 29 meters high, with hexagonal eaves and covered with green glazed tiles. The whole building is magnificent, elegant in color, majestic and spectacular, fully demonstrating the beauty of traditional Chinese architecture. Lanzhou Nanguan Grand Mosque

Post by Andrew Beaumont | Apr 8, 2024