Niujie Mosque

The Niujie Mosque, literally Ox Street Mosque, is Beijing's most historical and majestic mosque. It is situated on the Niujie Street (Ox Street) in the city's Xicheng District, hence the name. First built in 996, the Niujie Mosque has a history that stretches back over a thousand years, during which time it has undergone numerous refits and extensions, and has greeted Muslims from all over the world to worship. The mosque covers an area of over 7,000 square yards (6,000 square meters), and is structurally based on traditional Chinese wooden palaces, yet adopts typical Arabic-style decorations. There are no human or animal figures among these decorations as these are considered taboo in Islam.

Unlike south-facing Buddhist temples, the Niujie Mosque faces towards Mekka, the holy land of Islam in the west. The layout is symmetrical and compact. The entrance gate is fronted by a large wall with a white marble pedestal, which stretches for around 44 yards (40 meters). A series of relief sculptures sit on the wall, depicting images of happiness and fortune. After passing through the entrance gate, visitors can see the Watching Moon Tower, a hexagonal, two-storied structure reaching over 33 feet (10 meters) tall and housed under a golden-glazed roof. The tower is so named because it was used by the imam to observe the position of the moon to determine times for fasting.

The Prayer Hall
The Prayer Hall

Walking along the path that runs beside the tower, visitors eventually reach the Prayer Hall - the most important building in the Niujie Mosque. It is a place only open to Muslims. Covering an area of 700 square yards (600 square meters), the hall has the capacity for a few thousand worshippers. The hall's arched gate is decorated with script from the Koran and poems of worship. Some of the text is written in the ancient Arabic characters of Al-Kufi, which is rarely seen in China. The room is also adorned with various paintings of flowers, strings of glass beads and colored glass, which contribute to the hall's air of great importance and holiness.

Outside of the Prayer Hall, two stele pavilions sit either side of the hall. In each of them stands a stone tablet detailing the history of it. To the southeast of the hall, two black-brick graves of Shaykhs lie under a dense collection of cypress trees. Although hundreds of years old, the epigraphs on the gravestones remain clearly readable and are of great importance to research into the history of Islam in China.

The Niujie Mosque offers visitors not only the chance to admire a truly unique building, but also the opportunity to broaden their knowledge about Islam and its place in Chinese cultural history. It should certainly rank highly on any visitor's itinerary to Beijing.
 

Tips:

1. Proper dress is required. No admittance if you are wearing shorts or a skirt.
2. Admittance to the Prayer Hall is limited to Muslims only.
3. Some areas in it are not open to the public. Please refer to the information on the ticket.

How to get there

 By Bus:
1. Take bus 10, 48, 88, or 717 and get off at Niujie Libaisi (Niujie Mosque) Station.
2. Take bus Special Line 13 and get off at Niujie Station.
 By Subway:
1. Take Subway Line 7 and get off at Guang'anmennei Station. Get out from Exit C2. Then walk to the east along Guang'anmennei Street and turn south at the crossing with Niujie Street.
2. Take Subway Line 4 or Line 7 and get off at Caishikou Station. Get out from Exit E. Then walk to the west along Guang'anmennei Street and turn south at the crossing with Niujie Street.
Beijing Bus / Subway Search

Entrance Fee CNY 5 for Chinese, CNY 10 for foreingers; free for Muslims
Opening Hours 08:00-16:00

 Recommended Nearby Attractions:
 Baoguo Temple
 Fayuan Temple
 Taoranting Park
 Guanganmen Food Street

 Suggestd Tours:
Day Trip to Niujie Mosque: One day tour of Niujie Mosque - Fayuan Temple - Taoranting Park - Liulichang Cultural Street
Taoranting Park Cycling: Taoranting Park - Temple of Xiannong - Fayuan Temple - Niujie Mosque - Grand View Garden
More Beijing Tours

Further Reading:
7 Unusual Things to Do in Beijing Especially for Return Visitors
 

- Last updated on Aug. 21, 2024 by Gabby Li -
Questions & Answers on Niujie Mosque
Asked by Norta from INDONESIA | Sep. 09, 2019 23:17Reply
How way to reach Niujie mosque from University of international business and economic?
Answers (1)
Answered by Reagan from CANADA | Sep. 10, 2019 02:29
00Reply


Walk southeast around 900 meters to get to Shaoyaoju Station. Take metro line 13 to Dongzhimen Station and transfer to metro line 2 to Changchun Street Station, Exit A2. Then take bus no.88 to the destination directly.
Asked by Noor B Abdullah from MALAYSIA | Dec. 03, 2018 20:27Reply
Is the mosque pack during Friday prayers? How to get there from Sunworld Hotel Wangfujing?
Answers (1)
Answered by Tabitha from USA | Dec. 04, 2018 23:40
00Reply


You can first take the metro line 5 at Dengshikou metro station and then get off at Ciqikou. Then transfer to the metro line 7 and get off at Caishikou. Get out from the exit E and take the bus No.48. Finally get off at the mosque.
Asked by Lutfiah from MALAYSIA | Nov. 26, 2018 19:12Reply
I'm staying around Beijing Puhuangyun area. Please guard me how to go to the Niujie mosque.
Thank you.
Answers (1)
Answered by Jeanne from CANADA | Nov. 26, 2018 22:45
00Reply


Do you mean Puhuangyu metro station? If yes, you can first walk about 90 meters to the Puhuangyu bus stop to take the bus No.53 and get off at Niujie Xili. Then walk about 250 meters to the mosque.
Asked by Nandang Setiawan from INDONESIA | Nov. 24, 2018 06:59Reply
How to rach Niujie mosque from Mingri Wuzhou Hotel to Niujie mosque?
Please, guide me to reach Niujie mosque by bus and how much trip cost for taxi from Beijing Mingri Wuzhou Hotel? Thanks a lot.
Answers (1)
Answered by Solomon from SPAIN | Nov. 25, 2018 23:35
00Reply


By bus, first take the bus No.46 at Maliandaonankou bus stop, about 20 meters from the hotel, and get off at Wanzi bus stop. Then transfer to take the bus No.133 or 53 and get off at Niujiexili bus stop. Then walk about 250 meters to the mosque. The ticket fare is CNY4 and the travel time is about 45 – 50 minutes. If taking a taxi, the fare is about CNY15 – 20 and the duration is about 20 minutes.
Ask a Question
Question Summary (100 characters)
Details (optional) (2,000 characters)
NameCountryEmail