Hohhot, China
Coordinates: 40.809734, 111.655775
The Great Mosque of Hohhot is a mosque in Huimin District, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China.
It is the oldest and largest mosque in Inner Mongolia.
The mosque was constructed in 1693 by the Hui people. It was then renovated in 1789 and 1923.
The mosque was designed with the Chinese and Arabic architecture and built with black bricks.
It covers an area of 4,000 m2. It has one minaret with a height of 15 meters and a public bath.
Hui people one of the many ethnics in Inner Mongolia you can have a look of some of their habit，dishes，culture and history.
There is both a modern mosque and the original (late 17th century) one alongside it, built for the Hui Muslim minority people who came from Xinjiang during the reign of Emperor Kangxi.
The local congregation were nice and friendly. And it is surrounded with many halal shops and eateries but do check before buying, not all shops are halal as we found out.
Think of the Muslim travelers of the Silk Road stepping here for praying to Allah and getting protection for the route.
Nearby is this strange and huge mosque building that isn’t a mosque but a meeting and conference hall.
One can enter the original mosque area from the street, but most of the buildings are not open to the general public. Sometimes it is possible to climb the 15-meter minaret, which is the most distinctive piece of architecture in the entire complex.
Muslim food is available nearby, and the entire street is distinctively Muslim in appearance.
The mosque is about a kilometer north of three Buddhist temples, and a few hundred meters from People’s Park.
All these together make an excellent walking tour to fill up an entire afternoon.
Know This
Many Halal restaurants near mosque, suitable for Muslim travelers.
