Photo: Wang Xinmin
Fuzhou City Mosque is located in Fuzhou Town, Wafangdian in Dalian, was built in the sixth year of the Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1649), has a history of nearly 400 years, is the first mosque in Dalian area, and is also a famous mosque in southern Liaoning.
According to legend, around the sixth year of Chongde of the Qing Dynasty (1641), a group of people with the four surnames of Yin, Ma, Dai and Hui in Qingxian County, Hebei Province made a living and settled in Fuzhou City one after another. Because they all believe in Islam, they agreed to raise funds to build a mosque.
In the thirteenth year of the Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1656), a mosque was erected from three straw houses. In the 29th year of Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1764), the Hui people of Fuzhou City worked together to raise silver taels and build a worship hall covering an area of about 300 square meters and accommodating more than 200 liters.
However, by the 39th year of Qianlong (1774) of the Qing Dynasty, the mosque was dilapidated, and the number of Hui had increased, making worship small and crowded, so everyone discussed raising funds to rebuild it.
The newly completed mosque sits west facing east and is still a straw house. In the sixth year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1880), the local Hui people expanded and repaired the mosque, lengthened the worship hall on the left and right, and built seven new straw houses as warehouses on the north side of the water house.
In 1920, due to the increase in the Hui population, it was decided to raise funds to renovate the mosque, mainly to expand the worship hall forward and backward, and to remove the roof of the straw house and hang it with green tiles in a wavy shape.
During the Cultural Revolution, mosques were damaged, many cultural relics were lost, and the main hall was occupied. In 1980, the mosque was completely renovated at the expense of the local government.
In 1988, the ditch on the roof of the mosque was repaired, 20 tiled rooms were improved, and the mosque covering an area of 2,400 square meters began to take shape. In 2009, the wall that was about to collapse was heightened and reinforced and a new lounge was built.
The current Fuzhou City Mosque is listed as an important historical relic in Dalian and is also a key ancient building protection unit.
Three plaques hang on the door of the main hall: "Love the country and religion", "Return to simplicity", and "Abide by the rules".
The worship hall is the main building of the mosque, with a hooked structure and a construction area of 273 square meters.
Fuzhou City Mosque covers an area of about 3.6 acres, with a construction area of 716 square meters, consisting of a gate, a second gate, a main hall, a scripture room, a lecture hall, a bunker building, a living room, a bathing room, and a large scale.
Entering the main hall, there is a small hall of warm pavilion, called the recess, which is where the imam preaches. The main hall can accommodate more than 300 people to worship at the same time.
At present, there are nearly 1,000 parishioners in Fuzhou City, including 8 school directors, 2 imams, and 4 Manla. There are many classics in Arabic, Persian and manuscripts in the temple. ＇
Taken on September 7, 2023 in Fuzhou Town Mosque, Wafangdian City (some photos and text are selected from the Internet, thanks to the author)
Editor: Yan Jingping "White Wave Love"