Which Chinese mosque in Xi’an is one of the country’s oldest surviving Islamic buildings?

The Great Mosque of Xi'an is one of China’s oldest surviving Islamic buildings.

The mosque stands in Xi'an’s historic Muslim quarter and is traditionally said to have been founded in 742 during the Tang dynasty, shortly after Islam reached China. Most of the present complex, however, dates from later rebuilding and expansion, especially during the Ming and Qing periods.

Its architecture is notable for combining Chinese timber-frame planning, courtyards, tiled roofs, and garden elements with Islamic inscriptions and religious functions. Unlike many Middle Eastern mosques, it does not prominently use a dome or a conventional minaret. Its main axis and courtyards follow Chinese architectural traditions.

The site is also called the Great Eastern Mosque in some contexts. It should not be confused with Guangzhou’s Huaisheng Mosque, another early Chinese Islamic monument traditionally associated with the first Muslim communities in China.