The metropolitan city of Guangzhou is the third largest city in China and attracts a fair share of tourists each year. The city has excellent infrastructure, with almost every one of the city’s attractions being accessible by public transport. Famous for business, many large trade fairs are held here annually. The biggest of them is the Canton Fair. While skyscrapers predominantly stand in the cityscape, there are many cultural and historical sites tucked within the urban centre.
One such structure is the Huaisheng mosque. Its name means ‘remember the sage’ and the mosque is dedicated to Prophet Muhammad, the messenger of Islam. Huaisheng is among the oldest mosques in all of China. Guangzhou being the place where Islam was first introduced in China, sometime during the seventh century, it is a terrific place to go to get enlightenment about the Islamic culture in this region and even today holds great significance for the Muslim population of Guangzhou.
The mosque comprises of six main buildings- the Covered Corridor, the Imam Hall, the Stone Steles Pavilion, the Storehouse of Islamic Scripture, the Wangyue Attic and the Light Tower. While the majority of the structures bear the architectural influence of Tang Dynasty, the Light Tower leans toward the Arab style of architecture. A minaret, the Light Tower has also served as a beacon for sailors navigating the Zhujiang River. The place is open to Muslims as well as tour groups. You can easily access the holy site by either bus or subway. It is situated in a very scenic location and is definitely worth a visit.
