Dazhuang Mosque in Kaiyuan City, Honghe

Dazhuang Mosque (大庄清真寺) is located at the southern end of Dazhuang Street in Dazhuang Township (大庄乡), Kaiyuan City (开远市), Yunnan Province (云南省). It was originally built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty and relocated to its current site for reconstruction in the 17th year of the Jiaqing reign (1812) of the Qing Dynasty. The mosque occupies an area of 9,450 square meters, with a built-up area of 4,179 square meters. Its architectural components include the Main Prayer Hall, side buildings on the east and west, and a three-tiered hexagonal domed minaret. The layout combines traditional Chinese architectural styles with Islamic cultural elements.

As an important place of worship for the Gedimu (格底目) sect of Islam in southern Yunnan, the mosque was designated as a Protected Cultural Heritage Site of Yunnan Province in 1998. The wooden structures still preserved within the mosque date from the Jiaqing to Daoguang periods of the Qing Dynasty and exhibit a distinctive “courtyard within a courtyard” spatial layout.

Historical Evolution

The mosque was first constructed during the Wanli period (1573–1620) of the Ming Dynasty and underwent its first renovation in the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. Due to limited space at the original site, it was relocated and rebuilt at the current location in the 17th year of Jiaqing (1812). In the 15th year of the Daoguang reign (1835), a three-tiered hexagonal domed minaret was added, shaping the mosque’s current main layout.

In the 1940s, the mosque served as the location for both the Sino-Arab New People’s School (中阿新民学校) and a branch campus of the private Mingde Middle School (明德中学), playing a dual role in religious education and anti-Japanese propaganda. It was designated as a cultural heritage site of Kaiyuan City in 1983 and later elevated to the provincial level in 1999.

Architectural Features

Spatial Layout

The mosque adopts a “courtyard within a courtyard” design:

• Inner Courtyard: Centered around the Main Prayer Hall, flanked by side buildings and the Awakening Pavilion (醒梦楼) along the east-west axis.
• Outer Courtyard: Includes the Library, Front Hall, and Main Gate, arranged along the north-south axis.

Main Structures

• Main Prayer Hall: Built in 1812, it features a single-eaved hip roof supported by a seven-beam structure. It spans five bays in width (20.7 meters) and four bays in depth (16 meters), with eleven beams supported by traditional Chinese bracket sets.
• Awakening Pavilion (Minaret): Completed in 1835, the minaret has a three-tiered hexagonal domed roof, standing at 16.21 meters tall. The ground floor is a stone base, while the upper levels are wooden pavilions.
• Library: Constructed during the Qing Dynasty, the three-bay-wide building is 11.18 meters tall and was once used as a Qur’anic school.

Cultural Integration

The wooden lattice screens inside the Main Prayer Hall are carved with traditional Chinese auspicious motifs such as lions, deer, and elephants, while the doors and windows feature Arab-style geometric patterns in hollow-carving techniques. This exemplifies the architectural style of “Chinese exterior, Islamic interior.”

A plaque bearing the inscription “Wuwei Buzhao” (无微不照), written by Ma Weiqi (马维骐), the military governor of Yunnan in the 11th year of the Guangxu reign (1885), hangs in the Main Hall. The couplet on the minaret—“Layer upon layer awakens the world, step by step with mindful intent” (层层醒世，步步精心)—reflects the blending of Islamic philosophy and Chinese literary tradition.

Social Functions

Beyond religious worship, the mosque also served important educational and social functions:

• In 1940, it hosted the Sino-Arab New People’s School, offering both Qur’an classes and modern subjects.
• In 1943, it became a branch of the private Mingde Middle School, where underground Communist Party members such as Zhu Jiabi (朱家璧) taught.
• From the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China period, it also functioned as a venue for weddings, funerals, and scripture printing.

Cultural Heritage Protection

The existing buildings from the Jiaqing to Daoguang periods of the Qing Dynasty are well preserved:

• The Main Hall retains ink inscriptions on the beam structures from the Jiaqing era.
• The minaret features traditional mortise-and-tenon wooden joinery without the use of nails.
• Between 1983 and 1998, conservation projects were carried out, including roof repairs and wood preservation treatments.