Beimen Mosque in Huaning County, Yuxi

Panxi North Gate Mosque (盘溪北门清真寺) is located in Panxi Town (盘溪镇), Huaning County (华宁县), Yuxi City (玉溪市), Yunnan Province (云南省). It was originally built in the 6th year of the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty (清咸丰六年, 1856).

• Chinese Name: Panxi North Gate Mosque (盘溪北门清真寺)
• Address: Panxi Town (盘溪镇), Huaning County (华宁县), Yunnan Province (云南省)
• Postal Code: 652801
• Current Imam: Ma Mingpeng (马名鹏)
• Current Academic Director: Ma Zunneng (马遵能)

Historical Background

Initial Construction

Panxi North Gate Mosque (盘溪北门清真寺) was first built in the 6th year of the Xianfeng reign (1856) during the Qing Dynasty (清朝).

Renovations and Reconstructions

The main prayer hall was rebuilt in the 12th year of the Guangxu reign (光绪十二年, 1886). The mosque underwent two major renovations and expansions in 1919 and again after the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Today, the mosque covers 5.3 mu with a total building area of 2,761 square meters. The main prayer hall is 629 square meters and can accommodate over 500 worshippers. The architectural style follows the traditional Chinese palace design.

Architectural Features

Style and Decoration

The mosque's interior features exquisitely painted and carved wooden wall panels. In the center hangs an Arabic plaque reading “Allahu Akbar” (安拉至大). On the north and south walls hang golden calligraphy plaques with phrases such as “Serve the Lord and Follow the Prophet” (奉主遵圣) and “Master of the Universe” (主宰宇宙).

Outside the entrance, the central columns bear a couplet:
“Cleanse away worldly illusions and their realms;
Lift the veil of desire between the innate and the acquired.”

Above the doorway is inscribed the phrase: “Knowledge, Faith, Practice, Sincerity” (知信行诚), radiating a dignified spiritual presence.

Main Buildings

In 1980, a magnificent new minaret was constructed. The structure is four stories tall with a solid concrete base supported by 18 steel columns. The upper two levels feature a hexagonal ancient-style design supported by 25 wooden columns. The overall architectural layout is compact yet layered, structurally complete, and visually harmonious.

Location and Transportation

Panxi Town (盘溪镇) is situated in the eastern part of Huaning County (华宁县), Yuxi City (玉溪市), Yunnan Province (云南省). It borders Mile County (弥勒县) and Jianshui County (建水县) to the east, Huaxi Town (华溪镇) to the south, Ningzhou Town (宁州镇) to the west, and Tonghongdian Yi and Miao Ethnic Township (通红甸彝族苗族乡) to the north.

The town government is based in Panxi (盘溪), which is 1.5 km from the Panxi Railway Station (盘溪火车站) on the Kunming–Hekou Railway (昆河铁路), and 55 km from the county seat.

Panxi, historically known as “Boxi” (婆兮), is surrounded by mountains, with the central Panxi Basin (盘溪坝) covering 176.5 square kilometers. The Nanpan River (南盘江) flows through the town from north to south.

Panxi Town administers 17 village committees, 1 residential committee, and 138 village groups, with a total of 14,381 households and a population of 51,065. The total grain output is 1,624.76 tons, with a gross economic income of 301.55 million yuan and fiscal revenue of 3.61 million yuan.

Religious Community

The mosque serves 1,108 Hui (回族) households, with a total of 4,055 Hui residents. Many ancestors migrated here during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, with a Ma (马) clan settling during the Qianlong reign (乾隆年间, 1736–1795) of the Qing Dynasty.

The mosque houses four woodblock-printed copies of the Qur'an (《古兰经》). Distinguished local hajjis include Ma Zunrong (马遵荣) and He Guizhen (何桂珍).