Donglianhua Mosque in Weishan County, Dali

Donglianhua Mosque (东莲花清真寺) is an Islamic mosque located in Donglianhua Village (东莲花村), Yongjian Township (永建乡), Weishan County (巍山县), Yunnan Province (云南省). Originally constructed in the early Qing Dynasty, the mosque underwent expansion in 1921 and renovation in 1987. The existing main structure features a fusion of traditional Chinese wooden architecture and Islamic elements, adopting a "nine-turn eleven-style" layout. The mosque covers an area of approximately 8.8 mu (about 5,867 square meters). The main prayer hall accommodates up to a thousand worshippers, while the four-story minaret, 14 meters tall, serves as a prominent landmark.

As the central religious site of Donglianhua Village (东莲花村), the mosque forms a significant part of the Yunnan Provincial Historic and Cultural Village designation, together with over 30 traditional residences from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China era. Inside the mosque is a historical plaque inscribed with “Cheng Yi Bu Er” (诚一不二), donated by Major General Yang Shengqi (杨盛奇) in the 15th year of the Republic of China (1926).

• Registered Name: Donglianhua Mosque, Yongjian Town, Weishan County (巍山县永建镇东莲花清真寺)
• Establishment Date: April 18, 1997
• Location: Donglianhua Village, Yongjian Town, Weishan County, Yunnan Province (云南省巍山县永建镇东莲花村)
• Architectural Type: Timber-framed double-eaved hip-roof structure
• Original Construction: Early Qing Dynasty
• Cultural Status: Core heritage building in a Yunnan Provincial Historic and Cultural Village

Historical Evolution

In its earliest phase during the early Qing period, the mosque consisted of a simple prayer space. Systematic construction began during the Guangxu era, and the first major expansion occurred in 1921, forming the basic layout. By 1924 (13th year of the Republic of China), the main structures of the prayer hall and minaret were completed. Another expansion was carried out in 1987, followed by a large-scale restoration in 1990 to revive the traditional architectural style. On April 18, 1997, the mosque was officially registered as a legal religious site by the Weishan County Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau.

Architectural Features

The main architectural complex follows a “one tower, one prayer hall” configuration, with the main entrance located to the east and passageways connecting to the village streets to the north and south. The prayer hall features a nine-turn eleven-style, double-eaved hip roof. The front porch includes traditional dougong brackets and Islamic floral carvings. The 9-meter-high interior space is supported by a traditional beam-lifting wooden frame. The minaret has four stories and a pyramidal roof, with a 7-meter square base that narrows with each ascending level, forming a slender profile.

The mosque complex includes three courtyards, with lecture halls and ablution rooms on the east and west sides. The architectural style uses grey tiles and white walls, and the main gate bears a stone inscription reading "Shi Shou Qing Zhen" (世守清真).

Religious and Cultural Significance

As a center of Islamic cultural transmission in western Yunnan, the mosque has long played a role in jingtang (classical Islamic) education and preserves traditional Muslim festivals. A historical plaque donated in 1926 by Yang Shengqi (杨盛奇) remains in the main hall, reflecting the interactions between political-military figures and religious institutions during the Republican period.

Together with surrounding caravan culture relics, the mosque forms part of the “Islamic Waystation of the Ancient Tea Horse Road” cultural landscape. In 2016, a delegation of overseas Chinese-language media visited to explore the architectural artistry of the site.

Administrative Information

As of 2025, the mosque’s legal representative is Zhang Zhijun (张志军), and the registered address is in Donglianhua Village (东莲花村) under the Yonghe Village Committee (永和村委会). As one of the largest existing mosques in Weishan County (巍山县), it hosts daily prayers five times a day, the Friday Jumu'ah prayer, as well as major festivals such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The mosque is managed by a committee, and any restoration or construction must be approved by the county-level cultural heritage authorities.