Nancheng Mosque, Kunming

Nancheng Mosque (南城清真寺), commonly referred to as “Libaisi” (礼拜寺) by the local Hui community, is the core architectural and symbolic structure of Islam. It serves as a central venue for prayers, religious rituals, education, missionary activities, and major festival celebrations for Muslims in Kunming (昆明). The mosque was originally established by Sayyid Ajall Shams al-Din (赛典赤·赡思丁) and exhibits architectural features influenced by Buddhist culture, showcasing the style of traditional Chinese temples. The mosque complex also includes a printing house located in the courtyard, where a large collection of Islamic scriptures and works is preserved.

• Chinese Name: 南城清真寺 (Nancheng Mosque)
• Location: Kunming City (昆明市), Yunnan Province (云南省)
• Religious Affiliation: Islam
• Founder: Sayyid Ajall Shams al-Din (赛典赤·赡思丁)

Historical Development

Initial Construction

One account suggests that the mosque was built between 1274 and 1279 during the reign of Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty, under the supervision of Sayyid Ajall Shams al-Din (赛典赤·赡思丁), who served as Governor of the Yunnan Province.

Another theory dates the mosque’s origins back to the Tang Dynasty. A stele from 1694 (the 33rd year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign in the Qing Dynasty) states that the mosque was originally constructed in 632 (the 6th year of Emperor Taizong of Tang) and later renovated by Prince Xianyang during the Yuan Dynasty. Similarly, an 1817 stele from Yongning Temple mentions the mosque’s founding in the early Tang period. A stele from the reign of Emperor Tongzhi (1862–1874) also supports this claim.

Yet another account attributes its founding to the Yuan Dynasty. According to the 1540 Gazetteer of Yunnan by Li Yuanyang, the mosque was built by Sayyid Ajall Shams al-Din (赛典赤·赡思丁). A local Kunming county record from 1842 notes that two mosques—one inside the South Gate and one on Fish Market Street—were both built by Sayyid Ajall Shams al-Din during the Yuan Dynasty.

Renovations and Reconstructions

• In the early Qing Dynasty, the mosque was destroyed during military conflicts.
• Rebuilt during the reign of Emperor Qianlong.
• Destroyed again during the early reign of Emperor Kangxi (1673–1677) and later rebuilt with funds raised by local Muslims.
• Renovated in 1817 (22nd year of Emperor Jiaqing).
• Burned down during the Hui uprising in 1856 (Xianfeng Bingchen year).
• Rebuilt in 1867 (6th year of Emperor Tongzhi).
• Renovated again in the early reign of Emperor Guangxu by military commander Ma Rulong (马如龙).
• Underwent major repairs in 1898 (24th year of Guangxu’s reign).

Scale and Structure

The major renovation in 1898 resulted in a brick-and-wood architectural complex covering 2,229 square meters. The main buildings include the Prayer Hall (朝真殿) and Scripture Pavilion (经亭):

• Prayer Hall: 21.9 meters long (north-south) and 17.9 meters wide (east-west), approx. 392 square meters, with a hip-gable roof, side columns in traditional Chinese chuandou style, lattice doors, and long benches outside the entrance. The front features a curved canopy roof, and the interior walls are decorated with paintings of the holy sites in Mecca.
• Scripture Pavilion: A square wooden structure with sides of 10.2 meters, four hip rafters at the corners, surrounded by a veranda and wooden railings with seating. The main gate lies to the east, featuring a couplet inscribed on both sides:
  “Respect the words of the Prophet, be cautious and vigilant;
  Follow the will of Heaven, be steadfast and diligent.”

Additional features include a bathhouse behind the Prayer Hall, residential quarters and storage rooms on either side, and a courtyard (天井) in front. On the north and south sides of the courtyard are two-story wooden wing rooms.
In 1996, the original Prayer Hall was dismantled and relocated to Lihua Village (梨花村) in Songming County (嵩明县), where it was reconstructed to replicate its original appearance.

Modern Reconstruction (1996)

In 1996, the mosque was rebuilt as a brick-concrete structure covering 2,557 square meters.

• The new Prayer Hall is a three-story building totaling 1,200 square meters.
• The minaret is 40 meters tall.
• In front of the Prayer Hall is a courtyard.
• To the east of the courtyard stands the Muslim Mansion, a nine-story building covering 5,800 square meters, equipped with elevators, a power distribution room, and a fire water tank.
• The Kunming Islamic Association (昆明市伊斯兰教协会) is headquartered here.

Architectural Features

The mosque spans 5,000 square meters and resembles a phoenix spreading its wings.

• At the center of the inner courtyard is the Scripture Pavilion.
• Facing the pavilion is the five-bay Prayer Hall.
• On both sides are five wing rooms each.
• The Prayer Hall consists of five bays in width and three in depth, supported by four large columns. A plaque above the central entrance reads “朝真殿” (Prayer Hall).
• The front has a curved canopy roof, and the side walls are adorned with Mecca architectural paintings.
• The side wings are two-story buildings with wooden balconies.
• The Scripture Pavilion is a one-story building with a hip-gable roof and upturned eaves, surrounded by a veranda and decorated with delicate openwork wooden carvings.

The mosque houses an extensive collection of rare Islamic texts, including:

• A complete 30-volume woodblock-printed edition of The Noble Revelation (宝命真经) from 1895 (Guangxu 21st year), handwritten by renowned Quranic scholar and calligrapher Tian Jiapei Hajji (田家培哈吉), and carefully edited by Ma Lianyuan (马联元), totaling 1,946 blocks and 3,571 pages.
• Over 100 woodblock-printed Islamic texts from the Xianfeng and Tongzhi periods, in Chinese, Arabic, and Persian, such as Essential Interpretations (真诠要录), Guiding Sayings (指南要言), The Ultimate Integration (大化总归), and Global Summary (寰宇述要), among which about 70 are completely preserved.

The mosque is listed as a key cultural heritage site of Panlong District (盘龙区) in Kunming City and hosts the Kunming Islamic Association.

Cultural Significance

Historical Influence

Over the past century, Nancheng Mosque has served as a hub for Islamic activities in Yunnan:

• Hosted the Qingzhen Guild (清真公会) during the late Qing Dynasty.
• Site of the China Yunnan Muhammad Advancement Association (1912), the Yunnan Branch of the Chinese Hui Advancement Association (1913), and the Yunnan Branch of the Chinese Hui National Salvation Association (1938).
• Headquarters for the Yunnan Branch of the Chinese Hui Association (1940), Hui United Association (from 1950), Hui Cultural Promotion Association, and the early Republican Zhenxue Society.

The mosque also played an important role in Islamic publishing:

• In 1915, Qingzhen Monthly (清真月报), the first Islamic periodical in China, was launched here.
• In 1929, Qingzhen Duo (清真铎报) continued the work until 1949. Both editorial offices were housed in the mosque.

Educational Contribution

• The mosque was home to Yunnan’s first ethnic minority middle school, Mingde Middle School (明德中学), founded in 1926.
• The school nurtured many notable figures, including professors, translators, and scholars such as Na Zhong (纳忠), Na Xun (纳训), Ma Jian (马坚), and Lin Xinghua (林兴华).

Cultural Collection

Nancheng Mosque preserves numerous Islamic classics and the works of renowned Hui scholars and Quranic masters such as Ma Zhu (马注), Ma Fuchu (马复初), and Ma Lianzhi (马联之).

• The Arabic woodblock-printed Qur’an is a globally unique artifact, written by Tian Jiapei (田家培) and engraved during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty.
• The mosque also houses 50–60 woodblock editions of Islamic texts including Islamic Guide (清真指南), Tianfang Etiquette (天方性礼), and Tianfang Rites (天方典礼), offering invaluable material for Islamic studies.

Location and Accessibility

Nancheng Mosque (南城清真寺) is situated near Jinri Park (近日公园) on Zhengyi Road (正义路), south of the Great South Gate (大南门) in Kunming City (昆明市), Yunnan Province (云南省).

How to Get there?



By Bus:
1.You can take bus No. 120 and get off at Longjing Street Station, then walk to Nancheng Mosque for five minutes.
2.You can take bus No. 137 and get off at East Pagoda Station, then walk to Nancheng Mosque for ten minutes.

By Subway: You can take subway Line. 3 Wuyi Road Station, then walk to Nancheng Mosque for five minutes.

By Taxi: It takes tourists 10 minutes to Nancheng Mosque from Down of Kunming by taxi.