Xiaotaoyuan Mosque, Islamic women's mosque in Huangpu District, Shanghai, China
Xiaotaoyuan Mosque is a mosque in Huangpu District, Shanghai, built in a West Asian Islamic style combined with Chinese architecture. Its main two-storey prayer hall covers 500 square metres and has arched windows, a minaret and four domes at the corners. A rectangular courtyard is surrounded by a three-storey Chinese-style building on the east and the Imam's room on the south.
The mosque was founded in 1917 and rebuilt in 1925 to serve expanding religious needs. Between 1920 and 1940, it served as a vital stopover point for Chinese Muslims traveling to Mecca.
The mosque's name comes from a peach orchard that once stood here, the private garden of donor Jin Ziyun. The east courtyard building holds a library and reading room with Chinese and foreign editions of the Quran on its second and third floors. The Shanghai Islamic Association, founded in 1962, is based at the mosque.
The building is located in the Huangpu area and can accommodate up to 500 people during prayer times, with designated spaces for women. Visitors should plan visits respectfully during non-prayer hours and inquire about accessibility when needed.
The mosque's site was the original home of the Shanghai Islamic Normal School, later moved to Qinglian Street and renamed the Pingliang Islamic Normal School. The mosque also founded the Islam Normal School, Primary School for Muslims, Mingcheng and Chongben primary schools, and the Shanghai Islam Orphanage.
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