📜 About & history
Jingjue Mosque is Nanjing's oldest and most important mosque, built in 1388 by order of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming dynasty, and completed in 1392. In the 1430s the great Muslim admiral Zheng He, before his voyages, petitioned the Xuande Emperor to fund its reconstruction after a fire, and it was expanded again under the Jiajing Emperor in the sixteenth century. The complex is a classic example of Sino-Islamic architecture, with courtyards, a prayer hall and a mihrab aligned toward Mecca at its western end. Restored by the Nanjing municipal government in 2007 and enlarged in 2014, it remains an active center of the city's Hui Muslim community.
🕌 Prayer & visiting
Five daily prayers are observed. The Friday congregational prayer (Jumu'ah) around noon is the largest gathering; arrive early for a place in the main hall.
📍 Address
🇨🇳 Inside China use Baidu or Amap; Google Maps needs a VPN.
🚇 How to reach the mosque
- Line 1 Sanshan Jie （三山街） Exit 3
Several city bus routes stop near Sanshan Jie / Shengzhou Road; check Amap or Baidu Maps for current route numbers.
The mosque sits beside the Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao) tourist quarter, where halal noodle and beef restaurants are easy to find. Staff are used to visitors; modest dress and quiet during prayer are appreciated.
From the Xinjiekou city center take Metro Line 1 two stops south to Sanshan Jie; leave via Exit 3 onto Shengzhou Road and the mosque is a short walk west.
Nanjing's flagship historic mosque, closely tied to Zheng He. Show a taxi driver: 请带我去净觉寺