The Dongda Mosque is one of the most famous
mosques in China. It is located at Kaifeng City, Henan Province.
The existing
mosque is the one rebuilt in 1846. It faces the east and covers
an area of 6,600 square meters. It is composed of three major
parts, and is a good example of traditional Chinese construction.
The main buildings include two gates, a pavilion, a sermon room,
a water room, a main hall and so on. Some tablets written by
celebrities are hung on the first gate. Tablets and couplets
are also hung on the second gate. On both sides there are aisles
carved with inscriptions. There are the water hall and the pavilion
in the courtyard inside the gate. The main hall is very large
and has many steles in it.
There are
lots of cultural relics preserved in the mosque, most of which
are epigraphs. It is the largest mosque in Kaifeng City, and
one of four major temples in Kaifeng City.
