Changsha Mosque

Changsha Mosque was first built in 1711 during the Qing Dynasty, by a group of Muslim traders who had come to Changsha from Heman, Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces. So it is also called Ke Si, meaning Guest’s Temple in Chinese.

In 1918, Muslim traders from Nanjing who had been staying in Hunan Province for years raised funds to add a school at the south section of the mosque. Changsha Mosque was once a larged-scaled mosque, covering an area of 1800 square meters. It then applied a traditional Chinese temple structure. However, the mosque was destroyed in a fire in the year of 1938.

Since reconstruction after the fire, Changsha Mosque had been a major mosque for Muslim in Changsha to hold Muslim activities and do prayers. All the Koran copies transcribed by the Muslim clerics from previous generations were burnt during the Cultural Revolution. The mosque was removed to Baisha Ancient Well area and rebuilt by the government in 1985. Therefore the Changsha Mosque we see today is relatively new with its Arabic architectural style, covering an area of 1500 square meters.