Phoenix Mosque () is a mosque in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. It is known for being one of the four great mosques of China. It is also one of the earliest mosque built in China. The origin of this mosque dates back to the Tang or Song dynasty.
The Phoenix Mosque had been rebuilt several times. It was first destroyed around the end of Song dynasty. During the following Yuan dynasty, in 1281, the mosque was repaired under the financial assistance of Ala al-Din, a Persian settler in China. The minaret of the mosque was removed in 1928 due to the construction of adjacent roads. In 1953, the mosque underwent a complete maintenance and repair project.
The structure of the main building was heavily influenced by traditional Chinese Architecture while also retaining features of Islamic Architecture. The existing prayer hall was built in the year of 1281 during the rule of Kublai Khan.
Muslim community in Hangzhou
China's southeast coastal region was an important site for exchange between Chinese and Arabic communities through the maritime Silk Road. Particularly, this provided an opportunity for Muslim communities to be established in port cities like Hangzhou. This cultural exchange was only heightened when Hangzhou became the capital of the Song dynasty during its last century. During the Song dynasty, a majority of the Muslim immigrants in Hangzhou came from an Arabic-Islamic cultural background due to the trade relations between the Arab world and Song government. Despite the steady growth of the Muslim community in the region, their influence on local society was still minimal.
After the fall of the Song dynasty, the new Mongol rulers of the Yuan dynasty continually welcomed Muslim traders and people into the region.During this period, Hangzhou became a flourishing cosmopolitan city with an influential and active Muslim community. Muslims in Hangzhou had their own settlements, burial grounds, and a few Friday mosques. Travelers like Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta, described Hangzhou as being large and vibrant. In fact, Italian missionary Odoric of Pordenone even wrote that Hangzhou was "the City of Heaven" and noted that he met some people in Venice who had also visited Hangzhou. While a large portion of the Muslim community in Hangzhou were Arab and Persian Muslims, there were also diasporic Muslims from Annam, India, and Korea. Additionally, there were also some Muslim immigrants from other regions in China as well. Later in the Ming dynasty, there was yet another influx of Chinese Muslims to Hangzhou as the region became a hotbed of the silk industry. Indeed, the Muslim community was so well-rooted that during the Qianlong period in the Qing dynasty, the Qing emperor's consort, the Fragrant Concubine, visited the Phoenix Mosque whenever she passed through Hangzhou.
Architecture of the mosque
The main entrance to the Phoenix Mosque is on the east side of the complex. Due to this, once a worshipper enters the complex, they immediately face the qibla containing the mihrab. Notably, it is the oldest mosque with this arrangement. The qibla is located at the back of a central, octagonal domed space. There are two domes on either side of the central dome that are hexagonal in shape.
The interior of the central dome is decorated with painting depicting flowers, mountains, animals, and rivers. These paintings are contained with a symmetrical floral motif. These well-preserved decorations date back to the Ming dynasty. The two surrounding domes have a similar design as well. The zone of transition between the dome and the prayer hall is decorated with honeycomb and tiered plaster surfaces. The prayer hall itself is made of brick and is the oldest remaining part of the building. This is reminiscent of the muqarnas, a structural motif common in Islamic mosque architecture. However, this mosque also features corner bracketing characteristic of Chinese temples. The row of three domes described previously is also a feature of Chinese architecture. Thus, this mosque demonstrates a blend of Chinese and Islamic architectural styles.