engineering

Niujie Mosque

Niujie Mosque is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Niujie Mosque rather than just read about it. In short: The Niujie Mosque (simplified Chinese: 牛街礼拜寺; traditional Chinese: 牛街禮拜寺; pinyin: Niú Jiē Lǐ Bài Sì; Wade–Giles: Niu-chieh Li-pai-ssu), also known as the Oxen Street House of Worship (Chinese: 牛街清真寺; pinyin: Niú Jiē Qīng Zhēn Sì; Wade–Giles: Niu-chieh Ch'ing-chen-ssu), or the Oxen Street Mosque, is the oldest mosque in Beijing, China. It was built in 996 CE during the Liao dynasty, destroyed during the Mongol conque…

Key takeaways

Niujie Mosque belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Niujie Mosque to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Niujie Mosque from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Niujie Mosque (simplified Chinese: 牛街礼拜寺; traditional Chinese: 牛街禮拜寺; pinyin: Niú Jiē Lǐ Bài Sì; Wade–Giles: Niu-chieh Li-pai-ssu), also known as the Oxen Street House of Worship (Chinese: 牛街清真寺; pinyin: Niú Jiē Qīng Zhēn Sì; Wade–Giles: Niu-chieh Ch'ing-chen-ssu), or the Oxen Street Mosque, is the oldest mosque in Beijing, China. It was built in 996 CE during the Liao dynasty, destroyed during the Mongol conquest of China, was rebuilt during the 15th century, and was reconstructed and enlarged during the 17th century, under the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1661–1722) of the Qing dynasty. The mosque is listed as a Chinese major cultural heritage site. The mosque is located in the Niujie area of Beijing's Xicheng District, the spiritual centre for the almost 10,000 Muslims living in the vicinity and it is the biggest and oldest one in Beijing. It was within the Xuanwu District before it merged into Xicheng in 2010. Niujie in Xicheng District, where the mosque is located, is the largest and biggest area inhabited by Muslims in Beijing. The Niujie Mosque covers an area of approximately 10,000 square metres (110,000 sq ft). The mosque reflects a mixture of Islamic and Han Chinese cultural and architectural influences. From the outside, its architecture shows traditional Chinese influence and the inside has a blend of Islamic calligraphy and Chinese design. The main prayer hall is 600 square metres (6,500 sq ft) in area, and can hold more than 1,000 worshipers. The mosque, built out of timber, is home to some important cultural relics and tablets such as the upright tablet of an emperor's decree proclaimed in 1694 during the Qing dynasty.

History The Niujie Mosque, the largest of all the mosques in Beijing, was first built in 996 during the Liao dynasty (r. 916–1125). The local Muslim community constructed the mosque using traditional Chinese architecture, with the exception that it displays Arabic calligraphy in the interior. It was originally designed by Nazaruddin, the son of an imam. After it was destroyed by armies of Genghis Khan in 1215, the mosque was rebuilt in 1443 in the Ming dynasty; and Muslim eunuchs contributed funds in 1496 to repair the mosque. It was significantly expanded in 1696 under the Qing dynasty. During the Qing dynasty, the neighbouring markets were known for Halal beef and mutton, even until today, the presence is still quite strong with Muslim grocery stores with Arabic signage along the road. The actual name of the mosque is Lǐbàisì, which was given by the Chenghua Emperor in 1474, but since it is located in Oxen Street (Niú means Oxen and jiē means street) the mosque is simply called Niujie. It is one of the major mosques in north China. The mosque has undergone three renovations since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, respectively in 1955, 1979 and 1996. As of 2002, the master plan of the renovation of Niujie stated that the mosque will remain at its current location and that a grassy area and large square would be developed around the mosque.

Architecture The mosque consists of a group of buildings which follow the norms of traditional Chinese architecture. It has two courtyard according to the Siheyuan layout. Facilities include a worship hall, the Wangyue Building, Building for Publicising Etiquette, a lecture hall, the Tablet Pavilion, the Twin Pavilions, and bathrooms. The mosque is home to an ancient Quran over 300 years old, tombs of Arabian sages, and an incense burner dating from the Ming dynasty. The mosque also houses a library with ancient manuscripts. The prayer hall was applied the cruciform plan.

Tourism and official visits The Government of the People's Republic of China often uses the Niujie Mosque as a visiting site for delegations coming from Islamic countries. Han Chinese and Hui tourists and Muslims from outside of China visit the Niujie Mosque for tourism reasons. While non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the prayer hall, people working at the mosque are quite friendly to all visitors and happy to talk about their beliefs with those who can speak Chinese. Visitors to the mosque may also be interested in the China Islamic Institute, which is just southeast, at the corner of Nanheng W. Road and Jiaozi Hutong.

Transportation The mosque is accessible within walking distance south west of Caishikou Station of Beijing Subway.

Gallery

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Niujie Mosque

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Niujie Mosque claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Niujie Mosque before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Niujie Mosque ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Niujie Mosque

In research: Niujie Mosque appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Niujie Mosque in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Niujie Mosque is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 10th-century mosques in China, 1215 disestablishments, 14th-century mosques in China, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Niujie Mosque outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Niujie Mosque” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Niujie Mosque in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Niujie Mosque means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Niujie Mosque out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Niujie Mosque in simple terms?

Why does Niujie Mosque matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Niujie Mosque?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Niujie Mosque.