Located in Jiefang Road, Xinhua District, Cangzhou City, this site boasts a long-standing historical tradition and profound cultural heritage. Beida Mosque was first established at the end of the Jianwen period of the Ming Dynasty, in 1402 AD, and has a history of 611 years. It is one of the largest mosques in the North China region and is now a cultural relic protection unit in Hebei Province. The mosque is a typical example of classical Chinese architecture, which includes the main prayer hall on the west side, the ablution room and moon-watching tower on the south side, the opposite hall on the east side, and the lecture hall on the north side.
The main hall is solemn and grand, composed of three sections: front, middle, and back halls, along with ancient sheds. Each level of the hall has a roof, and the roof is adorned with ‘five ridges and six beasts’, with exquisite carvings that are lifelike. The back kiln pool features three pavilions, with the middle one being taller and the two sides lower, forming a hump-like shape, resembling a pen rack, which is a unique wooden structure. The entire interior framework of the main hall is made of wood, preserving the original appearance from the Ming Dynasty, with a total of 81 pillars, commonly referred to as ‘ninety-nine eighty-one rooms’, capable of accommodating more than a thousand people for worship at the same time. The beams and columns interlock without the use of a single nail. The mosque is open all year round from 8:00 to 16:00.
