Huaisheng Mosque

Huaisheng Mosque on Guangta Road in Guangzhou's Yuexiu District is one of the oldest mosques in China and, by many accounts, one of the oldest in the world. Tradition holds that it was founded in the 7th century by Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, during the Tang dynasty — a testament to Guangzhou's ancient role as the southern terminus of the maritime Silk Road. The complex has been rebuilt and expanded across many centuries, yet it retains a serene, contemplative atmosphere that feels worlds removed from the surrounding city traffic.

The mosque's most distinctive feature is the Guangta — the "bare pagoda" — a smooth, cylindrical minaret rising roughly 36 metres that once guided Arab and Persian merchant vessels navigating the Pearl River estuary toward the city's famous trading wharves. Today it stands as a rare surviving example of early Islamic architecture in East Asia and remains a powerful symbol of Guangzhou's extraordinary history of international exchange and maritime commerce. The prayer hall accommodates thousands of worshippers and is particularly vibrant during Friday prayers and Eid festivals, when the Muslim community of Guangzhou gathers in large and deeply moving numbers. Non-Muslim visitors are welcome outside prayer times and can explore the tranquil courtyard, admire the carved Arabic calligraphy adorning the interior surfaces, and reflect on the long centuries of cultural exchange that this remarkable and enduring building so eloquently embodies. The surrounding Yuexiu neighbourhood rewards further exploration on foot.