Xi'an Muslim Quarter & Great Mosque

Where it is & how to get there

• On foot: Behind the Drum Tower in the city centre.
• Food: Almost all food here is halal: try roujiamo (bread with beef), yangrou paomo (lamb soup with bread) and persimmon cakes.
• Great Mosque: The Great Mosque of Xi'an is a short walk down Huajue Lane.

The story of the Muslim Quarter

Xi'an was the eastern end of the Silk Road, and Arab and Persian merchants settled here more than a thousand years ago. Their descendants, the Hui people, still live in this quarter.

The Great Mosque of Xi'an, founded according to tradition in 742 AD and largely rebuilt in the Ming dynasty, blends Chinese temple architecture with Islamic function: its minaret is a pagoda-like tower and its prayer hall faces Makkah.

Best time to visit

Tips before you go

• Try roujiamo and hand-pulled noodles.
• Pray at the Great Mosque — Muslims can enter for prayer.
• Eat your way along Beiyuanmen Street.

What's around the Muslim Quarter

• Great Mosque of Xi'anHistoric mosque.
• Drum TowerAt the quarter entrance.
• Bell TowerCity centre landmark.
• City WallRide a bike on top.

Questions travellers ask