Qingjing Mosque (Ashab Mosque)

Qingjing Mosque, also called the Ashab Mosque, stands at 108-110 Tumen Street in Licheng District, Quanzhou, Fujian province, China. It was founded in 1009 and is among the oldest mosques in China, a reminder of Quanzhou's role as a major medieval port where Arab and Persian merchants settled. The surviving structure is built of granite and shows a clear Islamic design: a tall stone gateway with a pointed arch and a Quranic inscription, followed by a courtyard and a ruined prayer hall whose walls and columns still stand. A separate Ming-dynasty building in Chinese style serves as the active prayer hall, and a small exhibition covers the history of Islam in Quanzhou and the city's wider maritime trade. Visitors can walk the courtyard, view the old gate from different angles, and see carved stone inscriptions and gravestones. Entry costs about ¥2 to ¥5, with respectful dress required, meaning covered shoulders and knees. The site is closed to non-Muslims at prayer times, so visitors should check opening hours on arrival. A visit takes thirty to sixty minutes. Mid-morning is a good time, after morning prayers and before the afternoon tour groups. The mosque is about a fifteen-minute walk from the Bell Tower and is reachable by taxi or bus to Tumen Street. Crowds are modest compared with larger temples, but weekends and holidays are busier. The nearby Tumen Street area also has other heritage sites and small shops that can be combined into a short walking route.