Huaisheng Mosque
Yue Xiu Qu, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Description:
The Huaisheng Mosque is one of the few mosques in Guangzhou and throughout southern China that many know by appearance. This mosque is also known as the Lighthouse Tower. It is one of the oldest mosques in the world, built by the most approximate dates about 1300 years ago. The mosque has a main minaret with a height of 36 meters. It is called "Guanta", which can literally be translated as "tower of light". The name has two symbolic meanings.
First of all, this means that the minaret was a beacon for orienting ships heading to the city along the Pearl River. The second meaning has a deeper meaning. According to ancient manuscripts, the mosque was built by the Prophet’s uncle Saad ibn Abu Wakkas during his first Muslim mission to China in 630. Therefore, the Tower of Light can mean “the light of the Islamic religion”.