Islam was brought into China in the mid-7th century. Islamic rituals are performed in mosques, which are different from structures of all the other religions in architectural style and decoration.

   Moslems revere Allah as the only God. Allah is invisible but makes His presence anywhere and any time, and Moslems are, therefore, opposed to idolatry. Unlike shrines of other religions where idols are invariably worshipped, no idols or sacrifices are allowed in mosques. Moslems just perform religious services in the direction of Mecca, the holiest shrine of Islam. Mecca lies to the west of China, and that's why Chinese Moslems always face west when performing religious services. No matter where a mosque is, its gate always faces east. On the west wall facing the gate, there is a passage in Arabic from the Holy Koran, and round the quotation there are exquisitely decorated borders. Once in, a Moslem will instantly know the right direction for prayers.

      In China, mosques fall into two major types -- those resembling traditional hails and those in Arab style. The minaret is the landmark structure for any mosque, from the top of which Azans call Moslems to gather for collective prayers. Some mosques are fitted with a library of the Holy Koran and Islamic classics, as well as the Imam's office rooms, bedrooms, etc. The interior and exterior of mosques are invariably decorated with patterns formed by texts in Arabic in praise of Allah and Mohammed the Prophet, as well as decorative designs formed with geometric or plant figures.

    Arab and Persian merchants who came to China for business played a big role in promoting the spreading of the religion in the country. This was true especially in the period spanning from the seventh century to the 12th, when trade between China and Arab countries flourished. Of the Mosques built during that period, some are still in good shape, and these are clearly the same kind of Islamic structures popular in the Arab world today. Mosques built in the following centuries, however, are predominantly Chinese in architectural style and ground plan and turn out to be walled compounds consisting of several courtyards with the prayer hall and other main structures sitting on the axis.

    The gate of such a mosque is usually a large, pavilion-like structure of timber, often with an archway in its front. Minarets are also structures of timber. Minarets in the earliest Chinese mosques are stone or brick structures, like those in the Arab world. As time went by, minarets became pavilion-like structures of timber. Halls of conventional size are often too small for collective prayers on Friday, the Djumah, which Moslems attend as a religious duty. In some mosques, parallel halls are therefore connected for religious services.

    The Uygurs, who live in compact communities in Xinjiang of China's far northwest, are the country's second largest ethnic Moslem group, following the Huis. While largely Arabic in architectural style, their mosques bear characteristics that stem from natural conditions of the

area and are conditioned by locally available construction materials.

    Minarets that stand majestically at the side of mosques are often landmark structures. The arched roofs of the prayer halls are as eye-catching, and so are the arched gates and verandas with pinnacles. The structures, taken as a whole, are simple and sprightly in style, but a

careful observer won't miss those bright, elaborate decorations on different parts of a structure. Gates of mosques and altars in prayer halls are exquisite artworks with floral decorations of gypsum to which paints are applied. Even walls surrounding mosques are carved with decorative designs and patterns with passages in praise of Allah and the Prophet.

    1. Nestorianism, a Christian sect, was introduced to China in the seventh century, but before long it came to extinct. It was until the early 1800s did the various sects of Christianity become able to spread in China.

    2. Heavenly Kings are the greatest Buddha guardians.

    3. The king and pdncess have always been remembered for their pioneering role in promoting the relations between'Rbet and the rest of China. Their statues are still worshipped in the centuries-old Cave of King of Dharma on Mt. M'buri.

    4. These are collectively referred to as the our most sacred mountains of China's, which are reputed not only as Buddhist shrines but also for their naturalbeauty.

    5. It is said that the ashes of Buddhist saints-- monks who have attained utter wisdom-- also contain such holy relics. As a rule, these, too, are buried in stupas for worshipping.