Xianjiang travel - Museum & Mosques

Posted by ugfanfan on November 5th, 2014

Xinjiang Regional Museum

Located in the modern downtown of Urumqi, Xinjiang Regional Museum tells visitors stories from the past. The museum was founded in 1953, covering an exhibiting area of more than 7,800 sq meters (about 1.93 acres). There are usually three kinds of exhibitions in the museum. The first is about the customs of ethnic groups in Xinjiang. All the arts, tools, costumes, household objects and religions of the ethnic groups in Xinjiang are exhibited here. The second concerns historical and cultural relics from Xinjiang. Over 50,000 cultural relics that have been excavated in Xinjiang are now on display in the exhibition hall. Ancient pottery, porcelain, terracotta figures, silk and even scriptures are on the list. The third exhibition is the most striking. More than 10 mummies found in the vast desert can be viewed well preserved here. One of them, named 'Sleeping Beauty' is perhaps the most amazing. Buried underground for about 3,800 years, it still retains a vivid image! Xinjiang Regional Museum is indeed the perfect place to enjoy the history and culture of Xinjiang people.

Southern Mosque

The Southern Mosque got its name because of its location, standing near the original south gate of Urumqi. The mosque was originally built during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and rebuilt in 1919. As one of the most important mosques of Xinjiang Islam, many Moslems and visitors come to visit it every year. The main body of the mosque is a four-storey tower-like building. There are shops, a prayer hall, a seminary and living area for Moslems. The walls are decorated with carvings of orchids, plums, bamboo and lotuses and more than 700 people can pray here at any one time.

Tartar Mosque

Located at the southern end of Jiefang Lu with an area of 3,000 sqm, Tartar Mosque, also known as Yanghang Mosque, was built in 1897 with private donations from the Tartar Community. Decorated with crescent and wood-and-brick geometric carvings, the dome takes the shape of an octagonal pyramid, a traditional Tatar architecture style. This mosque is the main center of worship for Muslims in Urumqi, containing a chapel which can hold over 1000 people at a time.

This mosque now is open to outside. Tourists, including women, can visit it by getting advance permission.

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