In the northern Song Dynasty, Quanzhou was already a world level large port where goods and specialties were gathered and distributed. Arabs from afar came in great number seeking for greater business benefit. More and more Arabs settled down in Quanzhou and built the Qingjing Mosque or otherwise named as Masjidal Ashab Mosque according to the prototype back home to pass down their beliefs and offsprings in the foreign land. It is the oldest Islamic mosque ever preserved in China. In 2009, in accordance with the original architectural design of the mosque, a new praying hall was inaugurated. Ancient and present two praying halls are just next to each other. Almutasem Yahya Mohammed Alrawhani from Yemen, has been in China for almost three years. He said that every time he is in the Qingjing Mosque, he feels at home for the mosque is the same as the mosques in his hometown. He sees Quanzhou as his second home.
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