The Dongda Mosque is one of the most
famous mosques in China. It is located at Kaifeng City, Henan Province.
The existing mosque is the one rebuilt in
1846. It faces the east and covers an area of 6,600 square meters. It is
composed of three major parts, and is a good example of traditional Chinese
construction. The main buildings include two gates, a pavilion, a sermon room, a
water room, a main hall and so on. Some tablets written by celebrities are hung
on the first gate. Tablets and couplets are also hung on the second gate. On
both sides there are aisles carved with inscriptions. There are the water hall
and the pavilion in the courtyard inside the gate. The main hall is very large
and has many steles in it.
There are lots of cultural relics preserved
in the mosque, most of which are epigraphs. It is the largest mosque in Kaifeng
City, and one of four major temples in Kaifeng
City.