April 11, 2011

Yesterday evening we visited the Muslim Temple in Xian.  It consists of 4 courtyards and many different buildings.  In Xian, the Mosque serves as a place for Chinese Muslims (men only) to come to pray, but is also open as a tourist attraction.  The only women permitted in the Mosque area were those who paid their admission along with other tourists.  As tourists, we were all able to enter the main gate and view the courtyards and buildings, but none of us were permitted to enter the main temple where prayers take place.  However, we were able to see some 200 men come for their 5:30 p.m. prayer.  We could watch from outside and look in to see and here the prayers take place.  

This Mosque is the oldest in China (dating back to 750 A.D.).  The buildings are all in the Chinese architecture from the Tang Dynasty. Pictured is one of the small open buildings in one of the Mosque courtyards.

Religions are not encouraged yet are permitted in China, but only those that are registered and sanctioned by the Chinese government.  An unregistered religion can initiate anti-government movements, and for this reason are squelched. 

The Dalai Lama, for example, is the Buddhist Leader of the Tibetans.  He has been living in exile in India since 1959, at the time of the Tibetan uprising.  According to our tour guide, he is welcome to return to China if he would be willing to take his seat on the government board of religious leaders.  But the Dalai Lama and most Tibetans want nothing to do with mixing politics with their religion.