The largest Muslim community in Beijing, Niujie Mosque

Cow Street Mosque is the oldest mosque in Beijing, and its Chinese name is "牛街" (niú jiē), which directly translates to "cattle street." In fact, it's very close to the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City, so there are no actual cows here. The mosque was built in 996 AD, making it over 1000 years old, and it's a mix of Chinese and Arabic architectural styles. It covers about 6000 square meters and used to be a political, cultural, and commercial center during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Many Muslim merchants and believers settled here.
During the Cultural Revolution in 1996, the Cow Street Mosque was closed and damaged, repurposed for uses like storage. It wasn't until 1978, after efforts from the government and the community, that the mosque was restored and protected. It gradually regained its status and influence within the Muslim community.
Today, Cow Street is a very famous Hui ethnic food street. It's where we were last night. Yes, Hui cuisine is very well-known. I've been to many big cities in China, and you can find such a Hui halal food street in almost any city. But I usually don't recommend them because they are so famous that they've become tourist attractions. In China, food and items prepared for tourists tend to be a bit more expensive.
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