Islam in China: Visiting the Mosques in Shenzhen


Now Shenzhen   |   August 26, 2021

Going to Shenzhen usually spells out engaging in different activities. When on tour, you can head to any of the city’s lively attractions for a dose of shopping and leisure tripping. On the other hand, you can also take in the serene sights this thriving metropolis has to offer. A lot of visitors make it a point to visit and have a glimpse of the mosques in Shenzhen. Islam may not be the predominant religion in the city, but these places of worship make for worthy stopovers even for visitors who are not Muslim. After all, with Shenzhen’s economic boost more evident than ever, different norms and cultures slowly seep into this internationally renowned urban area, causing it to be as diverse as it is now.

Originally, Shenzhen’s name was Baoan County village engaged in fishing. It was in the year 1979 that Baoan County was changed to the new Shenzhen City. It was also in this year that some 100,000 Muslims migrated to the area, immensely contributing to the economic sector of the metropolis. Today Shenzhen is a lively hodgepodge of a wide variety of things to see and do, and the mosques attest to that. But apart from being witnesses to the different religions incorporated within the city’s helms, they serve as tranquil places of interest on their own.

Out of the handful of mosques in Shenzhen, arguably the most notable Islamic landmark is the Shang Meilin Mosque. In fact, it has been an unwritten tradition of visiting tourists to get spiritual strength and blessings right in this mosque before heading to the numerous shopping and commercial districts scattered about. The world-renowned Shang Meilin Mosque is situated at Number 7 Mei Lin East Road, Che Guan Suo, and it can easily be found about 15 minutes from the city downtown area, or the same distance from Lou Hu border. If you decide to hop in a taxi, you will only spend approximately 25 RMB. It is within the center of Shenzhen city proper and can immediately be spotted, which comes as no surprise because it’s the biggest mosque in the metropolis.

To cap off your Islam-inspired sightseeing, you might want to sample the beef, the popular Halal chicken and mutton, which can usually be found within the vicinity of mosques in Shenzhen. And if you want to make a quick detour, the neighboring tourist attractions Hong Kong on the southern part of Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta on the eastern part will probe to be great options.

For further reading:

Places of Worship in Shenzhen (Catholic and Protestant)

Religious landmarks: Buddhist temples in Shenzhen

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