In the cosmopolitan era of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) a Muslim missionary named Abu Wangus, said to be an uncle of the prophet Mohammed, came to southern China. He converted many Chinese to Islam and built this mosque in Guangzhou as their house of worship. His tomb in the northern part of the city has been a place of pilgrimage for visiting Muslims, but the mosque is his best-known memorial. A high wall encloses the mosque, which is dominated by the smooth, white minaret. Rising to 33 meters (108 feet), it can be climbed using an interior spiral staircase, and the views from the top—where a muezzin calls the faithful to prayer—are spectacular.
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