XICHENG - Living Abroad in Beijing - page 414

bellion. It was reconstructed in 1903 and remains an important center for Christianity today
(services in Chinese and Korean only).
Muslims have pride of place in Xicheng, with not only a mosque dedicated to their reli-
gion, but an entire street of Muslim restaurants and shops that has blossomed around it. Niu
Jie Mosque ( 牛街清真寺 , 88 Guanganmen Nanjie, 牛街88号 , tel. [phone], Arabic
services) is the oldest mosque in Beijing, being built in AD 996. Though the outside may
look traditionally Chinese, inside it is influenced by Muslim culture. Additionally, there is
Dewai Mosque, also known as Fayuan Mosque ( 北京德外清真寺 , 200 Dewai Dajie, 德外
大街200号 , tel. [phone], Arabic services), as well as Jinshifang Street Mosque, or
Pushou Mosque ( 锦什坊街清真寺 , 63 Jinshifang Jie, 锦什坊街63号 , tel. [phone],
Arabic services). For more information on Islam in Beijing, visit www.islamichina.com .
Niu Jie Mosque, with its traditional Chinese architecture, is the oldest mosque in Beijing.
Socializing and Networking
Much of the socializing in Xicheng is done in karaoke bars, and in the clubs and bars around
Houhai. For more serious interactions, you can visit and involve yourself with the Dongjen
Book Club, part of the Dongjen Center for Human Rights Education (18 Dashiqiao Hutong,
Jiugulou Dajie, 旧鼓楼大街大石桥胡同18号 , tel. [phone], www.dongjen.org ) . This
special hútòng café is a home for grassroots NGOs. Food and drink is cheap, and 100 per-