China News: The domes of the last major mosque in China that retains Islamic style features have been demolished. The minarets of this mosque have been radically modified. This action has been taken to curb the practice of Islam in China.
The Grand Mosque of Shadian is one of the largest and most magnificent mosques in China. It is located high above the southwestern Yunnan province.
There was a dome here till last year
Until last year, the 21,000 square meter complex had a large building, topped by a tiled green dome with a half-moon on it. On either side were four smaller domes and tall minarets. A 2022 satellite photo showed the mosque’s entry gate was made of black tiles.
The mosque changed in new pictures
Photos, satellite images and witnesses from this year show that China has removed the dome and replaced it with a Han Chinese-style pagoda roof. The minarets have been shortened and turned into pagoda towers. From the outside of the mosque, a trace of the crescent and star tiles on the roof is visible. Yunnan’s other historic mosque, Najiaying, less than 100 miles from Shadian, has also been altered.
The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party published a document in 2018. It talked about the control and integration of mosques. In this, the government was urged to demolish as many mosques as possible and build fewer. Apart from this, try to reduce the total number of such structures. Apart from this, it was also said in the document that the construction, layout and financing of mosques should be monitored.