June 2010:

Sejarah kedatangan Islam di China bermula pada zaman Khalifah Uthman Al Affan (RA) di mana bapa saudara Nabi (SAW), Saad abi Waqas telah diutuskan ke China melalui jalan sutera laut kepada Maharaja Dinasti Tang. Utusan ini pertama mendarat di Canton, ketika itu pelabuhan perdagangan utama di China, selepas itu menuju ke ibukota dinasti Tang di Xian dan diterima baik dan Maharaja memerintahkan sebuah masjid dibina di Canton (sekarang Guangzhou) buat mengingati peristiwa bersejarah ini. Inilah Masjid Huai-sheng, masjid yang pertama dan tertua di China. Saad abi Waqas kemudian kembali ke Guangzhou dan meninggal di sana. Sebuah monumen dibina dan dikenali sebagai maqam Saad Abi Waqas di kota Guangzhou. Saya berkesempatan melawat masjid ini baru-baru ini.

Alamat / Address:

Assahabi Abi Waqas Mosque (Muslim Sage’s Tomb)
No.901, North Jiefang Road
Tel: 020-86692743

Bagaimana untuk sampai ke sini? / How to get here?

Access to this mosque is quite tricky as the entrance is located at the edge of crowded intersections.  The mosque is located inside the small park (there was a construction work at the entrance to the park during my visit). For adventurous, you can take Guangzhou metro and stop at Yuexiu station.  In the metro underpass, exit toward Li Hua Hu park (opposite side of Yuexiu Park).  NOTE: There are many parks around this area. When you come to street level, turn right and walk ahead along North Jiefing Road (not toward China Hotel). You will see a small park at your left, and of course the famous Yuexiu Park to your right across the street. Keep on walking and the road will curve to the left.  The entrance to this mosque is to your left at the curve.  If you walk more than 15 minutes from the Yuexiu metro station and still cannot find the mosque, you are lost already.   For conventional people, you can take taxi to this place, but make sure the address of the mosque is written in Chinese. Ask your hotel’s concierge to do this. Some taxi drivers will just dump you in front of the entrance to Yuexiu Park and tell you that the mosque is just across the road, pointing to the direction of the small park. (Thats what happened to me. In this case you must cross the road via metro underpass.)

Facade of Saad Abi Waqas mosque from North Jiefang Rd in Guangzhou CHINA

A well which never dries at the Abi Waqas Mosque in Guangzhou, CHINA

Entrance from the small park in the front of Abi Waqas mosque in Guangzhou, CHINA

Ancient tombs of sahabat (sages) in the Abi Waqas mosgue in Guangzhou, CHINA

A small building housing the tomb of Abu Waqas in Guangzhou, CHINA

Tomb of Saad Abi Waqas (may Allah be pleased with him) in Guangzhou, CHINA