Where is Botou Mosque?
Mosque was built in the Hongwu period of Ming Dynasty, and was renovated many times in Wen Jian, Yongle and Wanli years, especially in Chongzhen period, becoming a large-scale building complex. It is said that at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Chongzhen cut a large number of octagons through the canal from south to north in order to repair the Golden Hall. By the time the boat passed the Fengjiakou in Botou, Li Zicheng had led the peasant rebels to capture Beijing. At that time, Hui officials in North Korea and Shang Shuyu of the Ministry of Rites used the wood to build mosques.
Botou Mosque is famous all over the country for its magnificent scale and unique style. The main entrance of the temple sits west to east, imitating the style of wumenchai in the Forbidden City in Beijing. Entering the front yard, there are righteous schools in the north and south, with a 20-meter-high two-story moon tower in the middle, also known as the shore tower, and a north-south annex hall in the middle court. There is a beautiful flower pavilion in the middle, with wood carvings and calligraphy on it, and the eaves are deep, which is very rich in the characteristics of wooden structures in the Ming Dynasty. In the middle of the backyard is a large worship hall. The front, middle and rear halls of the main hall are integrated, with an area of 1950 square meters. The roof of the temple is covered with cornices, and the corner pavilions are opposite. The hall in the back room is square, with a hexagonal pavilion erected from the top, and the ceiling is folded with square wood into an algae well, which makes the hall more solemn. The whole hall is suspended, with a vertical line, many courtyards and doorways horizontally matched with stone bridges, which makes the hall symmetrical, coordinated, solemn and generous.