It is generally recognised that the very first mosque in China was in Guangzhou. One of the Prophet Mohammad’s companions named Abu Waggas traveled to Guangzhou along the marine Silk Road. Getting permission from the Tang Dynasty government, the first mosque in China was built by Abu Waggas in Guangzhou and named Huaisheng Mosque. So far, this mosque already has a history of over 1300 years. Local people also call this mosque Guangta Mosque. After Abu Waggas died in Guangzhou, he was buried in Guangzhou and his tomb has become what local Muslims call Muslim Sage’s Tomb.
IslamiChina has summarized the following Guangzhou Muslim travel tips to our Muslim brothers and sisters to travel Guangzhou during a short period of time.
Tour Itinerary Planning
For Muslim Business Travelers
Though Guangzhou is an ancient city, there are not much places to visit in Guangzhou as a matter of fact. If you on business in Guangzhou and have one day off to tour around Guangzhou, you may visit the Memorial Hall of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the Yuexiu Park, the Chen Family Temple. After lunch you may perform Salat prayer at Huaisheng Mosque (Guangta Mosque and visit Muslim Sage’s Tomb.
For Muslim leisure travelers
3 Days and 2 Nights Guangzhou Muslim Tour is the best choice for Muslim leisure travelers because this tour itinerary allows you to have enough time to know both Guangzhou’s culture heritages as well as Muslim heritages. You are not in a hurry to get around Guangzhou from one place to another. Please check IslamiChina’s Guangzhou Muslim Tour 3 Days for details.
Accommodations
The 3-star Guangzhou Bostan Hotel is the only hotel in Guangzhou which has a Halal restaurant available for Muslim travelers. Bostan Hotel Guangzhou is centrally located in Tianhe business district, a 3-minute walk from Linhe West Metro Station (Line 3, Exit B). A beauty parlour, 2 Muslim restaurants and 24-hour room service are available. The hotel is situated near Guangzhou East Train Station, where high speed trains to Hong Kong take just 30 minutes. Bostan Hotel Guangdong is 9.6 km from Pazhou Exhibition Centre and 26.6 km from Baiyun International Airport.
Halal Restaurants in Guangzhou
Guangzhou is one of the largest cities in China. Due to the Guangzhou Trade Fair, there are lots of Muslim business men staying in Guangzhou all year round. Halal restaurants can be easily found in Guangzhou including Arabian cuisine, Southeast Asian Cuisine, Turkish Cuisine, local Guangzhou Halal cuisine and Xinjiang Uyhur Cuisine.
Mosques in Guangzhou
Guangzhou Huaisheng Mosque (also named Guangta Mosque) is located near Guangzhou Railway Station. It was built about 1300 years ago by Prophet Mohammad’s companion named Abu Waggas. This mosque is in traditional Guangdong architecture with Arabic interior decorations. The Muslim Sage’s Tomb (tomb for Abu Waggas) also offers prayer places.
Money Exchange
You can exchange traveler's checks or cash at most banks, and most 5-star and 4-star hotels always have a money exchange counter. You can also get a cash advance on your credit card on ATM machine. The exchange rate all over China are the same fixed by Bank of China. To change money, you have to have your passport at hand. If you want to change money in a hotel, you usually have to be a guest there. Sometimes if you are not a guest in a hotel but need to change money there, you can just say a random room number, but this doesn't always work. Remember to keep the exchange slip well because you need this slip to change the Chinese Yuan back to your currency if you do have this need at the end of the tour. At present, the RMB is not exchangeable on the International market, so it is only usable within the country. So when you are changing money, don't change too much, because it is difficult to change back into other currencies. To change RMB back into your home currency, you must retain the exchange slips that are given to you at the bank or money exchange counter.