Tuogu Mosque Undamaged After Yunnan Ludian Earthquake

Aug. 7, 2014 - PRLog -- Approximately 10 kilometers to the east of Ludian County is Taoyuan Muslim Tuogu Village. Within the village is the Tuogu Mosque which has a history of 234 years. The mosque remained undamaged from the magnitude 6.1 earthquake which struck Ludian County on 3rd August 2014.

According to locals the earthquake had caused cracks within the walls of their houses but surprisingly the mosque remained intact. Locals have said that Ludian has been prone to earthquakes for years. When the earthquake struck Eid al Fitr had ended with students and teachers on holidays.

Ma Guan Can, a teacher at the mosque, spoke to reporters about the mosques construction and architecture stating that, “ not a single nail was used in the construction of the building and its completely solid”. According to villagers Ludian has been struck by 20 earthquakes with a magnitude 5 or above.

Islam was introduced to the Yunnan province in 1253 when it was conquered by Kublai Khan, who became the fifth emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. Khan then sent Sayyid All Omer Shams al-Din to Yunnan to be the provincial governor. During Sayyid’s reign 12 mosques were established in Kunming, and Tuogu Mosque is one among them.

Source, http://www.muslim2china.com/activities-3948.html