''Gongbei'' (; from '' gonbad'', meaning "dome", "cupola"), is a term used by the Hui and Uyghur Muslim populations of China in the Northwestern region to indicate an Islamic shrine complex centered on the

grave A grave is a location where a cadaver, dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is burial, buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of buria ...

(''qabr'') of a Ṣūfī Muslim '' murs̲h̲id'' ("master") or ''

walī The term ''wali'' is most commonly used by Muslims to refer to a saint, or literally a "friend of God".John Renard, ''Friends of God: Islamic Images of Piety, Commitment, and Servanthood'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008); John ...

'' ("saint"), typically the founder of a ''

menhuan ''Menhuan'' ( zh, s=门宦, t=門宦, p=Ménhuàn) is a term used by the Hui and Uyghur Muslim populations of China to indicate a Chinese Ṣūfī '' ṭarīḳa'' ("order" or "saintly lineage"). The leaders of a ''menhuan'', which usually a ...

'' (a Chinese Ṣūfī '' ṭarīḳa'', or "saintly lineage"). The grave itself usually is topped with a

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

Joseph Fletcher Joseph Francis Fletcher (April 10, 1905 – October 28, 1991) was an American professor who founded the theory of situational ethics in the 1960s. A pioneer in the field of bioethics. Fletcher was a leading academic proponent of the potential b ...

, The Sufi Paths (turuq) in China”, Etudes Orientales 13/14 (1994). Quoted in: Similar Islamic facilities with the same purpose, known as '' dargāh'' or '' türbe'', can be found in several other regions of the

Muslim world The terms Islamic world and Muslim world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs, politics, and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is ...

. Between 1958 and 1966, many Ṣūfī shrines and tombs in

Ningxia Ningxia, officially the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region in Northwestern China. Formerly a province, Ningxia was incorporated into Gansu in 1954 but was later separated from Gansu in 1958 and reconstituted as an autonomous ...

and throughout Northwestern China in general were destroyed, viewed by the Chinese Communist government and authorities as relics of the old "feudal" order and symbols which the

Chinese Communist Revolution The Chinese Communist Revolution was a social revolution, social and political revolution in China that began in 1927 and culminated with the proclamation of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. The revolution was led by the Chinese C ...

(1946−1950) had attempted to eradicate through a series of atheistic and anti-religious campaigns, as well as for practical reasons ("wasting valuable farmland"). Once the right to

freedom of religion Freedom of religion or religious liberty, also known as freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice ...

became recognized once again in the 1980s, and much of the land reverted to the control of individual farmers, destroyed ''gongbei'' were often rebuilt once again.

Characteristics

In Ningxia, the nearly 70 existing ''gongbei'' are divided into three groups. # As part of a ''daotang'' (instructional hall) # As part of an instructional hall on the same site as a prayer hall that may be with other structures # In combination with a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

When a site has as mosque, instructional hall, and a ''gongbei'', the ''gongbei'' is set apart from the other two.

References

External links

{{Authority control Dargahs Islam in China Islamic architecture in Asia Religious buildings and structures in China Sufi shrines Islamic mausoleums

Characteristics

See also

References

External links