The last mosque in Suzhou. Before 1949 there were over ten mosques in the city. Among small restaurants and butchers, Taipingfang 太平坊 was restored in 2018 — made anew and more turquoise — and it now offers a spot to pray for local and visiting Muslims. Shifu gave us a tour, even though non-muslims aren’t really allowed to enter, but photographs were really off-limits. We saw the main praying hall, the female & male washing rooms, and a room to wash the bodies of those who passed away. Once outside we headed for lamb skewer, found aplenty in the tiny alley.

More about Suzhou’s Islamic past in Alessandra Cappelletti’s fantastic article on The Conversation.