A quiet but far-reaching transformation is unfolding across China, one that is altering not only skylines but also the cultural and spiritual identity of entire communities.
From Ningxia to Xinjiang, mosques that once bore distinctive green domes, crescent moons, and Arabic calligraphy are being stripped of their Islamic symbols. Minarets have been dismantled, domes flattened, and in their place, roofs styled after traditional Han Chinese architecture now dominate. Loudspeakers once used for the call to prayer have been removed, and Quranic inscriptions erased.
What Chinese authorities describe as the “standardisation” of religious architecture is, according to rights groups, part of a sweeping policy of Sinicisation — a campaign to align all religions with the ideology of the Communist Party and a vision of national culture rooted in Han traditions.
Human Rights Watch and other organisations report that these changes are not cosmetic, but symptomatic of a systematic restriction on Islamic practice. The measures go hand-in-hand with the closure of Islamic schools, bans on religious gatherings, penalties for fasting during Ramadan, and state-run “re-education” programmes.
For centuries, Hui and Uyghur Muslim communities have maintained mosques as vital spaces of worship and cultural continuity. Today, many find themselves powerless as renovations are imposed without consultation. In Yunnan province, the Grand Mosque of Shadian — once considered a landmark of Islamic architecture — has reportedly been stripped of its domes and remodelled to reflect what state officials call “culturally appropriate” design.
Chinese authorities insist the campaign is necessary to curb extremism and promote national unity. But critics argue it is erasing religious identity under the guise of social harmony. “What is being lost is not just architecture, but centuries of memory, heritage and belonging,” one rights advocate told The Guardian.
The implications extend beyond China’s borders. For the global Muslim community, the mosque is not simply a building but a space of prayer, community, and continuity. The dismantling of Islamic architecture in China raises urgent questions about the future of religious freedom in one of the world’s most powerful nations — and about the willingness of the international community to respond.
As domes and minarets vanish from the skylines of Chinese cities, the silence that follows is more than architectural. It is a silence heavy with loss, watched closely by a world still debating how to hold China to account.
