Nánchéng Qīngzhēn Gŭsì (Nancheng Mosque)

Lonely Planet review

Kūnmíng's oldest mosque, the 400-year-old Nancheng Mosque, was ripped down in 1997 to build a larger version. Close by is a lively strip of Muslim restaurants and shops selling skullcaps, calligraphy and pictures of Mecca. There's another mosque nearby, wedged between Huguo Lu and Chongyun Jie, and another mosque on the corner of Jinbi Lu and Dongsi Jie.

Yúnnán's sizable Muslim population dates back to the 13th century when Mongol forces swooped into the province to outflank the Song dynasty troops. They were followed by Muslim traders, builders and craftsmen. All over China, mosques were simultaneously being raised with the new Yuan dynasty banner. Yúnnán was the only region to have been put under a Muslim leader immediately after Kublai Khan's armies arrived, when Sayyid Ajall was named governor in 1274. The most famous Yúnnán Muslim was Cheng Ho, the famed eunuch admiral who opened up the Chinese sea channels to the Middle East.