Mosque or Temple? Xi'an the 3rd.

After a successful nap and digesting the loss of the backpack, we decided to set off again. The guidebook praised the 'Great Mosque'. But since it was 'missing' along with the backpack, we had only the internet to help us. The special thing about this mosque is that it is about 1300 years old and it should be built in the Chinese architectural style, so it wouldn't be immediately recognizable as a mosque. We were curious. After trying to find a backpack store on the street opposite the hotel, which I had coincidentally seen the day before, but failed to find, we let ourselves be driven to the destination by taxi. By the way, the store was right across the street and not further to the right where we were searching, it was like magic!

Upon arrival at the destination, the driver indicated that the mosque was over there. Well, it does look like a place of prayer for sure.

I had read that the area of the mosque was bigger and that one had to walk a few steps there. So there was the entrance gate and behind it the obligatory junk street, perfect.

In the street, I first bought a replacement sunglasses. The first one was left at the guidebook. There were even two shops selling musical instruments, great! We almost bought Philipp the trumpet he had been longing for.

At the end of the street, there was already the first shrine and incense sticks were being lit, somehow strange.

Then we entered the actual prayer hall area. There were two large buildings surrounded by a 'building wall'.

There were incense sticks to buy and an opportunity to light them, shrines with oversized, brightly decorated statues of gods, but somehow it didn't look like a mosque.

Suddenly, my phone rang. I didn't understand my colleague, but when I asked if he had my backpack, he answered yes.

I called over a Chinese person with knowledge of English and had him call the number again, and indeed, we were told to come to the police station to pick up the backpack. Maybe one or the other incense stick we lit actually helped.

When we arrived at the police station, the backpack was symbolically handed over to me. This naturally had to be photographed and documented. Photos were taken with the policewoman and the chief and the other colleague, and so on. Everyone was visibly proud to have solved this case after all.

While looking for a nice restaurant for dinner, so much time passed that the fountains have to spray without us.