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Beijing municipal government plans to renovate a more than 1,000-year-old mosque in downtown Niujie Street with an investment of 10 million yuan (1.2 million US dollars) in the next two to three years.

The Niujie mosque, the largest among the 68 mosques in the Chinese capital, was built in 996 AD during the Liao Dynasty (916-1125). It is now one of the major mosques in north China.

According to the renovation plan, besides the renovation of the existing major building inside the mosque, more facilities such as a chapel and a bath room for female Muslims, a relics exhibition hall and a foreign guests reception room will be built.

The renovation would also cover improvement and construction of water, electricity and heating supply systems of the mosque.

The acreage of the mosque was expected to expand from the current 6,000 square meters to 8,900 square meters upon the completion of the renovation, according to Yang Wenbo, director of the Ethnic, Religious and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the Xuanwu District People's Government.

The Niujie mosque has undergone three renovations since the founding of New China in 1949, respectively in 1955, 1979 and 1996.

More than 200 Muslims go to the mosque each day and the number rises to 700 to 800 on the Day of Jumah (Prayer of Jumah), said Bai Zengfu from the Xuanwu District Islam Association. "More than 2,500 Muslims went to the mosque during the Fast-Breaking Festival which falls on December 6 last year," Bai added.

The Niujie Street in Xuanwu District, where the mosque is located, is the largest area inhabited by Muslims in Beijing. The street is as old as the mosque. At present, more than 10,000 out of the over 50,000 people living in the area are Muslims.

Beijing has about 250,000 Muslims.

Bai Enhang, 92, who has lived in the Niujie area since he was born, was very happy on hearing of the renovation project. He said, "We all hope the renovation project be completed as early as possible and we are grateful for the government's religious policy."

At the same time, projects to improve nearby environment are going on smoothly.

A 10,000-square-meter grassland has been built around the mosque and the road in front of it has expanded to 40 meters wide from the former eight meters.

Beijing municipal government launched a project to improve local people's living conditions through demolishing old and shabby houses and building new multi-story buildings in the area in 1997.

With the completion of the first phase project, 3,300 families have moved into new homes. The second phase project is expected to be completed by 2004.

Construction on stores for ethnic dresses, handicrafts, Muslims' food and restaurants along the 670-meter-long Niujie Street have been completed and are expected to go into operation very soon. Beijing's first Muslims' mutton chain store opened to customers on Dec. 20 last year.

"Today's Niujie Street is wider and more beautiful," said Bai Yuzhen, who has lived in the area for more than 40 years. "It's so convenient to live here as various facilities have been erected."