Prayer Times in Shanghai

About Prayer Times in Shanghai

Shanghai, China's most populous city and its commercial and financial capital, has a Muslim community of approximately 50,000–100,000 — a small fraction of the city's 24 million residents, but one with deep historical roots. Islam arrived in Shanghai through Hui Muslim traders from inland China, Arab and Persian merchants who used Shanghai's port, and later through Uyghur and other Chinese Muslim communities. In the early 20th century, Shanghai also hosted a community of Yemeni and Iraqi Jewish and Muslim merchants alongside European traders, making it one of Asia's most cosmopolitan port cities.

Shanghai's Muslim community uses timetables from the China Islamic Association and the local Shanghai Islamic Association, using the Muslim World League method as a basis. At 31.2°N, Shanghai's prayer schedule varies moderately through the year — Fajr ranges from approximately 3:50 AM in June to 6:15 AM in December, and Isha from 9:15 PM (summer) to 5:55 PM (winter). The city's government-approved mosques operate under the coordination of the Shanghai Islamic Association, which publishes prayer timetables and oversees religious education.

The Xiaotaoyuan Mosque (Peach Garden Mosque) in the Huangpu district, dating to 1917, is one of Shanghai's most important historic mosques and the main Friday congregation mosque for the city's Hui Muslim community. It blends Chinese and Arabic architectural elements and houses the Shanghai Islamic Association's offices. The Fuyou Street Mosque, the oldest mosque in Shanghai (first built in the early Qing dynasty), is another significant historic site. Shanghai's proximity to major Uyghur communities inland and the city's role as a global hub have made it a meeting point for diverse Chinese Muslim traditions and international Muslim communities.