Jizhaoying Mosque is one of several historic mosques in Nanjing serving the city's Hui Muslim community. The mosque was founded during the Ming dynasty, when Nanjing had a significant Muslim population — Zheng He, the great Chinese admiral who led the 15th-century treasure voyages to Southeast Asia, Africa, and Arabia, was a Nanjing Hui Muslim, and the city's Islamic heritage runs deep.
The mosque follows the traditional Chinese architectural style, with tiled roofs and courtyard layout, rather than the West Asian domed form. Services take place daily and the mosque is open to respectful non-Muslim visitors outside prayer times. The Gulou and Drum Tower area has several other historic mosques within walking distance.