Cheng Ho Mosque (Masjid Cheng Ho)

The Cheng Ho Mosque is one of the most distinctive buildings in Surabaya — a Chinese-style mosque with an octagonal pagoda design, red and green tiled roofs, and dragon decorations that make it look like a temple at first glance. It was built in 2002 to honour Admiral Zheng He and the historic role of Chinese Muslims in bringing Islam to Java.

The mosque is in active use and open to visitors outside prayer times. It is a striking example of cultural fusion — entirely sincere as a Muslim place of worship while being architecturally Chinese throughout. The building is small but photogenic, and the small museum attached covers Zheng He's voyages. Find it in the Genteng district.

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A story
The mosque is named for Admiral Zheng He — the Chinese Muslim admiral who led seven massive treasure fleets through Southeast Asia in the early 15th century. His voyages predate Vasco da Gama's rounding of the Cape by nearly a century, and his ships were four times larger than anything Europe was building at the time. The mosque honours the long presence of Chinese Muslims in the Indonesian archipelago.