
Before my camera packed up on me I turned the corner onto Niu Jie, seeing the Halal signs over the restaurants and snack vendors I felt relieved to finally be on Niu Jie, translated into English it means 'Ox Street', that meaning shall be revealed in due course. It didn't take much to see the mosque as I made my way down Niu Jie that bitterly cold but sunny afternoon, the decorative tiling and Islamic writing told me I was in the right place. The calls to prayer were listed at the ticket window, it was only five Yuan for entrance to the mosque and I had no complaints with that admission fee. The buildings surrounding the prayer hall looked in good condition, it was great to see the Muslim people congregating before the call to prayer. Actually when I think about it, Niu Jie Mosque was the first mosque I had been able to visit properly in China! Aside from the drama with my camera, the visit gave me food for thought, I'm going to be arranging a big Halal trip to Lanzhou and Xining! No, now!

Backtracking to my first visit to Niu Jie, I felt so angry about my camera malfunction that I turned back to Shunyi to continue that trip the following weekend. Content with my mosque visit the first time I knew what I needed to see, passing the busy nature of Shuru Hutong during my second visit felt great. I could hear the dialects from the northwestern corner of China, that Islamic flare impressed me much because that side of Chinese life always captivates my attention. Finding some shredded beef gravy filled pastry, they tasted amazing even I wouldn't have called them a pie they gave me something different other than rice or noodles. Finishing that snack I had some deep fried syrup treats that I had to leave for another time because they were extremely sweet and not so forgiving on my teeth. Wandering away from the butchers of Shuru Hutong's main energy I found myself surrounded by a real Hutong, complete with the typical non-gentrified look that I prefer. Second chances work!

Through all of January's rubbish, was Niu Jie worth the second visit? Oh, without a doubt it was so worth it trekking down from my Shunyi home to Beijing's Muslim Quarter for some great food and exploration. Getting out and about proves to be a challenge sometimes, my weekends are precious so it makes it worthwhile to get past the tiredness to see something in China's showcase capital city. The food was amazing and the genuine feel of the Niu Jie Mosque acted as the perfect antidote during those stressful moments when my camera potentially broke, thankfully with an overnight soak in some rice I hadn't cooked, my camera, battery and memory card worked without any issues. Niu Jie is well worth checking out in Beijing, the locals trust the produce and with Spring Festival coming up its a promising sign, imagine the western equivalent to a British Christmas dinner, so its very important! Oh, finally I must say not getting sidetracked on the underground was appreciated B!
Serving Halal Overness!
Joseph Harrison