As one of the largest nations in the world, China's population represents 56 nationalities, ten of which have an Islamic background. By sea and by land, Muslims went to China over the first three hundred years of Islam. The first official delegation was sent to China by the Khalifa Uthman in approximately 651 A.D. Both the Islamic and Chinese cultures have a rich tradition of respect, mercy, and compassion. Thus, Islam found little resistance as it took root in China.

Today, there are approximately twenty million Muslims and thirty-five thousand mosques in China (more muslims than in Saudi Arabia). The architecture of the mosques is a testament to the vastness of Islam's identity. They are wooden structures, which inculcate both an Islamic and Chinese style. The interplay of these cultures, which is exemplified in the architecture of the Chinese mosque, plays a vital role in the Muslim-Chinese identity.