inside the fourth courtyard, there is a structure called the phoenix pavilion, a place where worshipers wait for services. the pavilion, in fact, is a complex of three small buildings. the six-gabled structure in the central part is adjoined by two three-gabled buildings on each side which make it look like a flying phoenix; hence its name. just at the back of the pavilion there is a fish pond, and beyond it is a platform with an area of 700 square meters. acrothe platform stands the 1,300-square-meter prayer hall. it holds over 1,000 worshipers at a time. the ceiling is decorated with over 600 panels. the walls of the hall, as well as the panels, are decorated with patterns of trailing plants and arabic letters. the shrine at the western end of the hall is where the imam and worshipers chant the koran and pay homage while facing in the direction of mecca.
the moslems in china share much the same customs with their brothers and sisters elsewhere in the world. they worship five times a day: at dawn, at noon, in the afternoon, at dusk, and at night.
the constitution of china acknowledges that each citizen has the right freedom of religion, and that each ethnic group has the freedom to preserve or reform its own customs. of course, the moslems in china enjoy equal rights with other ethnic groups, and their religious beliefs and customs are respected everywhere in the country.
huaqing pool is situated about 35 kilometres east of the city of xi’an. historically, the western zhou dynasty saw the construction of the li palace on the spot. in the qin dynasty a pool was built with stones, and was given the name lishan tang (the lishan hot spring). the site was extended into a palace in the han dynasty, and renamed the li palace (the resort palace). in the tang dynasty, li shimin (emperor tai zong) ordered to construct the hot spring palace, and emperor xuan zong had a walled palace built around lishan mountain in the year of 747. it was known as the huaqing palace. it also had the name huaqing pool on account of its location on the hot springs.
huaqing pool is located at the foot of the lishan mountain, a branch range of the qinling ranges, and stands 1,256 metres high. it is covered with pines and cypresses, looking very much like a like a dark green galloping horse from a long distance. so it has the name of the lishan mountain (li means a black horse).
the tang dynasty emperor xuan zong and his favourite lady, yang gui fei used to make their home at frost drifting hall in winter days. when winter came, snowflakes were floating in the air, and everything in sight was white. however, they came into thaw immediately in front of the hall. it owed a great deal to the luke warm vapour rising out of the hot spring. this is the frost drifting hall that greets us today.