There was only the Phoenix Mosque in Hangzhou, and in recent years the Muslim population in Hangzhou increased, so the need for a new mosque became urgent. The Hangzhou Mosque was included in the list of major construction projects and in 2011, and in the following year it was approved by the Hangzhou Development and Reform Commission, and the foundation-laying ceremony was held on 12 October 2012. The mosque was completed in 2016 and it was officially opened in May 2017.[2]