A good time to visit this 490-year-old wooden mosque is morning, as the town begins to stir. From the three-storied entrance gate, you can look east over the flat-topped brick houses and into small yards and alleys. The population of greater Yongning (which is a half-hour drive south of Yinchuan) is about 80% Hui, while this old village that immediately surrounds the mosque is 100% Hui -- that being one of the requisites of residing in this well-preserved section of town. To this day a majority of residents are part of the Na family after which the mosque was named. According to the caretaker, the mosque escaped the destruction of the Cultural Revolution because the tightly knit community kept constant watch over it and refused entrance to the Red Guards. These days, visitors are invited into the pretty and peaceful courtyard. If you come alone or with only a few people, the caretaker may also let you into the prayer hall.