The message of Islam was welcomed most enthusiastically in major trading centres, such as Xian and Guangdong, and later in China’s western provinces. By the Song dynasty (960 - 1279), there were mosques throughout China. The high point of Islam in China was during the Ming era (1368 - 1644), when Muslims acquired unprecedented political influence.
Calligraphy has always been a revered art form in China. This coincides with the Islamic ideal, although the results are often very different from the calligraphic works of other parts of Islam. Qur’ans from China follow a universal pattern, albeit using the special Sini script. More distinctive are the calligraphic scrolls that take a traditional, Chinese approach.
One important area of Chinese art in which calligraphy plays a comparatively small part is ceramics. Objects made for the domestic market rarely put much emphasis on the written word, in Chinese or any other language. Among the exceptions are highly prized Ming dynasty blue-and-white wares with Islamic inscriptions.