Qibla · Yunnan
Qibla direction in Jianshui
To face the Kaaba in Jianshui, turn to 280.4° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (10.4° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 6,248 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Jianshui should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Jianshui as a needle at 280.4°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 280°. A traditional magnetic compass also works, provided you allow for the local difference between magnetic and true north.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in Jianshui
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 10.4° towards north: the result is the bearing of 280.4°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 10° off.
The scholars distinguish two cases: the one who sees the Kaaba aims at the building itself, while the one who cannot see it, as anywhere in Jianshui, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of a local mosque is a quick way to confirm the result. If you travel or move house, check the angle again, since it changes from place to place.
Why a flat map shows a different direction
A straight line drawn on a flat (Mercator) map from Jianshui to Mecca points to 267.1° (west), 13.3° away from the correct 280.4°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 50 km longer than the true shortest route. The Qibla follows the great circle, the shortest path on the curved Earth, which is why the bearing differs.
The value of 280.4° is the direction in which the shortest route from 24.2774° N, 101.2240° E sets off towards the Kaaba at 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E. Every accurate Qibla calculator, and the plans of well-oriented mosques, arrive at the same angle for this point.
Distance from Jianshui to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 6,248 km from Jianshui as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 6,184 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 7 h 51 min, although most pilgrims from Jianshui connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Jianshui run 5 hours ahead of Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Jianshui rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Jianshui
On 126 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Jianshui while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in May (31 days); for example, on 1 May 2027 it happens at 18:36 local time.
On 227 days the sun stands exactly opposite the Qibla: then the shadow of any vertical object, a pole, a door frame or a plumb line, points straight towards Mecca. This is most frequent in March (31 days), for instance on 1 March 2027 at 08:00.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | — |
| 15 January 2027 | — | — |
| 1 February 2027 | — | — |
| 15 February 2027 | — | — |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 08:00 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 08:42 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 09:31 |
| 15 April 2027 | — | 10:12 |
| 1 May 2027 | 18:36 | 11:00 |
| 15 May 2027 | 17:52 | 11:42 |
| 1 June 2027 | 17:09 | 12:29 |
| 15 June 2027 | 16:49 | 12:54 |
| 1 July 2027 | 16:56 | 12:54 |
| 15 July 2027 | 17:25 | 12:30 |
| 1 August 2027 | 18:13 | 11:43 |
| 15 August 2027 | 18:54 | 10:59 |
| 1 September 2027 | — | 10:01 |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 09:12 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 08:17 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | — |
| 1 November 2027 | — | — |
| 15 November 2027 | — | — |
| 1 December 2027 | — | — |
| 15 December 2027 | — | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Jianshui: at 17:18 and 17:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Jianshui compared with other cities
Compared with Beijing, 2,243 km away, the Qibla in Jianshui is turned 1.5° further clockwise (280.4° against 278.9°), and Mecca is 1,136 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Chuxiong (90 km), prays towards 280.0°, a difference of 0.4°.
Across the 612 cities in China on this site, the Qibla ranges from 249.0° in Tacheng to 286.5° in Suifenhe, a spread of 37.5°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for China.
Qibla in cities near Jianshui
Qibla in Jianshui: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Jianshui?
It is 280.4° from true north, which is west: 10.4° north of west.
How far is Jianshui from Mecca?
6,248 km in a straight line over the globe, and 6,184 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Jianshui?
On 126 days of 2027 the sun stands in the Qibla direction; the table on this page gives the exact time for the 1st and 15th of each month.
Why is the Qibla in Jianshui not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 267.1°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Jianshui at 280.4°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 280.4° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.