Chinese Muslims celebrate end of Ramadan holy month

Muslim women gather at Beijing's Niujie Mosque to celebrate the end of Eid al-Fitr today, the festival that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan – a time of fasting and spiritual reflection. China has 20 million Muslims, of which about half are from the Hui ethnic group.

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MILLIONS of Muslims across China celebrated Eid al-Fitr today, the festival that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan -- a season of fasting and spiritual reflection.

Early this morning, Muslims from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, as well as other Muslim-populated regions, donned festive outfits and swarmed local mosques.

About 5,000 Muslims went to the Yanghann Mosque in the regional capital of Urumqi to hear imams preaching.

Zhu Hailun, Urumqi's top official, said today that the morning services went off without a hitch, drawing tens of thousands of local residents. The worshipers went to local cemeteries to honor their deceased relatives before returning home for family gatherings, he said.

Xinjiang has a population of more than 21 million people. More than half of the population are Muslims from 10 ethnic groups, including Uyghur, Kirgiz, Kazak and Uzbek.

The local government has declared today a public holiday to enable Muslims to have more time to attend religious rituals and visit relatives on Eid al-Fitr.

In a Muslim cemetery in the city of Artux, located in Xinjiang's Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture of Kizilsu, worshipers stood in silent tribute to their deceased relatives, recited verses from the Koran and sprinkled rice in front of tombstones in accordance with Muslim customs.

The holy month has been good for local businesses. In bazaars and supermarkets in Urumqi, worshipers have purchased candles and "sanza," a type of fried dough, in large numbers.

During Ramadan, the ninth month of the year in the Muslim calendar, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from sunrise to sunset. Children and elderly people are not required to fast.

China has 20 million Muslims, of which about half are from the Hui ethnic group.

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