The Hui ethnic group
It is an ethnic group that believes in Islam, mainly distributed in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
According to historical records, in the second year of Yonghui of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty (651 AD), Muslim merchants from Arabia and Persia successively came to China by sea and settled in cities such as Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Hangzhou, Yangzhou, and Chang'an. They were called "Fan Ke" or "Tu Sheng Fan Ke", and were regarded as the ancestors of the Hui ethnic group.
The Hui people mainly believe in Islam.
Their diet is mainly halal food. They avoid eating pork, dog meat, horse meat, donkey meat, and mule meat. They also don't eat the meat of livestock and poultry slaughtered by non - Muslims, the meat of self - dead livestock and poultry, or animal blood.
Men often wear white or black round hats, and women wear headscarves.
Their traditional festivals mainly include the following:
Eid al - Fitr: Eid al - Fitr is on the 1st day of the 10th month of the Islamic calendar, marking the end of Ramadan. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. Eid al - Fitr is a day to celebrate the end of the fast. During this period, the Hui people put on new clothes, go to the mosque for congregational prayers, visit each other, and share festival food.
Eid al - Adha: Eid al - Adha is on the 10th day of the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice. This festival commemorates the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son to obey Allah's command. On the day of the festival, Muslims slaughter cattle and sheep and distribute the meat to family, relatives, and the poor. Eid al - Adha is one of the grandest festivals of the Hui ethnic group, and people hold various celebration activities, including feasts and exchanging gifts.
Mawlid an - Nabi: Mawlid an - Nabi commemorates the birthday and death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, usually on the 12th day of the 3rd month of the Islamic calendar. On the day of the festival, the Hui people go to the mosque to recite the Quran, praise the prophet, tell the life story of Muhammad, and have a communal meal.
Ramadan: Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar. During this month, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. When Ramadan ends, it is Eid al - Fitr.
