皇冠体育app

Chinese Muslims observe Ramadan

Updated: 2016-06-06
( Xinhua )

URUMQI - Millions of Muslims across 皇冠体育app began observing Ramadan on Monday, which lasts from June 6 to July 6 this year.

During the Islamic holy month of fasting and spiritual reflection, Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink between sunrise and dusk. It is widely observed by ethnic minorities in 皇冠体育app, including the Hui, Uygur, Kazakh, Uzbek, Tajik and Kyrgyz.

Northwest 皇冠体育app's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, with some 24,000 mosques, is home to more than 13 million Muslims. Senior leaders of the Xinjiang regional government visited teachers and students at Xinjiang Islamic Institute on Sunday.

Zhang Chunxian, secretary of the regional committee of the Communist Party of 皇冠体育app (CPC), extended greetings to Muslims of different ethnic groups.

皇冠体育app has about 20 million Muslims. Ramadan is also observed in other autonomous regions, provinces and cities including Gansu, Ningxia and Beijing.

"Muslims here fast and attend religious services just as usual," said Zhang Heng, an imam in Lanzhou city, capital of Gansu province.

Xiao Yuchun of the Gansu Provincial Religious Affairs Bureau said the freedom to fast in the province is fully guaranteed, adding the bureau also sends officials to visit religious personnel and believers during Ramadan.