by+Xin+Bao

This years Ramadan， the Muslim holy month marked by daily fasting， recently ended with the feast of Eid al-Fitr （Fast-breaking Festival） for more than 20 million Muslims across China. However， since the date of the Fast-breaking Festival varies based on observation of the new moon by local religious authorities， residents of northwestern Chinas Qinghai and Gansu provinces started celebrating the festival on July 17 while the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region marked it on July 18. They celebrate the festival with prayer， food and gifts.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar， and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a time for fasting during daylight hours to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad.

Fasting is primarily an act of willing abstinence or reduction of certain or all food， drink， or both， for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstaining from all food and liquid for a defined period. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive， limiting particular foods or substances. For many occasions and for most Muslims in China， food and drink is served daily， before dawn and after sunset. Muslims believe that spiritual rewards for fasting are multiplied within the month of Ramadan.

Ramadan fasting is typically accompanied by increased praying and recitation of the Quran. Usually， the five daily prayers during Ramadan can be made at home or mosques. But practices vary in different locales. For example， most Muslims in Chinas Xinjiang pray in mosques during Ramadan.

“Our mosque receives about 1，200 Muslims during most seasons，” reveals Abdu Rahman， an assistant imam in Urumqi， Xinjiang. “But during Ramadan， we see more than 3，000 daily visitors coming to pray. During the peak period， we receive more than 10，000 people in one day.”

Xinjiang has a population of more than 21 million， and more than half of them are Muslims from one of ten ethnic groups such as Uygur， Kirgiz， Kazak and Uzbek. The region is home to more than 24，000 mosques according to Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences.

The festive atmosphere was also felt amongst the 2.3 million Muslims in northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Ningxia is a major region for Chinas Hui Muslims， who account for nearly 36 percent of the regions total population， or 2.36 million people.

On July 18， nearly 10，000 Muslims congregated in Nanguan Mosque in Yinch- uan， one of the most time-honored mosques in the regional capital， for celebrations. At the same time， a five-day holiday began in the autonomous region， during which toll highways and most scenic spots were opened free of charge.

In Qinghai， Muslims also celebrated the big holiday with enthusiasm. “Its auspicious that the Fast-Breaking Festival fell on the same day as Jumuah （Day of Assembly） when everybody gathered in the mosque for the Friday prayer anyway，”remarked Ma Yun， a Hui and head of the Dongguan Mosque administration committee in Xining， capital of Qinghai Province. Some 300，000 Muslims， mostly of the Hui ethnic group， gathered around Dongguan Mosque on the morning of July 17， some arriving as early as 3 a.m. to save a place in the prayer hall.

In downtown Beijing， thousands of Muslims gathered in Niujie Mosque on Niujie Street， the traditional Muslim neighborhood in the southern part of the city. Roads near the mosque were temporarily closed to motor vehicles due to the large expected turnout for the Muslim celebration. Many Muslims from neighboring provinces made the trip just for the occasion. “The atmosphere here is more festive than in our hometown，” noted a Muslim woman surnamed Ma from Hebei Province.