Hui ethnic group
The Hui ethnic group has a population of about g ,603,000. As one of the big mil~ority
concentrations are in the Ningxia, Qinghai, Gansu, Henan, Hebei, Shandong, Xinjiang
and Yunnan autonomous regions and provinces. The Hui originated in the 7~" century
when some people f~na Arabia, Persia and Central Asia came to China for trade. They
settled in cities in the southern east China such as Hangzhou, Yangzhou and Quanzhou.
When more and more of these people immigrated in China, they gradually formed a new
nationality known as Huihui by intermarrying with Hans, Mongolians and Uygurs in the
13'h century.
The Hui in the past suffered greatly from exploitation and oppression at the hands of
reactionary ~lers like other minority nationalities, For example, in the wake of the
defeat of an uprising staged by Huis, about 70% of the Huis in Gansu were slaughtered
1949) didn't officially recognize the Hui nationality as an independent nationality, and
carried out the same rep~ssive policy as the Qing court against the Huis. Since 1949, the
government has pursued a policy of regional national autonomy in areas where the Huis
live in compact communities to ensure their enjoyment of equal ethnic rights. The
Ningxia Hul Autonomous Region (1958) and two autonomous prefectures in Guansu
Province and six autonomous counties in other parts of the country have been set up in
order to protect the Huis' right to national autonomy. With the effort during the past 50
years, modern industrial production of coal, eiecUScity, machinery, metal, chemicals,
petroleum, electronic and consumer goods have been established in Ningxia. Some
large water conservation projects along the Yellow River have also been built in
Ningxia..
In the past, Huis were primarily farmers and some engage in commerce or the
handicraft thduslry. They have close ties with the Han people in economy and culture.
For instance, they use the oral and written language of the Hans. Their clothes are no
different from the Hans except the white or black caps. They also use Persian and
Arabian languages in the field of religion as islam is their common religious faith. Since
the Huis are traditionally believers in islam, Islamic natiouality has left a deep imprint on
their customs and culture. Moslems pray and hold religious activities in a mosque, which
is also a symbol of Hui architecture. Islam has had a great impact on Hui society. For example, like Muslims in other lands, the Huis abstain from eating pork. Also lhe deceased are interred without being encased in a coffin according to Hui's funerary customs.
Islam first reached in the mid-seventh century mainly from Central Asia. The Silk
Road helped to spread Islam. The Yuan Dynasty witnessed the zenith of prosperity of
Islam. Almost all Huis we~ Muslims and were referred to as Huthui in the official
documents of the Yuan Dynasty (1206--1368). Generally, the Huis form their own
villages in the countryside and their own neighborhoods in cities. For instance Nujie (the
Cow Street) in Xuanwu District of Beijing is the area where Huis gather. China has
more than 3O, 000 mosques now. The four famous old Mosques in China are Fairy Crane
Mosque (1275) in Yangzhou, Huaisheng Mosque (built in the Tang Dynasty) in
Guangzhoo, Qingjing Mosque (1309) in Quanzhou, and Fenghuang Mosque ( Phoenix
Mosque, built in the Tang Dynasty) in Hangzhou.
Among their traditional festivals are birthday of Mohammed, the Festival of Fast
Breaking and Corban. The three major festivals were first introduced into China in 651
during the Tang Dynasty. Molid Nabawi falls on March 12 by the Islamic calendar.
According to Islamic Law, the entire ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar is marked
by fasting and abstinence (Ramadan). All of the faithful are required to be moderate in
their desires and to abstain from eating each day from dawn to dusk, when a simple
vegetarian meal is taken during this time (pregnant women, children, the aged, sick and
elderly are exempt from fasting). At the end of each day's fast it is customary for people
to invile their relatives, friends and neighbours to their homes to dinner. The Festival of
Bairam is held at the end of the ninth lunar month to celebrate the ending of this period of
abstinence. Believers in Islam get dressed in their holiday best and go calling on friends
and relatives after the faithful perfoml ablution. Mosque get-togethers, tea parties talks
and gala celebrations are held to mark the occasion. Corban is also known as the
"Sacrificial Festival". Animals are butchered in sacrifice to God on this day. It is
customary for wealthy Muslims to sacrifice cows and sheep to prepare sumptuous
banquets for their friends and ~latives.
Huis are industrious, courageous and wise people, and they have made important
contributions to Chinese culture and civilization. Take their scholars as an example,
they made signal contributions to Chinese culture by introducing knowledge of
aslxonomy, calendricaI calculations, gun manufacture and medicine from West Asia.
This nationality has produced quite a few famous statesmen and intellectuals during the pas 400 years. Some of them are well known as a statesman named Saidianchi
Zhansiding (Yuan Dynasty, 1211--1279), a navigator Zheng He (Ming Dynas y,
1371--1435) and the progressive thinker Li Zhi (Ming Dynasty, 1527--1602 ). A
sizable number of accomplished poets, scholars, painters and dramatists are also from
the Hui nationalily.