Muslims from China's only Hui ethnic autonomous region began
their Mecca pilgrimage on Monday, utilizing the first direct
charter flights from Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia
Hui Autonomous Region, to Mecca.
At 7:45 p.m. on Monday, the first charter flight, with 282
pilgrims on board, took off from Yinchuan airport for a flight of
about eight hours to Medina, Saudi Arabia.
The group was the first among the 1,970 Muslims who will take
these flights from Yinchuan to Mecca for the annual pilgrimage. The
flights, operated by China Eastern, will continue to Nov. 25.
Yinchuan this year became the fifth departure port for non-stop
charter flights to Saudi Arabia. The other four are Beijing,
Urumqi, Lanzhou and Kunming.
Previously, Muslims in Ningxia had to travel to neighboring
Gansu and Xinjiang for flights to Saudi Arabia.
Yang Zhibo, vice chairman of the Islamic Association of China
(IAC), said Ningxia has more than 2 million Muslims, and it is
important and necessary to facilitate their pilgrimage.
"Direct flights substantially reduce the time and costs for
pilgrims," said Hei Fuli, vice chairman of the Islamic Association
of Ningxia.
Twenty years ago, when Beijing was the only departure port,
pilgrims had to wait a week before flying onward to Medina, Hei
said.
China has more than 20 million Muslims, mainly living in
Xinjiang, Qinghai, Ganshu, Ningxia, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia
and Henan.
According to the IAC, a record 10,700 Chinese Muslims are
expected to make the pilgrimage this year. They will return by
charter flights from Jan. 5-24, 2008. The pilgrimage rites will
take place from Dec. 18-22.
(Xinhua News Agency November 20, 2007)