Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr in China

Muslims in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region celebrated Eid al-Fitr on Thursday, marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

After visiting mosques in the early morning, Muslims of various ethnic minorities held celebratory dances in public places, such as the square in front of Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar and the International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi. The cheerful music and dancing attracted many tourists, who joined in the celebrations.

Meanwhile, many local residents visited market stalls and supermarkets to purchase food for the festival.

Nurbiya, a resident of Turpan, said, "We are taking a day off on Eid al-Fitr. We can fully enjoy the holiday and visit our relatives and friends thanks to effective epidemic prevention and control measures."

With about 20 million Muslims in China, the event was also celebrated in other regions, such as Qinghai, Gansu and Ningxia.

During Ramadan, the ninth month of the year in the Islamic calendar, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Children, elderly people and the weak do not have to observe the fast.

In the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, Muslims also gathered at the Saad Bin Abi Waqqas Mosque in the downtown area on Thursday.

Muslims were granted entry to the mosque after presenting their reservation codes and having their temperatures taken. QR codes were scanned at the entrance, providing worshippers with information on their allocated prayer mats.

Wang Wenjie, president of the Guangzhou Islamic Association, said, "To ensure the health of all participants, masks should be worn at all times during the service, and everyone is spaced one meter apart."

The mosques and temporary worship venues across the city received a total of 5,987 Muslims on the day.

"Thanks to China's efforts on epidemic control, the mosque was able to hold the event as scheduled this year and allowed foreign Muslims to enjoy their religious life as well, for which we are very grateful," said Rashed Ahmed from Bangladesh.

In Northwest China's Gansu province, nearly 1.8 million Muslims belonging to multiple ethnic groups observed Eid al-Fitr on Thursday.

At 8 am, nearly 800 Muslims attended a service in the Nanguan Mosque in Lanzhou, the provincial capital. The Eid al-Fitr celebration was suspended last year but resumed this year.

"The epidemic has not completely finished. Protecting ourselves is as important as attending the ceremony," said Imam Ma Ruiping during the service.