The Hui ethnic group, with a total population of about 8.6 million
is one of China's largest ethnic groups. This group is mainly distributed
in Ningxia, Gansu, Henan, Hebei, Qinghai, Shandong, Yunnan, Xinjiang,
Liaoning and Anhui provinces. The largest residential area is the
Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The "Hui ethnic group"
is the shortened form of "Huihui ethnic group". In the
early years of the 13th century countless Islamite from Middle Asia,
Persia and Arabia migrated voluntarily or compulsorily into China.
This occurred when Mongolian troops made western expeditions. As
artisans, tradesmen, scholars, officials and religious leaders,
they spread to many parts of the country and settled down mainly
to livestock breeding. These people, who are also called Huis or
Huihuis because of their religious beliefs, were identical with
Huihe people in Anxi in present Xinjiang and are part of the ancestors
of today's Huis.
The Hui people took Chinese as their common language. During their
long history, the Hui people, aided by the Han people, accumulated
great wealth. This wealth changed Ningxia into a region of abundance.
The Hui people specialize in trade. Traditional items of trade are
jewelry, jade and bullion.
The Huis and the Hans wear very similar clothing. The major difference
is their distinctive headgear. Hui men traditionally wear a white
skullcap and the women often wear a veil, keeping their faces covered.
The religion of the Huis is Islam. Moslems pray and hold religion
activities in a mosque. The mosque is also a symbol of Hui architecture.
Islam has had a great impact on the political and economic systems
of the Hui society. In daily life, an infant will to be given a
Hui name by an imam soon after birth; an imam must witness wedding
ceremonies; and, after death, the deceased must be cleaned with
water, wrapped in a white cloth and buried promptly without a coffin
in the presence of an imam who presides over the ceremony.
The Hui eat rice and wheat as staples, along with beef, mutton,
chicken, fish and various vegetables. Other types of meat such as
horse, donkey, mule, dog and other ferocious birds and animals,
as well as animals, which have died, are forbidden. Pork is especially
forbidden.
The main festivals of the Hui nationality are the Kaizhai Festival,
Corban Festival and Almsgiving Festival.
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