Around 1,700 Chinese Muslims left northwest China's Gansu Province for Saudi Arabia on six
chartered flights on Monday on a haj or pilgrimage to Mecca, one of
the pillars of Islamic faith.
The 1,700 pilgrims are chiefly from the province's Linxia Hui
Autonomous Prefecture, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and the
cities of Pingliang, Baiyin and Lanzhou, said Ma Chengxing,
director of the provincial religious affairs bureau's Islam
administration.
"The pilgrims received training on China's religious and foreign
affairs policies before leaving," the official said.
The Gansu provincial government dispatched a team of 41 staff
members and four doctors with the group to take charge of
translation, medical care and other services.
Ma said that in total 9,600 Chinese Muslims would travel to
Mecca this year, with most of them hailing from Gansu.
(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2006)