BEIJING: Millions of Muslims around China on Friday celebrated Eidul Azha, a major Islamic festival, that is meant to demonstrate believers’ faith and obedience to God through animal sacrifices, with enthusiasm.
Ambassador of Pakistan to China, Masood Khalid, senior officials from the Embassy of Pakistan and a large number of Pakistanis offered Eid prayers at a mosque in Pakistan embassy premises.
About 10,000 local Muslims, expatriates from Muslim countries and students from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh offered the Eid prayers at Niujie Mosque, the oldest and largest mosque in the Chinese capital.
People slaughter livestock and divide the animal into three parts. One part is to be eaten by the family; another part is for relatives and friends; and the third part is for charity.
Muslims in Beijing, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Gansu province, Qinghai province and other parts of the country also celebrated the festival.
China is home to about 20 million Muslims from more than 10 ethnic minorities. The largest group is the Hui minority, who largely hail from northwest China’s Ningxia Hui and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions.