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By CCTV reporter Xie SiSi
330 Chinese Muslims have boarded the year's last chartered flight from Beijing to Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage. This is part of the government-organized pilgrimage tours, which carried over ten thousand Chinese Muslims to the holiest city of Islam this year.
After years on the waiting list, Ma Shuqi finally boarded a chartered flight from Beijing to Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage.
Ma Shuqi, Chinese Muslim, said, "I am from Hebei Province. This is my first time travelling to Mecca for the pilgrimage! I feel very excited and happy!"
Muslims in Ningxia going for Mecca pilgrimage wait to board the charter flight at Hedong Airport in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 7, 2012. The first group of 332 Muslims in Ningxia going for pilgrimage in Mecca of Saudi Arabia left Yinchuan on a charter flight on Sunday. About 13,800 Muslims in China, including 2,642 from Ningxia, will go to Mecca for pilgrimage this year. (Xinhua/Peng Zhaozhi)
The China Islamic Association planned 82 chartered flights this year to send more than 13,800 Chinese Muslims to Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage. The 330 passengers on the morning flight are the last group.
Zhang Lebin, Deputy Director, State Administration for Religious Affairs, said, "The Chinese government has made great efforts to offer the travelling opportunity for Chinese Muslims to visit Mecca for the pilgrimage. For this journey, we have conducted four levels of training and each provincial pilgrimage group has been organized by experienced pilgrims."
More than 2,700 Muslims from neighboring Gansu Province have already flown to Mecca in eight groups. In Ningxia, one of the major regions inhabited by Muslims in China, over 2500 (2,676) Islamic followers were scheduled to go on the pilgrimage this year.
One of the pilgrims from Hainan province highly praised the effort made by the central government to help them to travel to Mecca.
Muslims in Ningxia going for Mecca pilgrimage go through border check before boarding the charter flight at Hedong Airport in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 7, 2012. The first group of 332 Muslims in Ningxia going for pilgrimage in Mecca of Saudi Arabia left Yinchuan on a charter flight on Sunday. About 13,800 Muslims in China, including 2,642 from Ningxia, will go to Mecca for pilgrimage this year. (Xinhua/Peng Zhaozhi)
Li Shaojie, Chinese Muslim, said, "We have almost 50 people in our Hainan group and I feel very honored to be the group leader. And our government arranges everything: food, travel and hotel! We are well prepared!"
The Mecca pilgrimage, also known as the Hajj, is a Muslim religious tradition. All able-bodied Muslims who can afford to travel to Saudi Arabia are expected to visit Mecca at least once in their lives.
Muslims in Ningxia going for Mecca pilgrimage go through border check before
boarding the charter flight at Hedong Airport in Yinchuan, capital of
northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 7, 2012. The first
group of 332 Muslims in Ningxia going for pilgrimage in Mecca of Saudi Arabia
left Yinchuan on a charter flight on Sunday. About 13,800 Muslims in China,
including 2,642 from Ningxia, will go to Mecca for pilgrimage this year.
(Xinhua/Peng Zhaozhi)
中国公共新闻摘编：GAN JADE |
