The Hui Nationality

The Hui nationality currently has a population of over 8,600,000. They mainly live in Ningxia Autonomous Region and parts of Gansu, Qinghai, Henan, Shandong and Yunnan provinces. The Huis speak Chinese. They are mainly involved in agriculture, but keep livestock, produce and trade handicrafts and food as well. The Hui nationality has played an active role in history by promoting trade,culture and transport links between China and the outside world.

The Huis are Moslems. Islam has been a strong unifying force in the formation of the Hui nationality. It not only has a dominant place in the spiritual life of the people, uniting different social groups between the Hui members, but it also dictates the guiding principles of secular life, giving the Huis their distinctive customs.

The costumes of the Hui people are broadly similar to those of the Hans. The main difference lies in the head gear. Men often wear a little white cap, and women a head covering that covers the head and shoulders entirely, leaving only the face exposed to the outside world. The color and length of the head covers varies with age. Young women usually wear green, middle aged women black and old women white. The head covering of the young and middle aged women is shorter, reaching only to the shoulder; old women wear them longer, hanging over the back.

According to the Hui's dietary rules, the meat of pig, dog, horse, donkey, mule as well as all birds and beasts of prey is not allowed. They are also prohibited from eating the blood of any animal, and from eating any living that dies naturally. Alcoholic drink is strictly forbidden. These restrictions all originate from the stipulations of Islam. Any edible birds and animals have to be slaughtered by the ahung who is authorized to do so. While the animals are being slaughtered, scriptures have to be chanted; otherwise, the meat can not be eaten. The Hui people generally like to drink "tea in a covered bowl" which is made of crystal sugar, red jujube, longan and Chinese wolfberry.

Mosques are always built at the heart of Hui communities. The mosque, used for religious activities, is also a school for religious education. The Hui Moslems bath and hold five religious services a day in mosques. They go there to attend the Zhuma gathering every Friday, and to hold activities and religious services on the three most important holidays.

A mosque consists of three main parts: a hall for religious services, a water room and a scripture room. The architectural styles of the mosques are Arabic or classical Chinese, sometimes a mixture of the two. Whatever the style, an atmosphere of solemnity and reverences is always present inside them. The funeral rites of the Hui nationality are in full accordance with the swift simple practices of Islam. The Hui people regard death as an "impermanence" or "return to Allah," and they refer to the "dead person" as "the deceased." "Death" is a taboo word, and they call the remains "the burial body." Burial in the ground is the norm, and quick and simple burials are always advocated. The dead body should not be left for more than three days, because they believe "burial brings peace to the deceased." Before burial, the body is washed with pure water, and then wrapped in a white cloth. A coffin is unnecessary, and nothing must be alongside. Even drums and crackers are forbidden.

Lesser Bairam is the day when Moslems resume their meat diet after fasting.When the day arrives, Hui Moslems must bath and change their clothes before going to the mosque to attend the meetings and services. After the religious services, they have to chant scriptures in front of their ancestors' tombs, praying for the deceased persons and showing they have not forgotten them. After they get back from the graveyard, they offer their good wishes to the elders and neighbors. They also give each other or entertain the guests with some of the Huis' special food such as Youxiang (salted cake fried in sesame oil) and Sanzi (fried noodles).

Seventy days after the Lesser Bairam, December the tenth on the Moslem Calendar, is the Corban. This is another important holiday for the Huis. It is also called "The Feast of Slaughter" or "the Feast of Sacrifice," or colloquially "Festival of Loyalty and Obedience." It is the last day for Moslems to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca, and every Hui household must kill cattle and sheep to celebrate. Like the Lesser Bairam, on the day of the Corban, the Huis also gather at the mosques to hold meetings and services. When these are over, another important ceremony is given to the slaughter of cattle, sheep or camels. The meat itself is divided into three portions, one for the owners, one for their relatives and neighbors, and one to be given to the poor. After the slaughter, people visit relatives and friends, offering their good wishes for the festival.

"Hua'er,"(flower) is a kind of folksong that the Hui people enjoy very much. It is resonant and exuberant and very tuneful, filled with rich local flavor and the simple pleasures of life. "Hua'er" is also called "Shaonian," because the boys call the girls "Hua'er" and the girls call the boys "Shaonian" when they sing in turns.

The Hua'er Meeting takes place at a natural outdoor stage where singers compete and sing together. It is also a carnival for the Hui and other nationalities that are fond of "Hua'er." Among the many such meetings, two are the most famous. They are held in Ningxia Autonomous Region every year, on Mount Lianhua at the beginning of lunar June and on Mount Songming on lunar April 28. On the day of the meeting, trees are in leaf all over the mountain, and bright flowers in full bloom. When people get here from all around singing in traditional style and enjoying themselves, the whole scene is full of happiness and excitement.

Any mention of Ningxia where the Huis live in concentrated communities will always remind people of Chinese wolfberry. Exquisite, transparent and shaped like a cherry, it contains various vitamins and is a very special tonic.

The sheepskin produced near the Beiyanshan Mountain in Yinchun City is the most famous. It is taken from one month old lambs called Tanyang (a kind of sheep known for its fine thick wool), whose snow white wool is so fine that it shines like jade. Fur coats made of the skin are soft and warm, elegant and stylish, and durable as well.

There is also a famous production of an alga with long pliable tough threads, which is jet black in color and very nutritious. It is called "hair vegetable" because it looks like a woman's hair. In Chinese, it pronounces the same as the word meaning "make a fortune," so it has become an essential dish at the banquets in Southeastern Asian, Hongkong and Macao.

Ever since the Hui nationality was first formed,it has stressed the importance of commerce and commodity economy."Huihuis are good at business"is an old saying;trade is part of their culture.This has not just been domestic business and trade. Their contact with other cultures through foreign trade has been instrumental in their own economic and cultural development.