Muslims in China Celebrate Festival of Fast-breaking ����*Some 300 ethnic minority people representing over 250,000 Muslims living in the Chinese capital gathered together to celebrate their most important religious event, the end of Ramadan. ����Meanwhile, Muslims wearing white caps and their best clothing, flocked into the city's 68 mosques, where grand ceremonies were held. Today, there are people from ten ethnic minority groups in Beijing who are Islamic believers and are enjoying their holiday. ����Vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Buhe, representatives from China Islamic Association and Beijing government officials attended the event. ����All the 56 ethnic minorities in China have a good many of their nationals living in the capital and the number is estimated today at 480,000, accounting for 3.8 percent of Beijing's population. ����*More than 17 million Muslims in Xinjiang, a multi-ethnic area in northwest China, gathered at mosques on January 18 to celebrate the festival of Fast-Breaking, the most important Muslim event in the calendar. ����* Some 1.78 million Muslims in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region visited 2,700 mosques throughout the region on January 18 to celebrate the end of Ramadan, their most important religious event. ����Markets and shops in Yinchuan, the regional capital, are brimming with a multitude of commodities to mark the end of the fasting period. Muslim cadres and staffers are enjoying a one-day holiday, with the Huis to invite Han people to attend their family parties. HomeNews 1999-01-20 Page4 Full Story in Chinese