URUMQI, June 5 -- Muslims in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will welcome the holy month of Ramadan in the coming days.

Zhang Chunxian, secretary of the regional committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and Shohrat Zakir, chairman of Xinjiang regional government, visited teachers and students at Xinjiang Islamic Institute on Sunday.

Zhang extended greetings to Muslims of different ethnic groups at the event.

Ramadan is a holy, auspicious month for Muslims during which they can reflect and spend time with their family and friends, Zhang said.

Zhang hoped that people would take the time to remember their social responsibilities, help the less fortunate to uphold righteousness and tolerance and support harmony in Xinjiang.

Meanwhile, Zhang also hoped all the religious people to become model of integrity and fight against extremism.

Ramadan is a season of fasting and spiritual reflection, during which Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink from sunrise to dusk. It is widely observed by Xinjiang's ethnic minorities including Hui, Uygur, Kazakh, Uzbek, Tajik and Kyrgyz.

Xinjiang Islamic Institute has a history of nearly 30 years. The language of instruction at the institute is Uygur.