The Hui Ethnic Group
Hui is a minority nationality believing in Islam, representing a racial integration of the people of Central Asia, Persians, Arabs, and the Chinese Han nationality.
The history of the Hui in Ningxia can be dated back to the late Tang Dynasty. Ningxia is the key location along the commercial route, the “Silk Road”, which was opened up in the Western Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago to connect China with Central and Western Asia. Some Persians and other Islamic believers came to China and stayed in Ningxia to become to the earliest ancestors of the Hui.
After the foundation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, four Hui autonomous prefectures and 10 autonomous counties were set up. Because the Hui was one of the minorities with a large population, the National People’s Congress agreed to establish the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. In the past 50 years, the autonomous region has seen full and rapid progress in politics, economy, culture, education, social life, and other aspects, along with a stable religious life.
For long time, the Hui have lived there and devoted themselves in constructing a more beautiful and strong homeland together with other minority peoples.
Hui Muslims have many special customs in eating, wearing, sanitation, wedding and funeral ceremonies, festivals, and others. You can hardly tell Hui from Han just by their daily wear unless the Hui men don their distinctive, special white or black hats. But personnel in the mosques or devout believers will wear long robes when participating in services or other religious activities. In Islamic doctrine, women will wear veils, black or white for the old, blue for the middle aged, and green for the young.
Hui ethnic people are strict with meat, although the staple food is almost the same as that of the Han. They only eat meat of ruminant or herbivorous animals butchered by designated people with a strict knowledge of Islamic doctrine, and the meat of the poultry like hens, ducks, and geese. Meat of other animals and blood food is forbidden. The Hui like tea but do not smoke or drink alcohol. Delicately made and tasting good, wheaten food is a specialty of the Hui, with many varieties like youcha. Besides, snacks in Ningxia, such as instant boiled mutton, are also famous for their special flavor. Learning from chefs of other minority nationalities, Muslim cooks in Ningxia have created many new Islamic dishes like fried sheep-tails.
Many excellent literature works were published in the past, showing the history and charm of Hui literature. The works of Yang Shaoqing, a Hui writer, and the collection of comments, “Literature and Culture of Hui” of Yang Jiguo, a Hui critic, were awarded excellent creative prize of minority ethnic literature. The paintings of Zeng Xinfei, who is famous for painting peony, were shown in Japan and Europe. The 40-part TV series “Helanshan Snow” revived the history of the ancient Western Xia Kingdom and aroused strong interest at home and abroad. The historical dancing drama “Girls of Western Xia” also won a prize in the national competition.
The Institute of Hui and Islam of the Ningxia Social & Scientific Academy is the only professional Hui and Islamic research body. It also publishes an ethnic academic magazine-Ningxia Research. Ningxia University has specially set up a research center for Hui literature. Relative research essays and articles have attracted great attentions in academic circles.
wide academic exchanges have been established and conducted between Hui research institutes of Ningxia and many other countries and regions.
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