Explore a China many have not seen
Hui Ethnic Minority
The Hui ethnic group is China's most widely distributed ethnic minority who are distinguished mainly by being ethnically Muslim. There is a sizeable population of 11 million. They live mostly in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwestern China. However they are distributed throughout many cities and villages in the provinces of Gansu, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Hebei, Henan, Sichuan, Yunnan and Shandong.
Though they are culturally like the Han, they are distinguished by being converts to Islam or being descendants of Muslims. They don’t have a language of their own, and most keep almost no Muslim customs. They are unlike the Uyghurs who retain their own language and culture. Hui are known across China for their popular Lanzhou noodle restaurants.
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Cong Jin Xia’s family 1985
front: Dad, Mom, colleague;
back: brother, classmate, classmate, sister with nephew; Jin Xia
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February 2017: Cong Jin Xia having dinner in our home
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February 2017: What a privilege to host Cong Jin Xia in our home
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February 2017: Great evening with Jin Xia
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May 2017:
Jin Xia’s parents and sister
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May 2017: At Jin Xia’s family restaurant
Husband, classmate, mother, Jin Xia, daughter
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May 2017: Four generations of women in Jin Xia’s family
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May 2017: Lunch with students
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May 2017: Their Family Restaurant
It actually is famous in Tianjin
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May 2017: Young man who photobombed this photo
is the little boy in the 1985 picture
Cong Jin Xia Family
My only contact with the Hui began in 1985 while teaching English in Tianjin. One of my students was Hui from Tianjin. I had students from all over China: Tibet, Xinjiang, Hainan to name a few places. I got close to the class where most of my students belonged to. Since I lived on campus with the students, I got to spend a lot of time with them playing sports, eating meals, or just strolling around campus.
Cong Jin Xia invited me to her home one weekend. What a great time I had. I remember the jiaozi (dumpling) the family made. I helped make some. It was then that I learned she was Hui. After 30 plus years, we are still in contact. She came to Shanghai and had dinner in our home in 2015. I later went to their 30 year class reunion at the school. What a time it was seeing my old students.