Xinhua: Over 9,600 Chinese Muslims To Make Mecca Pilgrimage by Charter Flight

"Over 9,600 Chinese Muslims To Make Pilgrimage To Mecca by Charter Flight" -- Xinhua headline Tuesday, November 14, 2006 T11:29:14Z Document Type: OSC Transcribed Text:

Beijing, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- More than 9,600 Chinese Muslims will travel to Mecca by charter flight at the end of the year and the beginning of next year for the traditional annual pilgrimage.

Yang Zhibo, vice chairman of the Islamic Association of China, said more than 9,600 Chinese Muslims from eight provinces and autonomous regions including Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia and Henan, will make a pilgrimage to Mecca.

"There are more pilgrims going to Mecca this year than at any time in the country's Muslim pilgrimage history," said Yang.

Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern airlines will arrange a total of 31 non-stop charter flights for the pilgrims, he said.

On Nov. 29, the first pilgrimage charter flight will take off from Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province, and arrive at Medinah, Saudi Arabia, after a flight lasting eight to ten hours. From Dec. 3, charter flights will depart Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, for Medinah.

Charter flights will begin from Beijing and Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, to Medinah, on Dec. 13.

Chinese Muslim pilgrims will return from the pilgrimage by charter flight from Jan. 5 to 24, 2007.

Chinese Muslims have been making the pilgrimage to Mecca since the Ming Dynasty era (1368-1644).

(Description of Source: Beijing Xinhua in English -- China's official news service for English-language audiences (New China News Agency))

Posted on 20 November 2006 @ 16:25