Hui
Hui is a state-recognized nationality of China that is characterized by being Muslim religiously but Chinese culturally. Alternative names include Huihui and Dongan. The Hui are among the most populous of China's minorities. The 1990 census put their population at approximately 8.6 million, third after theZhuang and Manchus. The Hui are also the most widely distributed of China's minorities. Although the main concentrations are in the northwest, such as in Ningxia, Gansu, and Shaanxi provinces, communities also exist in Yunnan and elsewhere, and even in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities. Most are Chinese-speaking, retaining Arabic only to read the Qurʾan.
The Great Mosque in Xi'an, one of the oldest and largest mosques in China and spiritual center for the large Hui population in the city. (CARL & ANN PURCELL/CORBIS)Muslims have lived in China since the seventh century CE, notably in the southeast. But it was not until the Mongol conquest of the thirteenth century that many came, gradually becoming settlers, not immigrants, and adopting Chinese culture, speaking Chinese, and marrying Chinese women. To this day, most Hui maintain a belief in a single God, abstain from pork, practice circumcision, and attend mosques in Hui communities. Intermarriage is becoming more common, but it remains infrequent. Hui dedication to Islam is much stronger in the northwest than elsewhere. In the southeast, some people of Muslim descent regard themselves as Hui while following customs and beliefs hardly different from their Han neighbors.
The Hui Muslim tradition is Sunni, but sectarian divisions have been common historically. Relations with the Han Chinese have often been contentious. The nineteenth century saw a high point in Hui rebellions against Chinese regimes. However, since China became a republic in 1912, the Hui have generally been loyal to the Chinese state and fought for it against foreign enemies and even against non-Hui Muslim rebels. During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) Muslims were persecuted and mosques were desecrated; the Hui suffered serious religious and ethnic persecution and many hid their identity. However, the Hui remain loyal to China, showing little support for and much opposition to Muslim secession from China. Since the early 1980s, Hui ethnic consciousness has revived strongly.
A tradition of Hui Chinese-language Islamic scholarship developed in China, including in mysticism (Sufism). In addition, the Hui have contributed to such Chinese arts as the Peking Opera. Their tradition of commercial skills remains strong to this day. Over the centuries they have been sinicized, and currently few physical or nonreligious cultural characteristics distinguish them from the Han. The Hui do well socially and educationally, with literacy rates among the highest of the minorities; many urban Hui, including women, enter the professions.
Further Reading
Dillon, Michael. (1999) China's Muslim Hui Community: Migration, Settlement, and Sects. Richmond, Surrey, U.K.: Curzon.
Gladney, Dru C. (1991) Muslim Chinese: Ethnic Nationalism in the People's Republic. Cambridge, MA: Council on East Asian Studies, Harvard University.
Lipman, Jonathan N. (1997) Familiar Strangers: A History of Muslims in Northwest China. Studies on Ethnic Groups in China. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
Wang Jianping. (1996) Concord and Conflict: The Hui Communities of Yunnan Society. Stockholm, Sweden: Almqvist and Wiksell.
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