China's Hui Muslims Mark Eid

BEIJING, CHINA - JUNE 16: Chinese Hui Muslim men wait on a carpet before Eid al-Fitr prayers marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the historic Niujie Mosque on June 16, 2018 in Beijing, China. Islam in China dates back to the 10th century as the legacy of Arab traders who ventured from the Middle East along the ancient Silk Road. Of an estimated 23 million Muslims in China, roughly half are Hui, who are ethnically Chinese and speak Mandarin. China's constitution provides for Islam as one of five 'approved' religions in the officially atheist country though the government enforces severe limits. Worship is permitted only at state-sanctioned mosques and proselytizing in public is illegal. The Hui, one of 55 ethnic minorities in China (along with the Han majority), have long nurtured a coexistence with the Communist Party and is among the minority groups with political representation at various levels of government. The Hui Muslim population fast from dawn until dusk during Ramadan and it is believed there are more than 20 million members of the community in the country. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)