Chinese Muslims return home from pilgrimage to Mecca

About 13,700 Chinese Muslims have returned home following the end of this year's pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, as the last chartered plane landed in Beijing International Airport on Sunday. The flight took off from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with 324 Chinese Muslims from different provinces onboard. Officials with the State Administration for Religious Affairs and the Islamic Association of China (IAC) welcomed the pilgrims at the airport and congratulated them upon their safe return from the pilgrimage. Hong Changyou, vice president of the IAC, said about 13,700 Chinese Muslims went to Mecca for this year's pilgrimage, and various government departments, the IAC, China's embassy and Consulate-general in Saudi Arabia had poured in support to make sure the pilgrimage successful. "Services provided by the organizers this year were widely praised by the pilgrims as well as related parties in Saudi Arabia," said Hong. China has around 23 million Muslims across more than 20 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, according to official statistics. A pilgrimage to Mecca, the birthplace of the Prophet Mohammed and a shrine for Muslims throughout the world, is a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in the lifetime of every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so.