China’s Muslims prepare to celebrate the end of Ramadan

World Today

With the holy month of Ramadan coming to an end, Muslims in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are busy preparing for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr, or the Festival of Fast-Breaking on Tuesday. CCTV-America’s Zhang Nini reports.

Its an early start to the day in Kashgar’s old city. A day prior to Eid, the city is alive with festive bustle.

Vendors in the local bazaar are doing brisk business. The coming Eid Festival is also called the Sugar Feast or Sweet Festival, thanks to the huge consumption of candies and pastries. The Eid marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.

Families lay out sumptuous feasts. Sales of mutton, desserts and clothes often triple as people prepare to break their fasts for the final time. For the more than 400,000 Muslims here, it’s a reward for abstinence during the previous month.

Nuribia spent the month of Ramadan on inner reflection and practicing self-control. She now expects the coming Eid festival to bring her whole family together in a time of harmony and gratitude. The Eid has given this quiet neighborhood a festive feel. After a whole month of fasting and spiritual reflection, hundreds of thousands of Muslims in Kashgar are ready to celebrate the completion of a month of blessings and joy.

Muslims ready to celebrate end of Ramadan in XinJiang

With the holy month of Ramadan coming to an end, Muslims in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are busy preparing for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr, or the Festival of Fast-Breaking on Tuesday. CCTV-America's Zhang Nini reports.