Keeping the faithful
- Source: Global Times
- [01:23 February 22 2010]
- Comments
Yusuf Ma at his wedding in Hohhot. Photo: Courtesy of Yusuf Ma
By Gao Fumao
"Seek knowledge, even if it is faraway China." Those are reputedly the words of the prophet Mohammed, who saw thriving 7th century China as a place his followers could learn from. From the first four envoys dispatched to the Chinese court, centuries later, newly prosperous China is once again a destination for modern-day Muslim travelers.
That's why a local Muslim, Yusuf Ma, set up IslamiChina to help tourists and businessmen to observe their faith while here. Ma was inspired to set up IslamiChina six years ago when, as a guide he saw Muslim tourists struggling with non-halal food in conventional tour groups. "I thought as a Muslim I should help them."
Speaking in fluent and soft-accented English the Inner Mongolia native explains how he chose to study international finance and tourism at Beijing International Studies University instead of following in his grandfather's footsteps, a well-known imam or Islamic cleric, in Ma's home town, Hohhot.
Yet Ma, 36, has found another way to serve his faith in Beijing. IslamiChina guides Muslim tourists to Chinese mosques for prayer and takes them to halal-approved restaurants. "If you are a tourist who can't speak Chinese you need to have a guide to find these," explains Yusuf.
Mosques are plentiful in major Chinese cities – tourists don't have to go far from downtown Beijing hotels to pray: Ma points to a mosque in Dongsi and another in Dongzhimen. Nor do Muslims have to forego local tourist pleasures: There's even Halal-approved Peking duck at restaurants like Hong Bing Lou in Xizhimen district.
Islamic themed tour
Most of IslamiChina's visitors fly in from Malaysia and Indonesia, though lately the company has guided tourists from as far as Germany and Morocco. To cover his main markets Ma has recruited Malaysian and Indonesian speaking guides from Beijing's universities.
They're among a staff of 20 in the IslamiChina office overlooking noisy Panjiayuan antiques market. The firm is growing – IslamiChina hopes to guide about 10,000 tourists this year, says Ma, compared to 6,000 last year.
Tourists taking the "China Muslim Experience Tour" do a 9-day swing through Beijing, Yinchuan and Xi'an. Not a normal tourist hot-spot, Yinchuan is the capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and a cradle of the Hui, China's largest Muslim group. Xi'an is popular for its history, sizeable Muslim population and historic Great Mosque. Muslim tourists also want to go to Suzhou – it's long had an Arabic affiliation with silk and the legendary Silk Road.
Ma's 12-day trip takes in Lanzhou and Linxia, the capital and Hui center of Gansu Province respectively. Prices vary from $978 for nine days to $1,938 for a 16-day trip. The shorter tour sells best among Asians, explains Ma, as in Malaysia holidays are short.
