"The exchanges between residents of different ethnic groups have increased since the drive was launched. They have a deeper understanding of each other, and many residents can even speak the languages of other ethnic groups," said Yunus Taykule, a community official in Heijiashanqianjie.

Xinjiang has a population of more than 21 million. More than half of the population are Muslims from 10 ethnic groups, including Uygur, Kirgiz, Kazak and Uzbek.

In Ningxia, government officials paid visits to mosques and Hui families Thursday to extend festive greetings to Muslim citizens in the regional capital, Yinchuan.

More than 2.2 million people of the Hui ethnic group live in Ningxia, about one-third of the total population of the region.

In Beijing, about 12,000 people in the city's largest Muslim community, Niujie Street, also greeted the fast-breaking festival Friday.

The street was decorated with banners reading "Happy Eid al-Fitr" in Chinese and Arabic languages. Tens of thousands of Muslims thronged mosques and stood in long queues to buy Muslim food at outdoor stalls.

"I've been teaching in Beijing for four years and I come to Niujie every year to celebrate Eid al-Fitr," said Ridha from Egypt.

An exhibition of books and paintings was unveiled and a Muslim food festival was also held in Niujie Friday.

During Ramadan, the ninth month of the year in the Muslim calendar, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from sunrise until sunset. Children, the elderly and the weak do not have to fast.

China has 20 million Muslims, about half of them being from the Hui ethnic group.

(Xinhua News Agency September 11, 2010)