Mosque In China Can't Accommodate Pilgrims During Eid Prayer, Overflows To The Park

Imams of Niujie Mosque, Beijing before leading Eid Prayer (Photo: ANTARA/Global Times)

JAKARTA - Eid prayers at several mosques in China on Thursday, May 13, were as wide-performing as in the year before the COVID-19 pandemic. Pilgrims in the country with the most population in the world even overflowed to the mosque yard.

The main room capacity of Nanxiapo Mosque, Beijing is not even able to accommodate the congregation of Eid prayer. This is the case with the view at Niujie Mosque, the oldest and largest mosque in Beijing.

Idkah Mosque in Kashgar City, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, the atmosphere is even more vibrant. In a streaming video played at the Eid al-Fitr reception held by the Xinjiang Autonomous Region Government in Beijing also showed excitement.

Reported from Antara, thousands of Muslims gathered in the courtyard of the mosque built in 1468 AD to dance en masse accompanied by traditional music of ethnic Uighur Muslim minorities.

"This shows the democratization and freedom of worship for Muslims granted by the government," Xinjiang Islamic Association (XIA) President Abdur Raqib Tursuniyaz said during remarks at the Eid al-Fitr reception in Beijing.

The Government of Xinjiang Autonomous Region for the first time in history held an Eid al-Fitr reception with foreign diplomats and media.

"That's right, this event is the first time," said Deputy Director of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Xu Guixiang.  Despite being crowded by worshippers, mosque administrators in China still implement strict health protocols, such as scanning health cards via mobile phone, measuring body temperature, and wearing masks.

Uniquely, before Eid al-Fitr prayer was held starting at 08.00 local time (07.00 WIB) preceded by the raising of the National Flag of China. Chinese media said that 20 million Muslims across the mainland celebrated Eid al-Fitr simultaneously.

This year's Eid al-Fitr celebrations have earned more place in China's national media than in previous years. The excitement of Lebaran in China occurred in the midst of some of the world's population experiencing limitations celebrating Eid al-Fitr as a result of the many positive cases of COVID-19.