Keeping the faithful

"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 travellers.

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 centre 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.

On the road, tourists go to the usual Chinese sights, but with a twist: Every day begins and ends with prayer at a local mosque. Meals are taken at Halal restaurants approved by a local imam.

A new wave of European Muslim travellers want to travel independently, with a guide. They're keen on more far-flung destinations like Kashgar in Xinjiang and Silk Road sights will become more popular among groups with more time on their hands.

Ma expects more tourists from far-flung places. That's because he spends a good portion of the year on the road, to fairs in Dubai and Indonesia. Travel agents he meets send him groups of tourists. But his services are also getting called for by Arab businessmen attending the Canton Fair, a trade show.

They call for help in booking domestic flights and hotels. Observant Muslims "prefer to work with Muslims," notes Ma. It no doubt helps that IslamiChina coordinated the annual convention of 500 members of the Islamic Medical Association of North America in 2006.

Chinese Islamic sights

Still, IslamiChina is clearly not just a business. For the benefit of Muslim tourists who don't avail of his services, Ma has posted lists of Halal restaurants in Chinese cities on the IslamiChina website. "I will add many more details to make life easier for Muslim tourists in China," he says.

Above his neat desk Ma has hung a framed reminder of his faith, "There Is Only One God and His Name is Allah." It's written in Arabic script but with a Chinese calligrapher's brush. That confluence of Chinese and Islamic culture is clearly a source of pride for Ma, and an attraction for Muslim tourists who want to see unique local Islamic sites.

The centuries-old Niujie mosque in Beijing is a favorite. "Tourists are enthralled by the mosque in a traditional courtyard," he explains. Here tourists gaze on a stone tablet carved with the decree issued by Qing Emperor Kangxi, guaranteeing the security of local Muslims.

Niujie is one of several such grey-brick mosques peeking out of high-rises through the city. Visitors also savour noodles, nan bread and other local dishes cooked in a Halal code which has also influenced northern Chinese food like thick, soupy beef noodles.

The ubiquity of qingzhen cai (literally, "pure truth food") restaurants in Beijing is something Ma puts down to migrant Muslims who open restaurants in the capital to meet their own needs.

Ma himself abides by Islamic codes, even helping slaughter sheep on Qurban Bayram, the ritual around the time of Eid – the festival which marks the end of the month-long Ramadan fast. He proudly shows off photos from his wedding, where bearded imams read good wishes and prayers to guests.

Future opportunities

Like most Chinese Muslims Ma doesn't speak Arabic. They read a Chinese translation of the Koran and speak Arabic-language prayers passed down from fathers. Today, home to over 20 million Muslims, Islam in China is spread across 10 ethnic groups.

Ma's own ethnic grouping, the 9-million-strong Hui are the descendants of early Arabic envoys. Others arrived in the ranks of invading Mongol armies. Over 8 million Uyghurs make up the second largest grouping but others range from pockets of Kyrgyz and Tajiks and even 5,000 fair-haired Tatars. Most follow the Sunni code of Islam. Though accounting for less than 2 percent of the population, Chinese Muslims have made their mark on the country's history, none less so than Zheng He, the famous Ming Dynasty explorer and navigator.

The Islamic Association of China estimates over 10,000 Chinese Muslims went on the Hajj pilgrimage in 2008. The Association, which vets sermons delivered by 40,000 clerics in 23,000 mosques, assists Chinese Muslims to observe the Hajj to Mecca, the birthplace of their religion.

China's Muslims will also get the chance to welcome more of their brethren here. Ma says word of mouth and his presence at international travel fairs has drawn IslamiChina plenty of interest from European and North American Muslims.

More than a thousand years since Mohammed sent the faithful here; there are more Muslims in China than in many Islamic nations. Two of Mohammed's original four envoys lie in tombs on mount Lingshan overlooking Quanzhou on the Fujian coast. In some respects Yusuf Ma is continuing their work. Certainly Muslim travellers can rest easy knowing they're travelling with one of their own.