Muslim women prepare food to celebrate Eid al-Fitr in Pingliang, Northwest China's Gansu province, Aug 30, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - Millions of Muslims across China celebrated Eid al-Fitr on Wednesday, the festival that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan - a season of fasting and spiritual reflection.

Early Wednesday morning, Muslims of different ethnic groups in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Ningxia Hui autonomous region, as well as in other Muslim-populated regions, donned festive costumes and swarmed to mosques.

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

China has 20 million Muslims, of which about half are from the Hui ethnic group.