A spiritual journey

Huang Jianxing, 52, has vivid memories of the day he returned to Taojiang county from Saudi Arabia, where he had taken part in one of Islam's most important sacred duties, the Hajj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca, the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad.

"I am one of very few people in Taojiang to have been on the Hajj, and the local Muslims were so excited that they organized a welcome-home party of 50 cars driving around the downtown," he said, excitedly.

"Nobody asked them to do it, they just came. They even made banners and printed my name on them. The government approved the event and even arranged for the traffic police to lead the procession," he said.