China's Muslims

From ancient coastal cities to the fabled oases of Central Asia, Muslims are a part of nearly every Chinese city and town. Their magnificent mosques, richly colourful markets, and distinctive styles of food and dress help the Muslim minorities stand out in the complex ethnic patchwork of modern China. Today, the influence of Islam is strongest in China's north-west, and it is on this fascinating region that this illustrated introduction focuses. In a text directed at scholars and travellers alike, Michael Dillon examines each of the country's ten Muslim groups, sketching the history of its arrival in China, explaining its languages and customs, and describing its members' work and daily life. He includes portraits of the most important Muslims centres, from the Hui towns of the Ningxia region to the Uyghur city of Kashgar in China's far western reaches. Short discussions of related topics, from religious architecture to language and belief, combine with the main text to offer new insights into the lives and ways of one of China's most intriguing ethnic groups.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.