Muslim Quarter (Xi’an)

It wasn’t on our original schedule, but after reading Lonely Planet, I asked that we shift things around to permit a trip to the Muslim quarter. Muslims are the third largest religious group in China, and as the end of the Silk Road,

Xi’an is a major center, with many descendants of Arab traders. We were able to spend a few hours in the street market of the Muslim Quarter,

and also to visit the Great Mosque at the time of early evening prayer, listening to the iman call the faithful to prayer from what looked like a pagoda, in Arabic with a Chinese lilt.

Tom was sufficiently entranced that he ditched the group and stayed in the Quarter for dinner.