Muslims across China on Sunday celebrated Eid al-Fitr, whichmarks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a seasonof fasting and spiritual reflection.

　　In northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, tensof thousands of Muslims of various ethnic minorities, including Uygur, Hui, and Kazakh, could hearimams preaching in the capital of Urumqi as the first rays of sunlight appeared.

　　The Sunday morning prayer service on Eid al-Fitr, the fast-breaking festival, is one of the mostimportant prayer ceremonies Muslims attend each year.

　　"Ramadan is the most auspicious month of the year, and Eid al-Fitr is like New Year's for usMuslims," said Ma Yucheng.

　　He came to Khan Tengri Mosque in Urumqi at 6:30 a.m. in order to secure a good seat for theprayer ceremony.

　　After the communal prayer, the 34-year-old man, like most of his fellow Muslims, visited a localcemetery to honor his deceased relatives. Muslims sweep and clean the tombs of their deceasedrelatives and leave food offerings before returning home for family gatherings.

　　Ma said his family has spent the past week preparing for Eid al-Fitr, amassing all sorts of delicacies, including fried sweets, nuts, fresh fruits, bread and freshly butchered sheep. His family will enjoy afeast to mark the first meal eaten during daylight in a month.

　　On Sunday, Urumqi's public transport group added several temporary lines for the convenience ofMuslims traveling to mosques and cemeteries.

　　The local government declared Eid al-Fitr a three-day public holiday to give Muslim residentsenough time to attend religious services and visit relatives.

　　The mosque in the old Silk Road city of Kashgar, the largest of its kind in China, saw nearly 5,000 Muslims attend the morning prayer service.

　　Xinjiang has a population of more than 21 million, and more than half of them are Muslims from 10 ethnic groups, such as Uygur, Kirgiz, Kazak and Uzbek. The region is home to a total of 24,000 mosques.

　　During Ramadan, the ninth month of the year on the Muslim calendar, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from sunrise to sunset, in an effort to show their devotion to their faith. Children, the elderly and the sick do not have to fast.

　　Ramadan started on July 20 this year. Mosques, including the White Mosque, have received ahigher number of visitors than usual, half of the visitors were part of a floating population thattravels during Ramadan.

　　These mosques organized Muslims to take turns keeping watch at the door to ensure that visitorscould come and go safely.

　　When Muslims occupied roads and disrupted traffic while attending prayer services, ImamAbdushukur at the White Mosque helped resume traffic order by saying, "The prayers of thosewho pray on road will be rendered invalid."

　　Ramadan passed peacefully and harmoniously, with residents of different ethnic backgroundspraying and sharing in Suhoor, pre-fasting meals eaten before dawn, said Liu Zhenqiang, directorof the regional ethnic affairs committee.

　　Vice Premier Hui Liangyu attended the tea party.