Glossary of Chinese Terms

ahong 阿訇imam, derived from the Persian akhund

Aiguo aidang 爱国爱党“Love your country, love the Party”; a patriotic CCP slogan

Aiguo aijiao 爱国爱教“Love your country, love your faith”; a patriotic CCP slogan

Alaboyu/Alabowen 阿拉伯语/阿拉伯文Modern Standard Arabic Language

Anseliangmu alaikong 安色两目啊来空Chinese transliteration of the Arabic greeting meaning “Peace be with you” (Al salamu ‘alaykum)

azang 啊藏the adhan, or Islamic call to prayer; also translated as bangke

baijiu 白酒Chinese distilled liquor made from sorghum

bai maozi 白帽子Islamic prayer hat; lit., “white hat”

bangke 邦克the adhan, or Islamic call to prayer; also translated azang

Beida Huaishu Xiaoqu 北大槐树小区neighborhood of Jinan’s Tianqiao District

Beijing Pengren Xiehui 北京烹饪协会Beijing Cuisine Association

Beijing Qingzhen Meishi Wenhuajie 北京清真美食文化节Beijing Halal Culinary Culture Festival

bendi 本地local; usually used to describe people, in contrast to waidi

bingdu chuanbo de chuanranbing 病毒传播的传染病“virus-like contagion”; phrase used in remarks to Party members by Xi Jinping to describe Islam

Bosiyu/Bosiwen 波斯语/波斯文Persian language

Chai Na’er? 拆哪儿“Demolish Where?” (Beijingers’ sarcastic name for China)

chai qian 拆迁lit., “demolish and replace”; urban renewal where existing structures are destroyed and residents move to new housing

Chantou-Hui 缠头回“Turban-hui,” an antiquated term referring to Turkicspeaking Muslims of Xinjiang, usually understood as referring to Uyghurs

Chengdongqu 城东区District of Xining, Qinghai

chengzhenhua/chengshihua 城镇化/城市化urbanization

chunzheng 纯正purity, as in “ethnic purity”

dagong 打工to do temporary work; often involves wage labor for migrant workers

Da Han zhuyi 大汉主义Han Supremacy or Han Chauvinism

danhua 淡化lit., “watered down”; often used in reference to secularized Hui

Dehenglong 德恒隆village in Hualong Hui Autonomous County, Qinghai

di’er dai minzu zhengci 第二代民族政策Second Generation Minzu Policies; advocated by Ma Rong, Hu Lianhe, and Hu Angang, among others

difanghua 地方话local dialect

difang minzu zhuyi 地方民族主义regional nationalisms

digaizi 底盖子a term in Jinanese Huihua for non-Muslims, derived from the Persian digar

digouyou 地沟油lit. “gutter oil”; previously used, dirty cooking oil

Dikou Zhaung 堤口庄Neighborhood of Jinan’s Tianqiao District

dingzihu 钉子户lit. “nail houses”

Donguan Dajie 东关大街street in Xining’s Chengdong District

Dongxiang-Hui 东乡回an antiquated term for Dongxiang

Dongxiangzu 东乡族Dongxiang, a Mongolic-speaking Muslim minority in Gansu and Qinghai

Douban Hutong 豆瓣胡同neighborhood in west-central Beijing

fanghuiju 访惠聚“visit [the people], benefit [the people], gather [the hearts of the people]”; campaign begun in Xinjiang in 2015

fanke 番客lit. “foreign guests”; used as early as the Ming dynasty, often to describe Hui and other Muslims in China

fumin qiangguo 富民强国a “rich and strong country,” a phrase from CCP propaganda

Gaige Kaifang 改革开放Reform and Opening Campaign, begun under Deng Xiaoping in 1978

gaitou 盖头religious head covering, usually used in reference to hijab

Ganqing 甘清A portmanteau of Gansu and Qinghai; usually refers to the southern part of Gansu and eastern parts of Qinghai

Gansu Musiilin Wailai Musilin Lianluo Lianyi Hui 甘肃穆斯林外来穆斯林联络联谊会Gansu Muslim Society for Connecting Migrant Muslims, located in Jinan

gaolou 高楼high-rise (lit., “tower” style) apartment buildings

Gedimu 各地亩a non-Sufi, Hanafi school of Islam, originating in China; derived from the Arabic qadim, or “the ancient ones”; also sometimes referred to as “old teaching” (lao jiao, 老教)

gongbei 拱北mausoleums built to house the tombs of Sufi Muslim saints

Gongqingtuan Lu 共青团路street in Jinan’s Shizhong District

Gu’erbang jie 古尔邦节Eid al-Adha (also known in some places as Qurban), the celebration of Abraham’s voluntary sacrifice of Ishmael

Gulanjing 古兰经Qur’an

Guojia Minzu Shiwu Weiyuan Hui 国家民族事务委员会State Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People’s Republic of China

Guomindang/Kuomintang 国民党Nationalist Party of the Republic of China

guozu 国族national people, belonging to a “race state”

Guyuan 固原city in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

Haiyuan xian 海原县county in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

halali 哈拉里transliteration of the Arabic word halal

halifa 哈理发khalifa, or student at a madrassa; in northwest China these students may also be referred to as manla

Hanhua 汉化Hanification

Han-Hui 汉回an antiquated term for Chinese-speaking Muslims; today considered Huizu

Han Ketabu 汉克塔布Han Kitab; a collection of commentaries on Islam written in Chinese by Hui literati during the Ming and Qing

Hanyu 汉语Chinese language; refers to spoken dialect

Hanyu minzu 汉语民族“Chinese-speaking nationality”; used in reference to both Han and Hui

Hanzi 汉子Chinese characters

Hanzu 汉族Han ethnicity, sometimes referred to as “Han Chinese”

hefa 合法forbidden; used by Hui as a transliteration of the Arabic haram

hege 合格“qualified”; used by Hui to denote Islamic piety

Heze 菏泽city in Shandong

Hualong Huizu Zizhuxian 化隆回族自治县autonomous county in Qinghai

Huaxia 华夏Chinese civilization

Huihua/Huiwen/Huiyan 回话/回文/回言Hui dialect

Huijiao 回教antiquated term for Islam; lit., “the teaching of the Hui”

Huimin 回民colloquial ethnonym for the Hui ethnicity; used informally

Huimin Xiaoqu 回民小区Hui Quarter, in both Jinan and Xining

Huizu 回族Hui ethnicity; sometimes referred to as “Chinese Muslims”

hukou 户口household registration

hutong 胡同narrow-lane neighborhoods of traditional houses in central Beijing

jiaofa 教法religious doctrine, or fiqh

jiaopai 教派Chinese Islamic sects

jiating jiaoyu 家庭教育home education; refers to teaching children informally about Islam

jiefang 解放“liberation”; the CCP phrase for its victory over the Kuomintang and the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949

jiejing 解经exegesis, scriptural commentary on the Qur’an

Jinfeng qu 金凤区district of Yinchuan

Jinghanyu 经汉语local Hui dialect of Chinese

jingming 经名Islamic name; taken by Hui in addition to Chinese names

jingtang jiaoyu 经堂教育mosque education

Jingwen/Jingyu 经文/经语Qur’anic Arabic

Jingxueyuan 经学院Qur’anic Studies Academy

ji’nian wangren 纪念亡人ceremonial commemoration or veneration of the deceased

Kaizhai jie 开斋节Eid al-Fitr, the celebration of the end of Ramadan

Kaligang 卡里刚community in Hualong Hui Autonomous County, Qinghai (referred to in Tibetan as Khargang, ཁ་སྒང)

Laocheng Qu 老城区Jinan’s Old City Quarter

laojiao 老教used to describe non-Yihewani schools of Chinese Islam, including, but not limited to, the Gedimu and Sufi lineages

laorenjia 老人家the head of a Chinese Sufi order (or menhuan); not to be confused with an imam (ahong)

Laozhai cun 老寨村village in Jinan

Ledu Lu 乐堵路street in Xining’s Chengdong District

Linxia Huizu Zizhizhou 临夏回族自治州autonomous prefecture in Gansu

liudong renkou 流动人口lit., “transient population”; describes migration from rural villages to cities

lüse roupin 绿色肉品lit., “green meat products”; usually connotes halal food, but occasionally used by impostors selling fake halal meat

Lusha’er 鲁沙尔township in Huangzhong County, Qinghai (known in Tibetan as Rushar, རུ་གསར)

manla 满拉students at madrassas; more frequently used in northwest China; elsewhere in China, these students may be referred to as halifa

meihua 美化beautification; references urban renewal campaign undertaken in Beijing in 2017

menhuan 门宦Chinese Sufi orders

Minkaohan 民考汉minorities educated in standard Mandarin

Minkaomin 民考民minorities educated in their minority language

minzu 民族ethnic group; translated by the CCP as “nationality”

minzu jingshen 民族精神minzu spirit, a phrase invoked by Chinese Republicans in the early twentieth century

minzu shibie 民族识别ethnic classification project first undertaken by the CCP in the 1950s

minzu techanpin 民族特产品ethnic specialty products

minzu tuanjie 民族团结interethnic unity

minzu xuanchuan 民族宣传ethnic propaganda

minzu zhengce 民族政策ethnicity policy

Mojia Jie 莫家街street in Xining’s Chengdong District

Musilin穆斯林Muslim

muyu 母语lit., “mother tongue”; native language

Najiahu 纳家户village in Yonging County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

Nanbu Shanqu 南部山区area of southern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (refers mostly to areas of Guyuan, Zhongwei)

Nanliangxiang 南梁乡village in Yinchuan

neidi 内地“interior China” ; used by those living in the northwest to refer to areas in the east, usually the Chinese coastal heartland

niangao 年糕a sweet snack sold by street vendors

nian Hui 年回lit., “yearly Hui”; Hui who attend mosque only on holidays Niu Jie 牛街“Oxen Street” and surrounding neighborhood in Beijing niurou lamian 牛肉拉面handmade beef noodles, a dish associated with qingzhen food and Hui culture

pingfang 平房single-story courtyard homes

Putonghua 普通话standard Chinese, Mandarin

qiancheng 虔诚 pious

Qinghai Guoji Qingzhen Shipin Jiminzu Yongpin Zhanlanhui 青海国际清真食品及民族用品展览会Qinghai International Halal Food and Ethnic Products Fair

Qinghai Qingzhen Shipin Hangye Xiehui 青海清真食品行业协会Qinghai Qingzhen Food Production Association

qingzhen 清真a set of lifestyle standards governing Hui daily life; lit., “pure and true”; often used to mean halal; mostly used in relation to food (e.g. 清真食品, 清真菜)

qingzhenyan 清真言the shahada, the Islamic profession of faith

Qufu 曲阜city in Shandong

Renmin Fankong Zhanzheng 人民反恐战争People’s War on Terror; declared by Xi Jinping in 2014

ronghe 融合assimilation, to assimilate

Sailaifeye 塞莱菲耶Salafi reformist movement of Hanbali Islamic thought; pejoratively called Santai by some other Hui

Sala-Hui 撒拉回an antiquated term for Salar

salamu 萨拉姆Chinese transliteration of the Arabic greeting salaam

Salazu 撒拉族Salar; a Turkic-speaking Muslim minority in Gansu and Qinghai

Sangu Shili 三股势力the “Three Forces” of terrorism, separatism, and extremism, as identified by the CCP

Santai 三抬pejorative term for Salafis; lit., “Three Raises,” a reference to the three times Salafis raise their hands during prayer

semu 色目a category of ethnic classification for non-Mongol, non-Han citizens under the rule of Yuan dynasty; Hui were included in this category; approximately translates to “assorted categories”

Shadian 沙甸township in Gejiu City, Yunnan

Shadian Shijian 沙甸事件Shadian incident or Shadian massacre; an armed standoff between local Hui and the People’s Liberation Army in 1975 in Shadian village in Yunnan in which at least 1,600 died

shajin 纱巾headscarf, or other Islamic headcovering for women

shangyehua 商业化business-minded, or commercialized

shaoshu minzu 少数民族ethnic minorities

shexide 舍西德Islamic martyrs, from the Arabic shahid

shisuhua 世俗化secularization

Tianqiao qu 天桥区district in Jinan

Tianshui shi 天水市city in Gansu

Tongxin Lu 同心路street in Yinchuan’s XiXia District

Tongxin xian 同心县couny in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

waidi/wailai 外地/外来outsider, often used in contrast to bendi

Wansheng Jie 万圣街street in Jinan’s Tianqiao District

Weishan Yizu Huizi Zizhi xian 巍山彝族回族自治县autonomous county in Yunnan

wei shibie minzu 未识别民族unrecognized ethnic groups (e.g., those lacking official minzu status)

weiwen 维稳“stability maintenance” initiatives undertaken by the CCP

Weizhou 韦州township in Tongxin County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

wending 稳定societal stability

wenhua re 文化热“minority culture fever”; describes the increase in minority identification after the start of Reform and Opening

woerzi 卧尔兹sermon, from the Arabic wa’z

wudu 乌杜Islamic ritual washing or ablutions

Wuzhong 吴忠city in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

Wuzu Gonghe Guo 五族共和国“Nation of Five Peoples,” a system of ethnic classification under the Kuomintang

xiandaihua 现代化modernization

xiaojing/xiao’erjing 小经/小二经phonetic system using Arabic letters to approximate Chinese words

xiaokang shehui 小康社会variously translated as “comfortable society” or “moderately prosperous society”

Xibei 西北northwest China; usually includes provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

Xibu Dakaifa 西部大开发The Great Western Development Campaign; comprehensive infrastructure and economic development program targeting western China, begun in 2000

xili 洗礼Islamic conversion ceremony

Xi Xia qu 西夏区district in Yinchuan

Xunhua Salazu Zizhi xian 循化撒拉族自治县autonomous county in Qinghai

Yanlidaji Baolikongbu Huodong Zhuanxiang Xingdong 严厉打击暴力恐怖活动专项行动Strike Hard Campaign against Violent Terrorism, often shortened to Yanda; crackdown campaign begun in 2014 conducted in Xinjiang, ostensibly to curb radical Islamic terrorism

Yantai 烟台city in Shandong

Yidai Yilu 一带一路Belt and Road Initiative

Yihewani 伊赫瓦尼Chinese branch of the Ikhwan school of Hanafi Islamic thought; sometimes colloquially referred to as “new teaching” (xinjiao, 新教)

yimin 移民migrant

Yisilanjiao 伊斯兰教Islam

Yongning xian 永宁县county in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

youhui zhengce 优惠政策preferential treatment policies (for ethnic minorities, administered by the CCP)

youxiang 油香fried oil cakes often eaten by Hui on holidays

Yuhuangge Bei Lu 玉皇阁北路street in Yinchuan’s Xingqing District

Zang-Hui 藏回Tibetan Hui, particularly from Hualong Hui Autonomous County, in Qinghai

zang, luan, cha 脏,乱,差lit., “dirty, disorderly, and dilapidated”; frequently used by Jinan residents to describe the Hui Quarter

Zhangjiachuan Huizu Zizhi xian 张家川回族自治县autonomous county in Gansu

Zhehelinye 哲赫林耶the Jahriyya Sufi order

Zhonggong Zhongyang Tongyi Zhanxian Gongzuobu 中共中央统一战线工作部United Front Work Development of the Chinese Communist Party

Zhonghua minzu 中华民族Chinese nationalities

Zhonghua minzu yishi 中华民族意识Chinese national consciousness

Zhuma libai 主麻礼拜Jumu’ah, Friday afternoon prayers

zuji 祖籍ancestral hometown

zujiao yiti 族教一体ethnoreligious integration

zuqun 族群“ethnic groups”; a term advocated by second-generation ethnic policy proponents to replace minzu