Thirty-four Muslim workers in white hats and red work overalls, chant routine prayers from the Koran while facing westwards in the direction of Mecca.

That may not sound so unusual, but these Muslims are not in a mosque. They worship in a tent on the construction site of the world's highest plateau railway.

They are part of a total 120 Muslim builders from China's ethnic
minorities, including the Hui, Dongxiang, Sala, Uygur and Kazak, who work in a migrant workers' group of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway as leading engineers, heavy machine operators, logistics workers or medical workers.

For the convenience of Muslim railway builders, the headquarters in charge of the construction specially emptied out a 50-square-meter tent for their religious service, which is called by Muslims the Worship Tent.

Many minority migrant workers have joined the construction team of the world's toughest and most arduous railway project, which isreaching its highest section that winds through the Tanggula Mountain 5,072 meters above sea level.

To promote respect for the religions and customs of ethnic minority
workers, the headquarters compiled a handbook to give a detailed information on their customs and conventions, and every worker has one for reference, to avoid misunderstanding and enhance mutual respect.

On the construction site, those Muslim railway builders who believe in Islam or other religions have the freedom to perform their religious rituals even during work time, and they can suspend work and go to pray at worshipping times.

We Muslim minority workers have been able to do our prayers daily as well as to build the railway, said Imam Ma Gahu, who came from the Dongxiang ethnic minority prefecture in northwestern China's Gansu province. Ma studied the Koran previously in mosquesin Qinghai province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

According to Ma, Muslim workers here pray five times a day, and the mutton they eat is of goats culled by the Imam. The Koran, the holy scripture of Islam, prohibits Islamic followers from eating meat from animals slain by non Imams.

At the Muslim dining hall, cooks prepare steamed bread and mutton. Chef Zhou Jilesi said he makes three meals per day rice porridge and potato soup in the morning and steamed bread, noodles and fried dishes of vegetable and meat for lunch and dinner.

According to the headquarters, it has made special arrangements to bring in Muslim food from Gormo, 580 kilometers far from the site.

Yang Zhifu, a Dongxiang minority worker, said their articles for daily use, meat in particular, are Muslim ones purchased in Gormo.

Life here is quite easy and good, he said. For the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, officials here sent us Muslim mooncakes. We were very happy! Mooncakes are a must for the festival, a traditional Chinese occasion featuring family reunions.

When completed, the 1,956-km Qinghai-Tibet Railway will connect Xining city, capital of Qinghai province, with Lhasa, capital of Tibet in southwestern China.

From: Xinhua.net