Ethnic Composition and Livelihoods of Lhasa Muslims in Tibet

Abstract

The composition of the Chinese Hui people and the sources they own are very complex. Their identity is in a dynamic state. They are composed of people of different ethnic groups believing in Islam or being converted to Islam in the past. Currently, the Muslim community of Lhasa in Tibet is composed of various Muslim groups, namely Tibetanized Muslims or Tibetan-speaking Muslims and Chinese-speaking Muslims, commonly called Chinese Muslims (khui rigs), who are mainly from Gansu and Qinghai Provinces in northwestern China. They mostly have no household registration records in Lhasa and are regarded as a floating population. In the past 40 years of China’s reform and opening up, Lhasa has undergone dramatic changes in the residence, livelihoods and religious behavior of the residents. Therefore, it is necessary to review the situation of Lhasa Muslims to get a comprehensive understanding of their composition, livelihoods and current status.