Some 6,900 Chinese Muslims will travel to Saudi Arabia on a pilgrimage which begins next January, claiming to be the largest group since 1979, when China resumed sending Hajj delegations.

"The chartered flights to Mecca have increased from 15 to 20 this year due to the sharp expansion of pilgrims," said Chang Qingliang, an official with the Islamic Association of China (IAC).

From December 15 to 27, these flights will directly fly from four Chinese cities to Saudi Arabia.

Except Kunming, a city in southwest China, the other three flights starting from Beijing, Lanzhou and Urmqi, are all located in north China, where most Chinese Muslims reside.

China has more than 20 million Muslims.

A 43-member delegation send by the IAC arrived in Saudi Arabia last month as service providers for the nearly 7,000 Chinese pilgrims.

"We rented another four buildings for pilgrims, which could accommodate thousands of people for lodging," said Chang.

Chang also put security work as a top concern for the coming Hajj. "We not only reiterated strict management rules to participants, but gave each member a local mobile phone for easier tracking," Chang said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2005)