Growth and Decline of Muslim Hui Enclaves in Beijing

Abstract

The Hui people are a distinct ethnic group in China in terms of their diet and Islamic religion. In this paper, we examine the divergent residential and economic development of Niujie and Madian, two Hui enclaves in the city of Beijing. Our analysis is based on archival and historical materials, census data, and information collected from recent field work. We show that in addition to social perspectives, geographic factors-location relative to the northward urban expansion of Beijing, and the character of urban administrative geography in China-are important for understanding the evolution of ethnic enclaves. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: O10,131, J15. 3 figures, 2 tables, 60 references.