China is trying to reach out to Muslims around the world by building a theme park dedicated to them.
Dubbed the "World Muslim City," the $3.5-billion park being developed in the city of Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, features the "Golden Palace," a building patterned after a mosque, as its centerpiece. The Golden Palace has minarets to simulate the calls made by imams (Muslim priests) during prayer time, The Express Tribune reported.
Visitors entering the Palace will be required to remove their shoes, as practiced by Muslims when going to actual mosques. Meanwhile, women will have the option to wear traditional clothes like the hijab or headscarf.
The building houses a museum presenting Muslim culture and also hosts lights and dance shows, as well as a production of The One Thousand and One Nights.
Outside, the park has a gift shop that sells traditional trinkets and is adorned with street signs rendered in Arabic.
To boost park attendance, the Chinese government is also building an airport terminal to facilitate direct flights from Amman, Jordan, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Ningxia is home to the Hui, one of China's largest Muslim population after the Uyghurs of the northwest. While the Hui are generally considered to be more integrated into Chinese society, with a large portion of the group able to speak in Mandarin, the Uyghurs have frequently come into conflict with the government.
Last year, authorities barred the Uyghurs from fasting during Ramadan, a move that has been criticized by Turkey and other countries. Groups like Human Rights Watch have also been very critical of what is seen as China's repressive policies against the ethnic group.
So far, the park has generated little buzz, with only a few visitors arriving. According to journalist Kyle Haddad-Fonda, the attraction is having a hard time conveying the idea that Chinese Muslims still remain as part of the larger Islamic community, while maintaining their loyalty to the Chinese state, the Independent reported.