Halal Food Guide: Changying, Beijing - Fatimah Festival and Eight-Bowl Feast
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Beijing travel account follows a Fatimah festival gathering in Changying and a traditional Hui Muslim eight-bowl feast. It keeps the original details on the meal, community setting, religious customs, and local food culture in clear English.
Today is the 15th day of the 6th month of the Islamic calendar. Nine female elders from Changying, Beijing, organized the annual Fatimah gathering at the Changying Service Center to commemorate Lady Fatimah. The gathering began with an imam explaining the significance of remembering Lady Fatimah, followed by the recitation of the Quran and a closing dua. Afterward, we enjoyed the traditional North China banquet known as the Eight Great Bowls (badawan), which includes eight dishes: beef, meatballs, crispy meat (songrou), lamb offal, radish, kelp, yam, and fried tofu. The mix of meat and vegetables was delicious. As traditional villages disappear, most people now choose to hold religious gatherings (nieti) at restaurants with stir-fried dishes. It is truly rare to have the chance to experience a traditional outdoor banquet.
Lady Fatimah was the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and Lady Khadijah, the wife of Imam Ali, and the mother of Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn. The Prophet Muhammad considered her his dearest person and the most outstanding woman in history, believing she would be the first to enter Paradise. Lady Fatimah’s virtues of kindness, generosity, and filial piety serve as a model for all Muslim women, which is why people organize to commemorate her every year.
As the wife of Imam Ali, the first Imam of the Shia, Lady Fatimah has always held a high status in the Shia tradition. Iran celebrates Lady Fatimah’s birthday as Mother’s Day, and her death anniversary is known as Fatimiyya. Grand commemorations are held in countries like Iran, Iraq, India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan, where people take to the streets to mourn and build models of Lady Fatimah’s house.
Due to differences in historical records, there are many dates for Lady Fatimah’s death anniversary, but in North China, it is generally observed on the 15th day of the 6th month of the Islamic calendar. Around this date, Hui Muslim women organize Fatimah gatherings at various local mosques. People invite an imam to recite the Quran and lead a dua, while sharing stories of Lady Fatimah’s life. Those who are able will also fry oil-cakes (youxiang), cook meat porridge, and host banquets to mark the occasion. The Fatimah gathering, along with the Prophet’s birthday (sheng hui), Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha, make up the 'two festivals and two gatherings' of the Hui Muslims in North China, which is an important cultural tradition.
Summary: This Beijing travel account follows a Fatimah festival gathering in Changying and a traditional Hui Muslim eight-bowl feast. It keeps the original details on the meal, community setting, religious customs, and local food culture in clear English.
Today is the 15th day of the 6th month of the Islamic calendar. Nine female elders from Changying, Beijing, organized the annual Fatimah gathering at the Changying Service Center to commemorate Lady Fatimah. The gathering began with an imam explaining the significance of remembering Lady Fatimah, followed by the recitation of the Quran and a closing dua. Afterward, we enjoyed the traditional North China banquet known as the Eight Great Bowls (badawan), which includes eight dishes: beef, meatballs, crispy meat (songrou), lamb offal, radish, kelp, yam, and fried tofu. The mix of meat and vegetables was delicious. As traditional villages disappear, most people now choose to hold religious gatherings (nieti) at restaurants with stir-fried dishes. It is truly rare to have the chance to experience a traditional outdoor banquet.
Lady Fatimah was the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and Lady Khadijah, the wife of Imam Ali, and the mother of Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn. The Prophet Muhammad considered her his dearest person and the most outstanding woman in history, believing she would be the first to enter Paradise. Lady Fatimah’s virtues of kindness, generosity, and filial piety serve as a model for all Muslim women, which is why people organize to commemorate her every year.
As the wife of Imam Ali, the first Imam of the Shia, Lady Fatimah has always held a high status in the Shia tradition. Iran celebrates Lady Fatimah’s birthday as Mother’s Day, and her death anniversary is known as Fatimiyya. Grand commemorations are held in countries like Iran, Iraq, India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan, where people take to the streets to mourn and build models of Lady Fatimah’s house.
Due to differences in historical records, there are many dates for Lady Fatimah’s death anniversary, but in North China, it is generally observed on the 15th day of the 6th month of the Islamic calendar. Around this date, Hui Muslim women organize Fatimah gatherings at various local mosques. People invite an imam to recite the Quran and lead a dua, while sharing stories of Lady Fatimah’s life. Those who are able will also fry oil-cakes (youxiang), cook meat porridge, and host banquets to mark the occasion. The Fatimah gathering, along with the Prophet’s birthday (sheng hui), Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha, make up the 'two festivals and two gatherings' of the Hui Muslims in North China, which is an important cultural tradition.
