Over 14,000 Chinese Muslims set for Mecca pilgrimage

Zhang Lebin (C, front), deputy director-general of the State Administration for Religious Affairs of China, talks to muslims who will fly to Mecca in Saudi Arabia for an annual pilgrimage, during a send-off ceremony in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 17, 2014. About 14,500 Chinese pilgrims are scheduled to go to Mecca for an annual pilgrimage this year. The Mecca pilgrimage, also known as the Hajj, is a Muslim religious tradition that specifies that all able-bodied Muslims who can afford to travel to Saudi Arabia must visit Mecca at least once in their lives. [Photo/Xinhua]