Around 1,700 Chinese Muslims left northwest China's Gansu Province for Saudi Arabia on six chartered flights on Monday on a haj or pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the pillars of Islamic faith.

The 1,700 pilgrims are chiefly from the province's Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and the cities of Pingliang, Baiyin and Lanzhou, said Ma Chengxing, director of the provincial religious affairs bureau's Islam administration.

"The pilgrims received training on China's religious and foreign affairs policies before leaving," the official said.

The Gansu provincial government dispatched a team of 41 staff members and four doctors with the group to take charge of translation, medical care and other services.

Ma said that in total 9,600 Chinese Muslims would travel to Mecca this year, with most of them hailing from Gansu.

(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2006)