The principal ethnic Han Chinese people become a minority group in several areas of northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

　　Of the 3,920 residents in Shanjiaji Village at the foot of Liupanshan Mountain, only 82 are Han Chinese.

　　It's unusual as more than 90 percent of the national population is Han.

　　Shan Fajun, 49, said the Hans enjoy preferential treatment in the village. Shan said a Han person was elected head of the village. The position was dominated by ethnic Huis for decades, he said.

　　All the Hans in the village know and respect the customs of the Huis, most of whom are Muslim. "Immediately after taking office, the first Han village head organized the repair of the mosque and did other things for the Hui people," said Shan, who is Han.

　　The Huis have a strong tradition in business. As early as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), a marketplace was built in Shanjiaji.

　　In 2003, the per capita net income of villagers reached 2,500 yuan (US$300), more than 2,000 yuan of it coming from the pelt and meat processing business.

　　One Shanjiaji villager said he was worried about his ethnic Han background before moving to the community

　　"As a Han, I was worried about being alienated by the villagers before I came, but things turned out to be the opposite," said Wang Wencheng, a Han now doing business in the village.

　　Wang said the villagers not only gave him a warm welcome, but also passed on skills and experience. He now owns a yam processing plant in Shanjiaji.

　　"The Huis value fairness and honesty in business," Wang said. "I have learned a lot from them."

　　Despite differences in customs and religious beliefs, the Huis and Hans have mutual understanding and respect for each other.

　　Yongfeng Village, dominated by Han people, and its surrounding Hui villages have been neighbors for hundreds of years.

　　"We never feel any inconvenience," said Meng Zhongyu, head of the village committee in Yongfeng.

　　He said villagers seldom eat pork. Out of respect for the Muslim community, they keep pigs in their compounds instead of letting them roam freely.

　　"Look at the two villages working together harmoniously in the field," Meng said. "One is Han, the other is Hui. That says all you need to know."

　　(Xinhua)