| "Gongbei" is a Chinese transliteration from Arabic. Originally it meant simply "a domed building". People of the Hui ethnic minority call the graves of certain influential Islamic persons "Gongbei". The important place of these Gongbei in the religious and social life of Menhuan (Sufi) believers cannot be ignored. Research on this "Gongbei culture" is a prerequisite for a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics and essence of the Hui Islamic faith in Xinjiang.In this thesis, based upon extensive field work, I have made the history and legends of Gongbei as the focal point of my research. Initially, I will seek to discuss objectively the origins of Gongbei, and then to classify it. Secondly, I will set forth my findings from the comprehensive comparative research on the worship customs, appendages, architectural styles, and functions of different types of Gongbei. Finally, I present my analysis of the shared Gongbei culture between the Hui and the Uyghur peoples, both of whom worship at these Gongbei, as well as the reasons for this overlap in practice.Through combining field investigation with theoretical materials, I have tried to discover the different characteristics of three Islamic Menhuan’s Gongbei culture among Xinjiang Hui minority and the differences between Menhuan and the other Islamic branches. This will better illustrate the effect of Islamic culture on the history and present day life of the Xinjiang Hui, as well as provide a new research perspective from which to study the Islamic faith of the Xinjiang Hui. |
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