🏴 Husayni Mourning Around the World – 2026

🌐 94. China:

Ashura International Foundation / Husayni Mourning News:

Although Muslims constitute a very small minority in China, they hold Ashura ceremonies in their own manner, yet with remarkable grandeur. This is also more or less the case in other East and Southeast Asian countries, where the people hold magnificent mourning ceremonies for Imam Husayn (a.s.) and his loyal companions during Muharram.

China, known in global geopolitics as the People’s Republic of China, with a population of approximately 1.3 billion, of whom about three percent—or roughly forty million—are Muslims, holds its own ceremonies to commemorate the Battle of Karbala. In fact, the Muslims of this country, of whom about thirty-six million are Hanafi Sunnis and three and a half million are Shiites, particularly the Chinese Shiite minority, along with Shiite expatriates residing in the country—including Iranians and Pakistanis—gather every year concurrent with the arrival of Muharram and hold mourning ceremonies in the capital city of Beijing, shedding tears in lamentation of Imam Husayn (a.s.).

Of course, Muharram mourning ceremonies are not held only in Beijing; every year during these days, the people of Guangzhou also host a large turnout of devotees of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) from various countries, including Iranians residing in that city. In addition, Husayni mourners in Shanghai also hold ceremonies during the first ten days of Muharram.

Chinese mourners attend mosques in their cities to raise the flag of the Husayni school of thought. At these mourning ceremonies, which continue every year from the first day of Muharram until Ashura, eulogists recite elegies in mourning for Imam Husayn (a.s.) and his companions, and recount the message of the Ashura event to the Husayni mourners. Recitation of the Quran, recitation of Ziyarat Ashura, speeches related to the uprising of Imam Husayn (a.s.) and the events of Karbala, as well as ethical topics in Islam, are among the programs of Muharram at the mosques of this country.