Lots of halal food at Olympics, China promises

Muslim visitors to Beijing will find halal food outlets within easy reach anywhere, a Beijing city legislator said on Wednesday, according to a press report by China’s state news agency Xinhua. Beijing has 2,053 halal food outlets, including restaurants and food shops, said Wu Shixiong, who is in charge of supervising food hygiene law enforcement. He said the city had set side 32 million yuan (4.7 million U.S. dollars) to open additional halal food outlets at the main airport and railway station, and to upgrade food processing facilities in major Muslim catering businesses. Up to 10,000 Muslim athletes, coaches, officials and tourists from around the world are expected to visit Beijing's largest Muslim neighborhood, Niujie Street, during the Games. Niujie is home to 12,000 Muslims and dates back more than 1,000 years. The Niujie Mosque has been standing since 996 AD, Xinhua reported. The Beijing municipal government has also designated 12 of the city's 70 mosques to act as reception centers for Muslims, equipping them with Arabic signs and translators for the duration of the Games.