Place
Muslims have lived in China since the seventh century, and the Hui and Uyghurs are among the largest groups.
What it means
Arab and Persian traders reached China’s ports in the Tang dynasty, and tradition says Muslims came within the Prophet’s own lifetime. The Abbasid and Tang armies met at the Battle of Talas in 751, the only major clash, and prisoners from it are said to have brought the art of papermaking west. The admiral Zheng He, a Muslim, led the great Ming voyages (1405–1433).
What the sources say
A saying “seek knowledge even in China” is often quoted as a hadith, but hadith scholars judge it weak or fabricated. It shows the reputation of China for learning in the early Muslim world.