Moslems in China

To my surprise, I found that there were millions of Moslems in China, ithe relics of those who came up the Silk Road to trade and later, for a while, to conquer.


In Xi'an, we went to the Great Mosque, a wonderful sanctuary in the bustling city. Here are Polaroids of two men I met at the gates. I am afraid that accidentally and unintentionally I insulted the man in the first photograph. After I took his picture, he told me that the U.S. was a great country and when we were done, I reached out and shook his right hand. He shook, but his face had fallen. I remembered right away that Moslems shake only with the left hand. I hadn't prepared myself. I felt terrible.