Ethnicity can be a flashpoint in China, yet, this is not exclusive to China alone; states around the globe struggle to accommodate ethnic minorities, not in the least, with the way how to allocate space for religious practices. A case in point is how states deal with the Islam, and NIMBY (Not-in-My-Backyard) protests and conflict over mosques and Muslim cemeteries.

Much attention has turned to the Uyghur in China, yet, much less is known about the Hui, an equally populous Islamic minority. The Ethnicity project examines how the Chinese state engages in the religious land use for mosques and cemeteries, and contrasts this to other parts of the world.

What did we find so far?

Results from this research has yielded unexpected findings.

Check out: The Tolerance of Informality (Cambridge University Press, 2026)