Homeland, magnet, and refuge: Mecca in the travels and imaginaries of Chinese Muslims
Journal: Modern Asian Studies
Year: 2023

Abstract Mecca is often conceptualized as a destination for the ḥajj or a source of leverage for both western and Ottoman imperial states, and in the twentieth century, for Saudi national foreign policy and Islamist movements. While building on such transnational angles, this article views the city as a convergence point for diaspora populations, an intermediary site that has received and redirected the mobilities of sojourners, refugees, and exiles from different parts of Asia throughout the ma