Some 12,000 Chinese Muslims have visited the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage, or Hajj, with a further 2,500 set to depart at the weekend.

From September 5, groups of pilgrims have embarked on government-organized trips, with the last group scheduled for Saturday, reported the Xinhua News Agency.

The government chartered 94 aircraft for the pilgrims, who took off from Beijing, Urumqi, Lanzhou, Yinchuan and Kunming, reported CRI Online.

China has more than 20 million Muslims, about half of whom come from the Hui minority ethnic group.