BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua) -- About 400 salespeople from 56 shops in Beijing's largest Muslim neighborhood have received training on simple conversation in Arabic, as the city prepares for a surge of Muslim visitors during the Olympics.

They have also been taught about the history, customs, rituals and taboos of the Muslim world, said a spokesman with the Xuanwu district branch of the Beijing Municipal Bureau for Commerce and Industry.

Up to 10,000 Muslim athletes, coaches, officials and tourists from around the world are expected to visit Xuanwu's Niujie Streetin southern Beijing, the largest area inhabited by Muslims in the Chinese capital, the spokesman said.

Shopping tips and consumer complaint hotline in Chinese, Arabic and English languages have been posted on the wall of shops in Niujie, he said.

The commerce and industry bureau has also set up three complaint stations for consumers in Niujie and offers Arabic and English interpreters, he said.

"We aim to create a safe and harmonious shopping environment for Muslim guests," he said.

The Niujie Street, with about 12,000 Muslims, has a history of more than 1,000 years. The oldest building in the community, Niujie Mosque, has been standing where it was first built since 996.

The Beijing Olympics organizer has set up three volunteers' stations in Niujie that offer services on Arabic language translation and also introduce Muslim culture.
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