YINCHUAN, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- On Sunday afternoon, 297 pilgrims flew back from Mecca to northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

"It is the biggest wish of we Muslim to visit Mecca," said 72-year-old Yu Xiulan, who went with her husband. "I am glad that I have completed this task. I will share my experience with friends and relatives."

The Mecca pilgrimage, also known as the Hajj, is a Muslim tradition that specifies all able-bodied Muslims who can afford to travel to Saudi Arabia must visit Mecca at least once in their lives.

During the event this year, hundreds of people were killed in a stampede in the Mina Valley, about five kilometers from Mecca on September 24.

The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is another concern for the pilgrims and their relatives.

"I was worried about my mom," said He Xuehua's daughter. He Xuehua was among the pilgrims. "I gave her a call every day," the daughter said.

According to Tian Yufu with the Ningxia Regional Administration of Religious Affairs, they had 94 interpreters, doctors and imams who went with the pilgrims this year to provide help.

A total of 14,500 Chinese Muslims went for Mecca pilgrimages in 2015, according to China Islamic Association.

China has more than 20 million Muslims, who mainly live in the western provincial regions of Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Yunnan and Ningxia.

About half of Chinese Muslims are from the Hui ethnic group. Ningxia has China's largest Hui population. The last chartered flight back to Ningxia will be on Thursday.