Muslim Hui Hui cards are large and small, with wooden signs and glass frames. Big brands are generally about 0.5 meters long and 0.3 meters wide. The small one is about 15cm long and 5cm wide. All the signs are written with four striking Chinese characters "Muslim Hui". In the middle of them, a "soup bottle pot" or mosque is painted for Muslims to wash their hands and feet and clean up. At the same time, there are incense burner bottles painted, and some have bowls and cups painted around the soup bottles and pots. Above the soup bottle and pot, there is also a small white hat painted. Arabic is also written on the top and bottom of the sign, soup bottles and pots, indicating that this is Muslim food. Hui people in some places, such as the Northeast, still write the words "Hui people in the western regions" on their signs. Some hang two blue cloth strips under the sign of "Muslim Hui", and some hang two blue cloth strips on the eaves in front of the door besides listing.
Why do Muslims draw soup bottles and pots on the sign in front of the store and write "Muslim Hui"? Why do they hang blue stripes? There is still a lot of attention in it. It is said that when the Uighurs moved eastward with the Mongols, they did not come at once, but followed one after another. Some Hui people who walk in front live in places where there are people along the way. They care about the latecomers and prepare food and drinks for the people behind them. They are afraid that the people behind them don't know which is Hui, so they put the soup bottle and pot on the windowsill, and the people behind them will know at a glance. Later, a soup bottle was put down and one was stolen. They thought of a way to draw a soup bottle on the board and write Arabic spaces so that people behind them can understand it at a glance. Over time, everyone thinks this method is good. Sellers and restaurateurs draw a soup bottle on the house number to show that they are Muslims. There are also some soup bottles in the shop. Anyone who comes to eat and drink tea should wash their hands with soup bottles before meals.
The significance of hanging two pieces of blue cloth under the eaves of Hui people's homes is this. Islam likes green and blue, because blue represents sincerity, and the blue cloth of Hui people mainly represents halal, so even the door curtains of restaurants are blue. In addition, it is said that the Hui people have long hung "Erdao" cloth strips. According to legend, in the Tang Dynasty, Uighur soldiers fought bravely against rebellion and made outstanding achievements, so the King of Tang allowed Uighurs to stay in mainland towns. However, considering the safety of Uighurs, the emperor and queen issued two imperial edicts and hung them in front of their houses. These two pieces of cloth represent two imperial edicts, indicating that the homeland of the Hui people is inviolable. According to some old Hui people who run restaurants now, they hang this cloth to show that they are going back to the hotel, so they should respect the customs of going back and not drink here.
The shop names, plaques and blue stripes of Huizhou merchants' shops are unique symbols of Huizhou merchants' customs, which have been passed down from generation to generation.