Comparative Study on the Choice of Muslim Migrants Residence in Xi’an and Lanzhou Cities, China

Residential choice is one of the basic contents of urban adaptation of the floating population and an important aspect in determining the quality of life in the city. This study is for Muslim migrants with three attributes (minority, floating population and religious belief). The purpose is to reveal the commonalities and differences in the choice of living spaces of Muslim Migrants in multi-ethnic cities Lanzhou and Xi’an, to provide guidance for the targeted management of Muslim migrants and promote their urban integration. Based on available research data from 2017-2019, the study adopts spatial analysis and regression analysis to explore the results of the selection of Muslim migrants living space in two cities and its influencing factors. The main conclusions are as follows: 1) The commonality of Muslim migrants living space in the two cities lies in: the distribution pattern of “Living around the mosque and running business nearby the mosque” still exists. The living space of Muslim migrants consists of points (mosques), lines (streets or traffic lines), and faces (inhabited areas), forming a spatial distribution pattern of the “mosque + community” residential circle. Differences: Muslim migrants in Hui’s street, Xi’an, taking the “Mosque-alley system” as an independent social organization, and their living space presents a " mosque-alley Interlaced" distribution. Muslim migrants living in the urban village community on the periphery of Hui’s street take "mosque" and "farm market" as the dual core, showing the “core (mosque/market) + community” inlaid living space situation. The Muslim migrants in Lanzhou generally live around the mosque or close to the streets and roads that lead to mosque. 2). In terms of commonality, the living choices of Muslim migrants in both cities consider the distance from the place of work, the mosque or the Muslim community to the place of residence. In terms of differences, the residential choice of Muslim migrants in Xi’an is mainly influenced by the composition of the living, the income of wages, and the nature of the occupation. The choice is mainly influenced by the rent level, occupational nature and wage income of the house; and the main influencing factors of the choice of Muslim migrants in Lanzhou are the education level and the rent level of the house. The main influencing factors of residential location selection are education level and mobility purpose. The level of education, traditional living customs, and rent levels have become the core factors determining the urban accommodation adaptation of Muslim migrants.