Society

Urumqi peaceful on riot anniversary

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-07-05 16:01

URUMQI - Urumqi bathed in golden sunshine Monday, the first anniversary of a deadly riot, as lives and businesses in this thriving capital of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region began the working week.

In the morning, traffic was busy on the city's main roads as people commuted to their workplace. Groups of senior citizens visited parks for morning exercises - but they had to allow their bags to be inspected before they could enter.

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"Business is alright. But it is no match to the prosperity before the riot," said Millibal from Kashgar, a city in western Xinjiang,  who was selling scarves at a stand in the International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi.

People chatted in bazaars, restaurants and other public venues. But the riot did not seem to be a popular topic. They preferred to talk about new opportunities.

After the riot in Urumqi on July 5 last year that left 197 people dead and more than 1,600 injured, China launched in May a package of favorable policies to help the region achieve lasting stability and what authorities have described as "leapfrog development."

Only the vigilance on the faces of the police officers patrolling the streets seemed to remind people of why today is no ordinary Monday.

No violence had been reported as of 2:30 pm in and around the International Grand Bazaar and Erdaoqiao area in southern Urumqi, where most of last year's atrocities occurred, or anywhere else in the city.