Business returns as traffic reopens to public in Urumqi -- china.org.cn

Shops in downtown Urumqi have seen an increasing number of customers Tuesday as buses and taxies reappeared in one of the busiest areas of the city struggling to shake off the adverse impact of the deadly July 5 riot.

"My business has turned much better than what it was days after the riot," said Ainiwaer, a Uygur scarf vendor in Erdaoqiao in the downtown. "Although it is not as good as before the riot, I believe things will get better."

A dozen of Uygur women were busy selecting scarves in Ainiwaer's shop. For some of them, it has been their first time to set foot in the area over the past two weeks.

Newspaper vendors and people giving out job ads leaflets threaded their way through crowds of pedestrians, mostly Uygurs.

Only police wagons have had access to the landmark International Grand Bazaar in Erdaoqiao and Saimachang, two worst-hit regions in the riot, which are densely populated by Uygurs, since police tightened traffic control.

"I got the order to grant allows for the vehicular traffic at 9:30 a.m. today," said Yidiresi, a Uygur policeman on patrol. "But we, along with the riot police, will continue patrolling the areas in case of emergency."

Zhao Yuming, a jade businessman from the northern port city of Tianjin, said he was glad to see so many shops reopened after the riot.

"I have been here many times to buy jade," he said. "But I bought only a little this time because many jade stores remained closed."

"Stability is good for everybody. More shops should be reopened," he added.

The bazaar and the nearby Erdaoqiao Market, two major retail and wholesale markets and tourist spots in the city, have remained closed since the riot.

Kashitu, a gardener with a local high school, posed for a picture in front of a symbolic statue in Erdaoqiao along with his wife and 7-year-old daughter.

"My daughter will go back to my hometown in Kashgar tomorrow," he said. "She had a good time here. You can tell from her smile."

Yusup, 33, who has run a photograph business in the area for 15 years, was glad to see more visitors come.

"But it will take a long time for my business to return to what it was -- when visitors queued up to have their photos taken," he said.

Security presence remained heavy in downtown Urumqi on Tuesday. Teams of policemen holding shields and batons patrolled on streets. Slogans calling for ethnic unity were still posted on walls or hung on fencers in the middle of the streets.Two police helicopters were seen hovering above.

A loudspeaker truck cruised past the Erdaoqiao mosque, blasting government slogans admist Uygur music from roadside shops that was played to attract customers.

(Xinhua News Agency July 22, 2009)