HAPPY FACES

Dilnur Ablimit is one of the small-time business owners in the ancient city of Kashgar who makes a living from tourism. She runs a photo studio and rents out traditional Uygur costumes to tourists for photoshoots, while also assisting with their makeup.

"I want my clients to experience how fascinating the Uygur culture is and make friends through this cultural experience," said the 24-year-old entrepreneur.

She recalled with delight how a tourist from South China's Guangdong province had promoted her service on social media platforms and invited her for a trip to Guangdong.

"I'll go and visit her someday, but now I'm too busy," Dilnur Ablimit said. Her studio received more than 20 guests every day during the last few months, and she has recently hired two makeup artists and two photographers as her assistants.

Official statistics show that more than 54,000 new jobs related to tourism have been created since 2018, and 1.5 million people are working in relevant service industries. According to tourism experts, this would not have been possible without social stability.

Two years ago, Elnur Hisamdin found a job in a bakery about 500 meters away from her home in the Liuxingjie community in Yining city, where residents of 13 ethnic groups live in harmony.

Having lived there for years, she is an eyewitness to how government-led efforts have improved the conditions of the neighborhood and turned it into a popular tourist destination featuring an accordion museum, cultural parks, and numerous shops, restaurants and B&Bs.

She is pleased that business at the bakery is growing as a result of an influx of tourists. The 49-year-old Uygur woman used to stay at home without work, but now she brings home about 4,000 yuan (about $597) a month, in addition to her husband's monthly income of 3,000 yuan.

After work, Elnur Hisamdin usually walks home. Her neighbors have observed a significant change from the past: she now always wears a big smile.