Xinjiang promotes jade festival

HOTAN - Authorities in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are promoting a jade festival to repair the broken image of a jade-producing desert oasis city recently rocked by a violent attack on a police station and a lethal food poisoning incident.

The ninth annual Hotan Jade Cultural Tourism Festival will be held from August 25 to 27 in Hotan Prefecture, a predominantly ethnic Uygur prefecture perched between the Taklimakan Desert to the north and the rugged Kunlun Mountains to the south, local officials said Wednesday.

There will be a fair exhibiting Hotan's renowned carpets and white jade, a rare nephrite jade grown exclusively in the region, and various cultural shows.

The city, which faced a militant attack on an urban police station that left 18 people dead in July and a mass food poisoning incident that killed 11 people last week, hopes the festival will help attract tourists.

Zhang Mingqiang, head of the prefecture government's tourism department, said authorities have pushed hard to promote the festival, hoping the presence of businessmen, tourists, and media will help deliver the message that Hotan's overall situation is stable.

"We expected the festival attendance to shrink following the incidents, but it turns out that the hundreds of people invited have confirmed that they will still come," Zhang said.

The official said the success of such an event will also boost local residents' confidence in the region's stability and development.

These incidents have taken a toll on businesses in Hotan through noticeably fewer tourists on the streets during what is traditionally peak travel season.

"In the past, we had lots of business during this season. But this year, after the attack on the police station, few people dared come and fewer were willing to take a cab driven by ethnic Uygurs," said Arken, a cab driver.

"I hope the festival can draw more visitors to Hotan," he said.

The city is still battling a mass food poisoning incident that is thought to be caused by tainted vinegar.

On Wednesday, officials said six people remain hospitalized four days following the outbreak of a widespread food poisoning that has left 11 dead and 100 more people sick in the village of Sangzhu.

One person remains in serious, but not life-threatening condition, officials said.

Many local residents fear that the mass poisoning was intentional, and owners of street restaurants have complained about the decline of diners following the poisoning.

Police on Wednesday said they are still investigating the cause and vinegar samples have been sent to labs in Beijing for toxicity tests.

Meanwhile, the food safety watchdog has ordered a food safety inspection in Hotan after the incident.