Riot-hit areas slowly picking up the pieces
Updated: 2008-04-14 07:54
XIAHE, Gansu: At the renowned Labrang Lamasery in Gansu province, warm sunshine on the red and white Tibetan Buddhist temple heralded the arrival of spring.
The shops lining the fringes of the lamasery in Xiahe county were stocked full of handicrafts and souvenirs, ready for the start of the travel season.
Yet few tourists were seen on Thursday. "Not many people come in anymore," said a shop owner who identified herself as Drolma.
Drolma said it should be the beginning of the peak tourist season for the lamasery and the whole of the Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Gansu, but the recent riots - where a number of Labrang lamas participated - have scarred the sector and life in general.
"I used to make 500 yuan ($71) a day, but for the whole past month, I hardly touched that figure," said Drolma, even as she hoped for the full resumption of business in the region.
Gannan, also known for its scenic pastures, saw the largest annual increase of foreign tourists last year.
But the prospect of further growth has now been seriously dampened.
The impact of the riots on the prefecture has been severe, said its acting head, Mao Shengwu. The tourism sector has been particularly hit, Mao said.
The riots last month, beginning on March 14 in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region, quickly spread to neighboring Tibetan-inhabited regions, including Gannan, Aba in Sichuan province and parts of Qinghai province.
Across the affected areas, rioters damaged government offices, schools, hospitals and other public facilities, and left burned shops in their wake.
The authorities have meanwhile advised foreigners and domestic travelers against going to Tibet.
Lhasa
The Potala Palace in Lhasa also reopened to the public from March 26, after it was closed for 10-days following the riots.
Pilgrims have slowly returned to the holy site, where prayer wheels turn once again and people are seen in the main square.
"There is still a lack of business because there are not so many visitors, but the number is increasing steadily," said Liu Jijun, owner of a Tibetan handicraft shop below the palace.
"I'm still confident of business opportunities here," Liu said. Tourists visiting Lhasa also said they could sense slight unease and the regional capital was far less lively than they had thought.
"There is almost no nightlife here, as many people are still afraid," said Wan Fan, a tourist from Shanghai.
"But the local people are really nice and have reminded us to be safe," she said.
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