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A bustling night market in Hotan City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China, May 30, 2021. /CFP
Gulnisahan Emin has 10 employees who make and sell desserts, hamburgers and fried chicken at her store in Hotan City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
It's hard to imagine that Gulnisahan used to be under the influence of religious extremism. She told a press conference in Hotan on Monday that she believed in the idea that women should not work or make money.
Things changed after she attended a vocational school, where she learned culinary skills. After graduation, the Uygur woman opened her own store.
She is one of the Uygurs whose lives changed after attending vocational education and training centers, which were set up to redirect people away from religious extremism and provide them with the professional skills necessary to earn a livelihood and re-enter the society.
Vocational education and training program is one of the measures taken by the authorities to prevent terrorism and extremism.
Thanks to these measures, zero terrorist attacks have occurred in Hotan for four years and eight months, and religious extremism has been effectively contained, said local officials at the press conference.
"Today, Hotan's stability has been fully realized. Market vitality can be seen everywhere. Take the night market for example. You can barely find a table at night. This is a vivid display of a harmonious and stable society," said Mahmut Umar Jan, deputy commissioner of the Administrative Office of Hotan Region, at the press conference.
A railway is under construction in Hotan City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China, August 17, 2021. /CFP
To build local economy, Mahmut said the city has been capitalizing on the opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative.
For example, new infrastructure has been developed, including a new civil airport, a highway connecting southwestern Moyu County, and a railway connecting Hotan to Kashgar, he added.
Industrial development has also been realized. For example, poultry and livestock are crucial to rural vitalization, and tourism gives a big boost as well.
"In 2020, we hosted over six times the number of the tourists we had in 2012. This October, we plan to host the 2021 Taklimakan Rally, which will let people experience a fast and furious life in the desert. Our night market has also received accolades from across the country," said Mahmut.
Karsay Tursuntohet is a vendor at the night market. He started selling rice dumplings in 2015. His specialty is mixing sticky rice with dates, self-made yogurt and honey. He also met his wife through the business as she used to be his patron.
This year, his business extended to regional capital Urumqi, with the monthly profit exceeding 10,000 yuan ($1,545). Now Karsay's dream is to have more people across the country to taste his specialty.
According to Mahmut, 70 percent of the public expenditure is being used for ensuring people's livelihoods. This includes popularizing education, improving medical services and completing the city's social security network.
