Xinjiang unrest takes heavy toll on tourism

Kanas Lake, China

THE two amateur photographers stood on a hill overlooking the sparkling river in this remote alpine park, waiting for nomads to emerge from their white yurts and herd cows across a bridge.

The men, both age 60, were driving on a one-month road trip through the western region of Xinjiang to capture scenes like this one.

"Don't listen to what other people say about Xinjiang and don't believe what you read," said Sun Jingchuan, a retired aircraft maintenance worker from Sichuan province in southwest China. "It's very safe here."

Many other Chinese would dispute that assessment. This year, after a stream of news reports of riot…