People across Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China celebrated the Corban Festival on Friday with singing, dancing and other activities.
The Corban Festival, also known as Eid al-Adha or the Feast of the Sacrifice, is one of the major festivals of Muslims in China.
In Tekes County of Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, a lively celebration drew thousands of locals to gather together and sing songs to express their joy.
In Tuancheng Old Town in Xinjiang's Hotan City, people from various ethnic groups, in their festive best, gathered to sing, dance, and share the happiness of the festival.
"People are gathering here to sing and dance to celebrate the festival. I will later visit my relatives and friends to share the joy brought by this festival," said Aidina Aireti, a local resident.
Captivated by the festive atmosphere, numerous tourists joined in the lively dance. Su Hongyan, a visitor from central China's Changsha City, put on traditional local attire and danced with enthusiasm. She said that the stunning scenery, delectable cuisine, and warm hospitality of the locals left a deep impression on her and her friends.
"It's my first time in Hotan. The scenery is beautiful and the people here are very warm. Yesterday, I was invited by a local to have dinner at his home. The food was delicious and I was very happy," Su said.
Many tourists were recording the moment of happiness with their phones and cameras.
"I was dancing and felt their enthusiasm, and they invited me to join in the dance. I took a lot of photos and posted them on WeChat Moments to share the festive atmosphere with my friends," said Xu Zhaoping, a tourist from south China's Guangdong Province.
Corban Festival celebrated in China's Xinjiang
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that the situation in Iran is "under total control" following violence linked to protests that spiked over the weekend.
Addressing foreign diplomats in Tehran, the foreign minister noted that armed terrorist groups had infiltrated the protests, attempting to divert them from their legitimate course. He claimed that evidence has been gathered showing Iranian security forces being shot at, with the aim of causing further casualties. He accused the United States and Israel of exploiting the unrest to interfere in Iran's internal affairs.
Araghchi further stated that the government is closely monitoring developments on the streets, emphasizing that "the situation has come under control." He also affirmed that internet services, curtailed during the unrest, would be restored after coordination with security agencies.
The government has engaged in dialogue with merchants and protest representatives and initiated reforms to address grievances related to price hikes and currency depreciation. Iran has taken a series of actions and measures to respond to the demands of peaceful demonstrators, the foreign minister said.
Earlier on Sunday, Araghchi said that clear evidence links recent riots and vandalism of public facilities in Iran to the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. This came after former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mentioned Mossad agents operating on Iran's streets in a social media post. The Iranian foreign minister asserted that police are being attacked by "terrorists" acting under the direction of Israeli operatives, whom Pompeo publicly acknowledged.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and U.S. sanctions.
Iranian foreign minister says situation "fully under control," accuses Israeli intelligence of stoking unrest
