As New Year's Day is just around the corner, farmers' markets in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, have been experiencing a pre-holiday shopping rush.
Local vendors have stocked up ahead of time to ensure ample supplies and stable prices during the holiday, catering to residents' varied consumption needs.
At the Jiuding Agricultural Products Wholesale Market, shoppers stream through the aisles as fresh vegetables and fruits, beef and mutton, dried fruits, and other goods fill the stalls. The market attracts more than 30,000 customer visits per day.
"With New Year's Day coming, there are more customers and sales are strong. We're selling about a truckload of apples every day," said a local fruit vendor Zhang Honggang.
To keep the market running smoothly over the holiday, market management authorities have been closely monitoring transactions, strengthening food safety supervision, and coordinating with vendors to boost inventories, so as to ensure sufficient supply and stable prices.
Markets in Xinjiang embrace shopping rush ahead of New Year
Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po, more commonly known as Panchen Rinpoche and a leader of Tibetan Buddhism, has completed a six-month tour of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, during which he performed regular duties, conducted research and surveys, and participated in various Buddhist and social activities.
During his tour, Panchen Rinpoche, a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and vice president of the Buddhist Association of China, attended celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Xizang Autonomous Region in the regional capital Lhasa in August.
He then visited the prefecture-level cities of Qamdo, Nagqu, and Xigaze to conduct field research, gaining insights into rural revitalization, the development of harmonious and beautiful highland villages, and the advancement of Tibetan medicine.
He also traveled to Dingri County in Xigaze to learn about post-quake reconstruction progress and assess local residents' living conditions after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit the county in January.
At the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Xigaze, his traditional seat, Panchen Rinpoche presided over the Kalachakra (wheel of time) ritual and attended both the 30th-anniversary commemoration of his enthronement and a symposium on the reincarnation system of Tibetan Buddhist Living Buddhas.
Over the past three decades since his enthronement, Panchen Rinpoche has upheld Tibetan Buddhism's proud tradition of patriotism and devotion to faith. His Buddhist scholarship has grown ever more profound, earning him deep affection and respect from monastics and devotees alike.
He has made significant contributions to promoting ethnic unity, religious harmony, and Xizang's social stability and development.
As president of the Xizang branch of the Buddhist Association of China, Panchen Rinpoche also convened a series of work meetings of the branch, visited major monasteries including the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, and held extensive discussions with leaders and practitioners across the Tibetan Buddhist community.
He encouraged monastics to actively engage in the new journey toward Chinese modernization, and to play a greater role in advancing the adaptation of Tibetan Buddhism to socialist society, fostering a stronger sense of the Chinese nation as one community, and jointly writing a new chapter for a more beautiful Xizang.
Panchen Rinpoche concludes six-month tour of Xizang
