Former shantytown dweller enjoys a new lease on life

URUMQI - In less than two years, Rena Abdurrahman has gone from being a frightened young mother in a dangerous slum in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, to being the owner of a successful small business and something of a community leader.

Those personal changes mirror the transformation of that former slum in the Heijiashan area of Tianshan district in Urumqi into a safe, pleasant community. The transformation was sparked by the riot in the city in July 2009 that left 197 people dead.

Rena's small handicrafts shop has become an informal meeting place, a venue where local women can learn crafts and a busy production center.