Gradual restoration of web services

To "quench the riot quickly and prevent violence from spreading to other places", Internet connection and mobile text message services were cut in some areas of Urumqi shortly after the July 5 riot.

Zhang Xiaolei, dean of the Xinjiang branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was worried how could they conduct researches.

"Our professors traveled to Lanzhou of Gansu or Shanghai by air to download the data they needed," he said, adding that the "Internet-searching fee" was not a small amount.

Some tabloids in Urumqi relied on online information. As the Internet was crippled, the newspapers were affected greatly.

A desperate newspaper owner, who asked not to be identified, finally found Internet from a major news organization. With its own server, the organization was among the few units with Internet to the outside world.

Disruption of Internet also hampered study of college students. Abdul had applied to several American universities. While he was waiting for the replies, the man had to travel to Lanzhou by train and read his emails in an Internet cafe.

But there are some people who managed to find the good side of the isolation.

Peng Ziyuan bought many books in the past but hadn't time to read, as she spent most of her leisure time playing online games with her boyfriend.

"Now I finished four novels," she said.

Besides, she noted that as the Internet was disrupted, they had less spam mails and mobile phone messages. "My life is quieter now," she smiled.

However, the regional government has said that it would gradually restore access to some websites and Internet services, and open up mobile text messages and international long-distance phone services.