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TOP NEWS | 要闻

中老铁路国际旅客列车开行一周年——

坐上火车游中老成为新时尚
坐上火车游中老成为新时尚

By Yunnan Daily □ 云南日报

Since the launch of the international passenger
trains on the China-Laos Railway, they have become in-
creasingly popular among foreign visitors for tourism and
business purposes. This new transportation option has fostered
convenient travel between the two countries, promoting the efficient
exchange of passengers, goods, and information along the route.
The China-Laos Railway offers passengers the opportunity to travel
to 38 countries across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Asia. This exten-
sive rail network connects the Beibu Gulf and the Bengal Bay, and even stretches
as far as to the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Since its inception, the railway
has facilitated the transportation of goods to 12 “Belt and Road” countries, including
Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam. The number of countries and regions with inbound
and outbound passengers has risen from 27 to 87 as a result. The China-Laos Railway has
played a vital role in promoting people-to-people exchanges between the two nations and
has contributed to the liberalization and facilitation of bilateral trade.
According to an official from the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism of
Laos, the introduction of international passenger trains on the Lao-China Railway has had
a tremendous impact on the tourism industry in Laos. This has resulted in an increase in the
On April number of tourists visiting Laos from neighboring countries like Thailand and Vietnam. Af-
13, the China-Laos ter exploring popular destinations such as Luang Prabang, Van Vinh, and Oudomxay, many
Railway international of these tourists extend their travels to Yunnan Province and other parts of China.
passenger trains marked “Before the railway’s opening, it would take me a considerable amount of time to travel
their first anniversary. Since by road from Kunming to Vientiane, resulting in me returning to China only once every two
their inception, the passenger or three months. However, with the China-Laos Railway’s operation, I can now set out from
trains have served an impressive Laos and reach Kunming on the same day. This remarkable improvement has allowed me to
700,000 travelers. Among them, over return to China once or twice a week, significantly facilitating my business activities,” said Zou
183,000 were cross-border passengers Wennian, a Chinese businessman involved in agricultural product imports and exports in Laos.
from 87 countries and regions. The rising Ai Xiangha, a tour guide at Yunnan International Travel Agency, has witnessed a signif-
trend of exploring both Laos and China by icant increase in the number of orders received from Thai tourists since the implementation
train is apparent. To commemorate this milestone, of the China-Thailand visa-free policy. Compared to the previous year, the agency has expe-
the Lao language magazine “Champa” has been rienced a remarkable surge of approximately 60 percent in bookings. The popularity of this
officially selected as the onboard reading material for travel route has led to a shortage of Thai-speaking tour guides within the agency. Previously,
the China-Laos Railway international passenger trains, travelers had to disembark from the train at Boten and proceed to China’s Mohan port for vi-
adding a touch of distinction to the railway. sa-on-arrival procedures after traveling from Vientiane. However, with the operation of the
Spanning a distance of 1,035 kilometers, the “Lancang” and China-Laos Railway international passenger trains, tourists can now enter China directly. As
“Fuxing” passenger trains seamlessly connect the two countries, al- a result, the company has received advance bookings for China tours from Thai travelers up
lowing travelers to embark on a journey between Kunming and Vientiane in until October.
a single day. The allure of “poetry and the faraway” is now just a train ticket away. The deputy general director of the Mass Media Department of the Ministry of Infor-
Recently, the Xishuangbanna Railway Station has witnessed an influx of passengers, with mation, Culture, and Tourism of Laos commended the “Champa” magazine for its role as
crowds gathering in anticipation at the turnstiles for entry and exit. “Serving as a prominent the onboard reading material aboard the international passenger trains of the China-Laos
hub along the China-Laos Railway, our station always garners significant passenger traffic. Railway, pointing out that this has effectively solidified the magazine’s position as a bridge
During the Water Splashing Festival, it even hit a record high of accommodating 34,000 between the two countries. He emphasized that with the presence of the “Champa” maga-
passengers in a single day, highlighting the remarkable passenger volume on the China-La- zine, the China-Laos Railway symbolizes a cultural and informational conduit, propelling
os Railway,” said Wei Chengxuan, director of Xishuangbanna Railway Station. people-to-people communication towards a promising future.

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