On April 13, I arrived in Vientiane with the first international passenger train of the China-Laos Railway to start my journey to Laos. I'm here for the train. I wonder, what exactly did the train bring to the people of this country? How has their lives changed? I'd love to sit with them and have a good chat.
The train seems to be the perfect place to chat.
In addition to the faster Lancang and Fuxing, I was also interested in another train that ran here. It is the K12/11 train between Vientiane and Boten. The stops of this train have covered all 10 passenger stations on the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway, and the fare is relatively low, which is very popular with local people and backpackers from all over the world.
I checked the train schedule and learned that the train took about 5 hours each way and nearly 10 hours round trip – the perfect "mobile chat room".
Once the chat scenario is determined, there is another puzzle that remains to be solved - language. English is good to speak, but apart from barely being able to say "hello" and "thank you", I don't know anything about Lao. Then I remembered a friend Nic, who had been in Laos, and called him and asked if he could help me find an interpreter.
Nic readily agreed. Soon, I connected with his best friends in Laos, Yan Yan and Linya. As a Chinese who have lived in Laos for a long time, they are not only my translators, but also part of the story I have recorded.
Lin Ya and Yan Yan drove me to Vientiane Station on their way.
April 16 is the third day of Laos' Songkran. Early in the morning, Yan Yan and Linya drove to the door of my hotel on time. An hour later, we sat on the K12 train from Vientiane to Boten, watching the platform outside the window fade into view.
Draftsman: Qiao Qian
K12 times: from Vientiane to Boten
Yan Yan said that it seemed that he had never taken a train with Linya, and today should be the first time. They fell in love after coming to Laos, and the few times they returned home were by plane.
After the opening of the China-Laos Railway, Linya went to Luang Prabang on the Lancang and felt very good. Although Yan Yan has not sat down, because of work, he comes to Vientiane Station to pick up people "a hundred times", and almost all of the people who send them take trains to investigate business opportunities along the railway, so they also have some understanding of this railway by the way. In contrast, Yan Yan said that the first time he came to Laos, he took a bus, spent days and nights on the road, and arrived almost exhausted.
Lin Ya said that in the future, when she has the opportunity, she and Yan Yan must take the cross-border train to Kunming back to China.
Lin Ya and Yan Yan
Behind us, sat a group of young Lao people, some of whom seemed to be saying Chinese. There was an empty seat next to a girl, so we sat down and tried to talk to her for a while. She tried to communicate with us with her Chinese, and where she couldn't speak, Linya would help translate.
Sumari
My name is Sumari and I am an employee of the Lao-China Railway Company. Today is off, my friends and I are going to Luang Prabang for Songkran. I'm still in my internship period, and next month, I'll be officially a train attendant. At that time, I will be on the train we are riding now.
Joining the Lao-China Railway Company requires a certain Chinese foundation. My Chinese was from the Confucius Institute at the National University of Laos, and our teacher was Chinese. I originally studied computer science, but now I am happy to be able to work on the railway, and so are my parents, who think the platform is still very good.
I think the work of flight attendants is tiring, but it's also fun, because you can meet all kinds of people, and it's very fresh. In order to be able to provide better service, the common Chinese we use in training are "toilet/hot water over there", "bag can be put here", etc., sorry, I am not good enough now, but I will continue to work hard.
A few days ago, the China-Laos Railway opened an international passenger train, and in the future, I also want to work on that train and follow it to China. I have always had a dream that I have the opportunity to continue my studies in China. I have an older brother studying in China, who is a Ph.D. candidate in computer science at a university in Chongqing, and is about to graduate. Because of him, Chongqing is the Chinese city I want to visit the most.
Samari's colleague Sally brushes up on business knowledge during her trip.
Sumari and her friends Sally, Bob, and Nataya.
When I wasn't looking, a handsome young man sat next to me, making the girls around laugh. They told me, "His Chinese is good, you should talk to him!" The young man waved his hand again and again when he heard this, and responded with a very bad Chinese: "No, no, I won't say a word." Now the girls next to them were even happier and fell to the table with a smile.
So I started talking to the boy.
Tong Jinyu
My name is Tong Jinyu, and this name was given to me by my Chinese teacher. I know what he means: the golden universe. I work on the railway, a catenary worker in the Muang Sai work area of the Luang Prabang Maintenance Center, I took a break from work two days ago, and today I am commuting back to the work area.
The catenary is responsible for supplying power to the train, and my job is to maintain it on a daily basis. When we're not working, we like to play football. Football is the favorite sport of Lao people. Welcome to come and play with us when you have time, haha.
I have been to China before, studying at a vocational and technical college in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province for a year and a half. At that time, my favorite thing in my spare time was playing football, and then eating all kinds of delicacies - braised pork, spicy hot, dry roasted chicken... There is a Yunlong Lake in Xuzhou, and we sometimes go there together to play, bring beer, and still miss it very much.
Tong Jinyu (top row, second from right) when studying in China. Image courtesy of Tong Jinyu
A team of Tong Jinyu (top row, first from right) and colleagues. Image courtesy of Tong Jinyu
The K12/11 train has a total of 15 cars and a relatively high occupancy rate. Saying goodbye to the happy railway youth, we stopped and talked to several Laotian passengers in the middle of the lively carriages. Because of Linya's translation, the interview went very smoothly. On this train, all we feel is goodwill.
The conductors all wear Champa flower headdresses on their heads.
Seng
My name is Seng, I'm from Khammoun province, and I'm taking this bus to Nadui to see relatives.
I got on the bus at Vientiane Station. From my home to Vientiane, I took a bus for 5 hours. My nephew worked as a police officer in Nadui, and before the train opened, he had come to see me at my house, and I hadn't been to his house for more than a decade. At that time, from Vientiane to Nadui could only take a bus, it took two days to arrive, too far and very inconvenient.
When the China-Laos Railway first opened, I took the train to Nadui with the idea of giving it a try, and stayed at my nephew's house for a while. It takes less than 5 hours to get to Nadui by train from Vientiane, which is too fast.
I have been divorced for a long time and have a daughter and a son. I also had a girlfriend when I was living at my nephew's house, and I now have a good relationship. In a way, this railroad changed my life.
On
My name is On, I am an employee of a telecommunications company in Vientiane, and I am taking this bus to Luang Prabang for a tour. After the opening of the China-Laos Railway, I have already taken the train several times. I remember the first time I took the train, I was both excited and worried, afraid that the train would suddenly lose its power. I was with friends and didn't dare to ride the train alone. After a few train rides, I found it safe and comfortable. Now I dare to take the train alone.
Joneny
My name is Joneny, and I'm the police officer on this train. When the China-Laos Railway was still under construction, I worked near the construction site and was responsible for public security work along the line. After the railway opened, I started to ride on this train, and as a passenger, I experienced what it was like to ride a train for the first time.
On a personal level, the train really shortens our travel time. For the same distance, it used to take days to drive, but now it only takes a few hours by train. From a national point of view, the opening of the railway is definitely good for the economic development of Laos, such as creating a lot of jobs, and so on.
As a police officer, we usually deal with the problem of passengers' smoking. If a passenger smokes on the train, we will remind him first and tell him that smoking is not allowed on the train; If he does not listen to the dissuasion, we can only hand him over to the police at the station when the train arrives.
My daughter-in-law is also a police officer and works at Vientiane Station. We have a son, and I gave him a nickname called Walker, so that our names add up to "Joneny Walker." Haha, the pronunciation is very similar to a whisky brand, I think it's interesting.
On the K12 train, we often meet backpackers from various countries, perhaps for historical reasons, most of them French passengers. I also found an opportunity to talk to them.
Francois&Elena
My name is Francois and I'm from Brest, France. Next to me is my girlfriend Elena. We'll get off at Nadui Station later. I used to be a steel company clerk and quit my job in order to travel to Southeast Asia. Let's just say that I work mainly to travel, so I try to save as much money as I can, haha. The train here gives me the feeling of being on time. In my opinion, after Laos has railways, it will definitely attract more tourists, which is conducive to the development of tourism economy.
I'm Elena, working in tourism. It's a seasonal job, so now I have time to travel the world with Francois. After leaving Laos, we will take a bus to Vietnam, where our Southeast Asia tour has just begun. Then we'll go to Mexico. Are you Chinese? I haven't been to East Asia yet, but I'm curious. Which city in China are you from? Yes, I have heard of China's high-speed rail, and I will definitely experience it in the future. Does China Railway have an official Facebook account? I'm going to pay attention to it.
Probably because of the constant conversation, 5 hours flew by. At 14:23, train K12 arrived at Boding station on time. This is the port station in Laos and my first stop since I arrived in Laos a few days ago. Although it didn't take long, compared to the strangeness of the first day, I was still a little more relaxed and at ease. Maybe that's what this country has changed for me over the course of a few days.
Shortly after our arrival, the D887 international passenger train from Kunming departed from Boding Station and headed for Vientiane. From the perspective of an onlooker, the scene is still novel - a train from China driving across the border.
K11 times: from Boding to Vientiane
The return K11 train was still an hour away, and we took advantage of this time to take a taxi to the Boding Highway crossing. In a few days, I will also return to China from this port. Boding looks like a city taking off, with high-rise buildings under construction everywhere.
Boding Highway Port
When I returned to Boding station again, queues were already underway at the ticket gates. At this time, we were hungry. Just at the Boding Highway crossing, we gave up the opportunity to sit on the side of the road and eat a bowl of instant noodles for fear of being slaughtered.
Driven by hunger, as soon as we got in the car, we went to the restaurant to buy a few loaves of bread and gobbled it up. I have to say, this is probably the best bread I've had in recent years. The portions are generous, the meat is all available, and the special three flavors of sauce are poured with a special three flavor sauce packets, which is absolutely satisfying.
Bread bought from the train restaurant.
Taking advantage of the opportunity to buy bread, I met Xiaoli, the conductor. Like the other conductors on the train, Xiaoli's Chinese is also good, and there are basically no obstacles to communication. According to my observations, she has been very busy all the way today. Shortly after I finished my bread "feast", Xiaoli said that all the bread was sold out.
Xiaoli
Xiaoli said that the colleague in charge of selling goods today was ill, and she was on the shift. Like everyone else, she is also responsible for the duty on the train. Business at the bar today is good, but not the best. Xiaoli said that on the first day of Songkran, the scene in the car was particularly hot.
Xiaoli surrounded by travelers.
Xiaoli and I were talking when a foreign tourist came to buy something. He has an unmistakable English accent and I happened to be wearing an England shirt today. After watching him buy a few packs of snacks, I invited him to sit aside for a while. We have to start with football, of course.
Callum
My name is Callum, I am English, and I work in sales. I'm from Surrey, England, which is known for having beautiful gardens.
To be honest, I don't really like football. Haha, it's rare. I like boxing the most, snooker is good, I know Ding Junhui, he is a good fighter. I don't watch much of the game, but the rest of our family is a fan and they support Wimbledon. You say you're a Manchester United fan? Haha, yes, Wimbledon was David Beckham's opponent for that shocking shot. I was there at that game. My grandfather probably took me there, I was probably five or six years old at the time, I can't remember many things, but I can still remember that moment: Beckham dribbled near the halfway line, glanced up at the Wimbledon goalkeeper in the distance, then glanced down at the ball, picked up a kick and hoisted the ball towards the goal, and the ball flew halfway through the field and into the net. Wow! What do I see? Crazy! Wonderful moment, thank you for awakening this memory of mine.
This is my first time in Laos. I already took the train once in the first two days and was impressed. Especially the architectural style of Luang Prabang station, it is too beautiful. The inside of the station is also very clean, the various signs are clear at a glance, the experience is good, I took many photos. When the train entered the station, I specially took a video and sent it to a friend who usually likes railways. Do you want to know what he says? Haha, he didn't reply to me, because this friend often didn't reply to my messages, he always did. But I think he'll like it.
I didn't know much about this railway before, but today through my communication with you, I know that this is the first modern railway in Laos, and I can now take a train from Laos to China, which is very remarkable. I haven't been to China yet, but I know it's a great country with beautiful scenery and a long history. I will definitely go to China when I have the opportunity in the future, I think two weeks must not be enough, right? There's so much to experience there, don't you say?
My girlfriend and I have been in Laos for a week and after arriving in Vientiane tonight to rest for the night, we will take a bus to Cambodia. The journey will not be easy, and it will certainly not be as comfortable as taking the train, but it will also be a new experience for us.
Before I knew it, it was dark. The carriage swayed gently, and more and more travelers took a nap. We are no exception.
Enduring the sleepiness, we tried to cross the carriage one last time. Earlier Callum said he was about to leave for Cambodia, and coincidentally, the last person we met on the train was Cambodian.
Bunnhong
My name is Bunnhong, I am from Cambodia and I am a tour guide. Today I went to Vientiane with a tour group of more than 70 people, who are now sleeping in the sleeper car behind us. Traveling by train is more comfortable and time flies quickly. I heard that Laos now has an international passenger train to China, I want to know if it is convenient to buy tickets? In the future, if conditions permit, I will also consider taking a group to China. I still have a lot of pictures on my phone for passengers on the train, you can take a look.
As I finished our final conversation and walked back to my seat, I spotted a golden "behemoth" next to the aisle. I thought it was some kind of instrument, and Yan Yan reminded me that it was a golf club. That was my last glimpse of the train, and it was magical. Golf clubs on a China-Laos railway train. It's like the beginning of a novel, leading to a myriad of possibilities, imaginative.
The train is about to arrive in Vientiane, and the night is shining outside the window. Yan Yan looked at Lin Ya, who was napping, and confided his heart to me.
It's an age-old question: go or stay? After living in Laos for many years, they have developed a nostalgia for the land. Not long ago, they returned to Qujing, Yunnan to get married, and they stayed in their wedding room, feeling extremely strange, and at that moment, they missed the staff dormitory in Laos. And what about the future? Do you have to live in a foreign country all the time? What should I do if I have children?
……
Yan Yan and Linya's wedding photos
I can't provide an answer either. But they're trying to find answers. Yan Yan and Lin Ya are both on the job graduate school, and Yan Yan has begun to write his graduation thesis, which is related to the export of goods on the China-Laos Railway.
After getting off the train and walking out of the station, we met a Chinese couple asking for directions. When they walked away, Yan Yan touched the accents of the couple, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt like his fellow countrymen, so he went back and drove them for a ride.
It was the last night of Songkran, and the bustle in the streets of Vientiane gradually subsided. The streets were wet, and the reflections of street lights and car lights flashed in puddles. I close my eyes and enjoy the sweetness of this exhaustion. Because of a railway, people from different countries and regions meet in the same time and space and leave their mark on each other's journeys. That's wonderful in itself. And that's all I see and feel today.
Photo: Lin Feiyi
Editor: Lin Feiyi
Reviewer: Li Xiaobao