On November 28, on the D888 Fuxing train from Vientiane to Kunming South of the China-Laos Railway, a 32-person tour group that had just finished a 6-day and 5-night trip to Laos embarked on a journey back to China. The tour was organized by Yunnan Excellence Tourism Group Co., Ltd., who departed from Kunming and traveled by train to Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Vientiane and other cities. This is a microcosm of the tourism exchanges between China and Laos.
Triumphal Arch in Vientiane, Laos Courtesy of the Lao Culture and Tourism Center (China).
In recent years, China and Laos have enjoyed close tourism exchanges and cooperation, and the number of tourism exchanges has steadily increased. In 2019, the "China-Laos Year of Tourism" was successfully held, and the number of Chinese tourists visiting Laos exceeded 1 million for the first time. This year, especially since the official opening of the cross-border passenger train of the China-Laos Railway on April 13, the number of tourists coming and going between China and Laos has been increasing, and tourism exchanges and cooperation have picked up rapidly.
Humanity and nature are reflected in abundant tourism resources
The resplendent Thaluang stands majestically, and the statue of the Father of the Nation stands in front of Thaluang, and there is an endless stream of tourists...... The annual traditional Lao festival Tha Luang Festival is in full swing, and tourists from all over the world are praying for blessings and worshipping, or checking in and taking pictures.
Vientiane Taluang Square in Laos is full of tourists Photo by Xu Wanjia, a reporter from China Tourism News
"There are festivals every month in Laos. Zhang Xiaoyan, general representative of the Lao Culture and Tourism Center (China), introduced that the Taluang Festival is the largest and most grand traditional festival in Laos, and this year's Taluang Festival opened on November 23.
On November 27, a reporter from China Tourism News saw Ms. Wang and her party from Kunming, Yunnan Province, taking pictures in front of the statue of King Setadila of the Lancang Kingdom, the father of Laos, in Taluan Square. Ms. Wang told reporters that Laos tourism is very distinctive, and the Taluang Festival is very lively, and this trip is very fun. This time, they spent 3 days in Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Vientiane and other places in Laos, and then went to Thailand and other places.
"Laos' characteristic tourism resources mainly include natural scenery, Buddhist culture and folk culture, as well as well-preserved historical sites. Zhang Xiaoyan introduced that Laos is located in the Mekong region, rich in tourism resources, currently has 1,900 tourist attractions, including 1,000 natural attractions, 534 cultural heritage and about 300 historical sites, mainly distributed in Champasak Province, Vientiane Province, Khammouang Province, Phongsali Province, Xayaburi Province and Luang Prabang Province. Tourism is one of the pillar industries in Laos.
Luang Prabang Palace Museum Photo by China Tourism News reporter Xu Wanjia
Situated on the banks of the Mekong River, surrounded by mountains, Luang Prabang has a pristine natural environment and simple people, with a total of 679 historic buildings of preservation value, and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995, with attractions such as the Royal Palace Museum, Xiangtong Temple and Kansai Waterfall.
Located between Phuci Hill and the Mekong River, the Luang Prabang Palace Museum is a palace that combines the classical charm of Laos with the French atmosphere, and displays the historical relics and national cultural relics of the Lancang Kingdom in the past.
A Chinese tour guide of Xiangbang Travel Agency in Laos, studied in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China, and is very fluent in Chinese. According to him, the Royal Palace Museum is one of the must-see attractions in the area. The Luang Prabang Palace was built in 1904 as the residence of King Sisawangphon and his family of the Lancang Kingdom. After the establishment of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in 1975, the royal palace was converted into a museum for visitors to explore.
Vendors at the entrance of the Luang Prabang Palace Museum Photo by China Tourism News reporter Xu Wanjia
"Tourism is the second largest industry in Laos and the fastest growing industry. "Intila Group Green Discovery is a local outdoor adventure travel agency. Chairman Intilad Sawan believes that there are three main aspects that everyone chooses to travel to Laos, the first is the people, the Lao people are simple and the ethnic customs are strong, and tourists can have in-depth exchanges with the Lao people; the second is culture, Laos has a long history, characteristic culture and diverse ecological environment; the third is the world heritage, Laos Luang Prabang, Pakse County Wapu Temple, Chuankhouang Stone Jar Plain and so on are included in the list of world cultural heritage.
"Chinese tourists love shopping, they love entertainment, and a small percentage of them like outdoor adventures, and that's good enough for us. According to Intilad Sawan, the potential of Chinese tourists is "very huge", especially after the opening of the China-Laos railway, and more tourists from China.
Personnel exchanges are frequent, and tourism exchanges are heating up
According to data from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos, in the first nine months of 2023, Laos attracted more than 2.4 million foreign tourists, a year-on-year increase of 285%, of which nearly 480,000 came from China, ranking third among the source countries.
"The international passenger train of the China-Laos Railway has realized the arrival of Kunming to Vientiane, and more and more Chinese tourists have realized the outbound travel by train on weekends. Gong Xiannian, member of the Party Committee and deputy general manager of the Laos-China Railway Company, said that as of October 31, the international trains of the China-Laos Railway have sent more than 78,000 international passengers.
Tourists take a group photo at Vientiane Station of the China-Laos Railway Photo by Xu Wanjia, a reporter from China Tourism News
On November 28, Ms. Xu, the leader of Yunnan Excellence Tourism Group Co., Ltd., who led a group to return by the D888 Fuxing train from Vientiane to Kunming South of the China-Laos Railway, told reporters that after the opening of the China-Laos Railway, tourism to Laos has been welcomed by more and more Chinese tourists. The tour group has a total of 32 people, and the itinerary includes cultural and historical attractions such as royal palaces and temples, as well as natural attractions such as the Blue Lagoon.
Ms. Wang, a tourist from Kunming, is one of the tour group members. She said that the tourist attractions in Laos are very unique and they are very happy. It was also a special experience to be able to experience a Chinese-built railway abroad.
Photo courtesy of Tayuan Waterfall, Champasak Province, Lao Culture and Tourism Center (China).
"I have been involved in tourism since 2014, and since the opening of the China-Laos railway, there have been more and more Chinese tourists. Chinese tour guide Amun said that during the busiest business this year, they were able to receive more than 20 tour groups a day to tourist cities such as Vientiane and Luang Prabang.
Not only that, but more and more Chinese companies are investing in tourism in Laos. Zhang Xiaoyan introduced that the Dongchang Hotel invested by China Machinery Industry Group, the 4000 Mei Island project invested by Guangdong Yellow River Industrial Group, and the Wanda Vista Wanxiang Hotel invested by Wanda Group are all relatively representative projects. Of course, there are also many Chinese travel agencies that have set up branches in Laos.
We will work together to promote connectivity and share development and prosperity
2024 is the ASEAN-China Year of People-to-People Exchanges, and Laos will assume the rotating chair of ASEAN. To further promote tourism, Laos hosted the opening ceremony of the Laos Year of Tourism 2024 on November 23. This is the fourth time that Laos has held the "Lao Tourism Year", with the theme of "Safe Travel to Laos, Auspicious White Elephants Holding Shengsheng to Send Blessings, and Enjoy the Beauty of Culture, Nature and History". During the event, the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos coordinated with relevant central and local departments, government departments and relevant enterprises to identify 79 activities, including 14 national activities and 65 provincial activities. In 2024, Laos plans to receive at least 4.6 million foreign tourists, and tourism revenue is expected to increase to US$712 million.
Aerial view of the ancient city of Luang Prabang Photo by Xu Wanjia, a reporter from China Tourism News
Lao Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Posi Chomaniphon said that tourism plays a driving role in promoting economic growth, sustainable development and establishing closer exchanges and cooperation, and both ASEAN and Laos have listed tourism as a priority area for development. At present, Laos' tourism industry has become the focus of foreign investors, with the potential for further development and investment, and is willing to further strengthen cooperation with China and ASEAN countries to jointly promote connectivity and share development and prosperity.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said that Laos has unique ethnic customs and rich tourism resources, and in recent years, cities such as Luang Prabang and Vientiane have been gaining popularity in the Chinese and international tourism market. The two sides should give full play to the role of the China-Laos Railway in promoting tourism cooperation, operate cross-border tourism trains, jointly use large-scale platforms such as the Expo and the CIIE to promote cross-border tourism between China and Laos, and further promote friendly people-to-people exchanges between the two sides through tourism cooperation.
Luang Prabang Ancient City Restaurant at night Photo by Xu Wanjia, a reporter from China Tourism News
"The China-Laos Railway has many tourist attractions such as the beautiful tropical rainforest natural scenery of Xishuangbanna and the world cultural heritage of Luang Prabang, and in the future, it can enter the metre-gauge railway in Thailand, pass through Bangkok, Hua Hin, Penang and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and then arrive in Singapore, which is expected to recreate the glory of the new Asian Orient Express. Gong Xiannian introduced that the Laos-China Railway Company has planned four industrial parks in the four station development zones along the line, including a new cultural tourism city with tourism and commercial real estate as the core around Vang Vieng Station, and an industrial park with cultural tourism, health care and agricultural deep processing as the core around Luang Prabang Station.
Tuk-tuks can be seen everywhere on the streets of Laotian cities Photo by Xu Wanjia, a reporter from China Tourism News
"Founded in 2019, the Lao Culture and Tourism Center (China) is a comprehensive institution established by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos in Beijing to provide a full range of services in the field of culture and tourism between China and Laos. Zhang Xiaoyan said that in the future, the center will use culture and tourism as a link to further deepen the understanding of Chinese people about Laos, further promote cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, and continuously enhance the friendship between the two peoples.
Author: China Tourism News reporter Xu Wanjia
Original topic: "Mountains and rivers are connected with different scenery, and tourism between China and Laos is heating up"