On April 13, the first anniversary of the opening of the international passenger train of the China-Laos Railway, a total of 700,000 passengers were sent, including more than 180,000 cross-border passengers from 87 countries and regions, with a punctuality rate of 100% and a punctuality rate of 99%.
1 pair of international passenger trains will be added
Xishuangbanna to Luang Prabang is available for day trips
The international passenger train of the China-Laos Railway connects Kunming, Xishuangbanna, Luang Prabang, Vientiane and other famous tourist cities, and implements the operation mode of morning and evening, which greatly facilitates international tourists to visit the cultural monuments and natural scenic spots along the line, and it has become a new fashion to travel through Laos and Yunnan, China by bullet train.
Beijing, Harbin, Shenyang and other cities have adopted the new model of "domestic tourist special train + international passenger train" and successively organized cross-border tour groups from China and Laos to Laos, further expanding the scope of international passenger trains. Over the past year, the occupancy rate of international passenger trains on the China-Laos Railway has maintained a high level, with the highest occupancy rate reaching 100% in a single day, which has ignited the tourism industry in Xishuangbanna, Luang Prabang and other cities, stimulated new consumption momentum, and promoted people-to-people exchanges and economic and trade cooperation between China and Laos.
The railway, customs, border inspection, and local ports of China and Laos have established a mechanism for regular consultations and joint logistics linkage to continuously improve the quality of international passenger train operation. On July 25, 2023, the train timetable of the China-Laos Railway was adjusted, the inspection and customs clearance process was optimized, and the running time of the international passenger train from Kunming South to Vientiane was reduced from 10 hours and 30 minutes at the beginning of the opening to 9 hours and 26 minutes, shortening by more than 1 hour, and since 2024, the number of cross-border seats on the international passenger train of the China-Laos Railway has been increased from 300 to 350. The number of stops has been increased from 8 to 10 stations in Muang Sai, Laos, and the running time of the whole journey has remained unchanged, further expanding the scope of services.
It is worth mentioning that on April 13, the railway departments of China and Laos opened one pair of international passenger trains between Xishuangbanna, China and Luang Prabang, Laos. The additional international passenger trains, the initial operation of the four days of operation according to Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the whole process through Xishuangbanna, Mengla, Mohan, Boten, Mengsai, Luang Prabang 6 stations, including the railway port customs clearance time of the whole journey time only about 5 hours, Xishuangbanna to Luang Prabang can achieve a day trip. According to the cross-border passenger flow, the railway authorities of the two countries flexibly set up cross-border and non-cross-border carriages of EMUs, and sell tickets according to the corresponding sections.
The railway department reminds that at present, railway ports do not have the function of visa on arrival, and cross-border passengers must apply for visas in advance.
Launched China-Laos Friendship Freshly Ground Coffee
Yunnan coffee fragrance wafting "The Belt and Road"
"I didn't expect to be able to drink freshly ground coffee from Yunnan and Laos on the train, which is a great experience. At 8:30 a.m. on April 13, on the first train of the China-Laos Railway Xishuangbanna to Luang Prabang International Passenger Train, college student Zhong Chaoyang placed an order from the "Kuntie +" WeChat mini-program in less than 5 minutes, and a cup of iced coffee containing Sino-Laos friendship was delivered to him.
On this train, passengers can drink freshly ground iced coffee, feel the mellow aroma and time flowing, and open a book while enjoying the rare pleasure and relaxation of busy life. In order to further enrich the travel life of passengers and enhance the riding experience, the Kunming Bureau of China Railway has set up a "mobile café" with the theme of "Coffee All the Way, Reading China and Laos" on the D87/88, D85/86, C384/386, C334/332 and other trains of the domestic section of the China-Laos Railway since April 13, and launched the China-Laos Friendship Freshly Ground Coffee blended with Yunnan small grain coffee and Lao coffee beans.
"Different origins and varieties of coffee beans taste very different. We have selected coffee beans from China and Laos to blend Americano, special coffee (rose) and Pu'er tea coffee, so that passengers can choose according to their preferences. "The staff skillfully operates the equipment, making the coffee, and introducing the types of coffee, how it is brewed, and the characteristics of the taste.
According to the person in charge of the passenger section of the Kunming Bureau of the National Railway, Yunnan is one of the most important coffee-producing areas in China, with a planting area of 1.15 million mu and an annual coffee output of 150,000 to 200,000 tons, accounting for more than 95 percent of the country's coffee output; coffee is one of the most important export agricultural products of Laos, with a national coffee planting area of 390,000 mu and an annual coffee output of 46,000 tons. The China-Laos Railway launched the "All the Way Coffee Fragrance, Reading China and Laos" coffee, which integrates the coffee beans of China and Laos, implying that the friendship between China and Laos will last forever. "The China-Laos Friendship Coffee launched this time is expected to rely on the China-Laos Railway to drive the hot sales of Yunnan small grain coffee and Lao coffee, and the 'railway + coffee' model will build a new industrial channel for coffee farmers in China and Laos to increase their income and get rich. ”
In the next step, according to the demand for coffee, the Kunming Bureau of the National Railway will set up "mobile cafes" on all trains in the domestic section of the China-Laos Railway in the tube, and set up coffee sales points at some stations in Yunnan from April 23, so that more passengers on different lines can taste different China-Laos friendship coffee.
Wang Wei, an international student from Laos, shared the video
Let more Laotians understand China more intuitively
Take the train to Laos, all the way to the scenery of coffee...... Accompanied by rhythmic drums and vibrant music, on April 13, on the first train of the China-Laos Railway Xishuangbanna-Luang Prabang International Passenger Train, Wang Wei, a student from Laos, couldn't help but join the celebration team and dance with the train staff.
"A year ago, I took the first train from Kunming to Vientiane, and I didn't expect to be able to take the first train of the international passenger train from Xishuangbanna to Luang Prabang again a year later, and I was very excited. Wang Wei sighed that the opening of the international passenger train of the China-Laos Railway has made the China-Laos tourism a reality and has greatly shortened the distance between the two peoples.
Five years ago, Wang Wei came to Kunming from Laos to study and became a student majoring in tourism management at Kunming University. After years of study and life, she has become a witness and witness of cultural exchanges between China and Laos.
"I have taken the international passenger train of the China-Laos Railway many times to and fro, met passengers from all over China who traveled to Laos, and also met Lao compatriots who entered China through the China-Laos Railway for tourism, and I can truly feel that the opening of the train has brought unlimited business opportunities to the people of the two countries. Wang Wei introduced that it was precisely seeing the opportunities brought by the China-Laos Railway that she decided to register a tourism company with her friends in Laos to bring Chinese tourists to Laos and Laos tourists to China through the China-Laos Railway, so as to promote better exchanges, exchanges and integration between the people of China and Laos.
On her social media account in Laos, Wang Wei shared her daily life and travel experience through videos, attracting more than 30,000 Lao fans. "Many Laotians don't know about China's tourist attractions, so I will introduce my experience of traveling to Xishuangbanna, Maitreya and other places, so that they can understand China more intuitively. Wang Wei introduced that the opening of the international passenger train of the China-Laos Railway has made it a new choice for the people of China and Laos to travel in Laos and China by train.
In addition to tourism, she also registered and established the China-Laos Railway United Development Co., Ltd. in Laos, which is responsible for providing services for international students between Laos and China. At present, she has helped 11 Lao students to study at Kunming University and more than 30 Chinese students to study at the National University of Laos, contributing to the promotion of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. Wang Wei is also preparing for graduate school, and she plans to continue her studies in China and actively work on people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
Nowadays, the number of stops and trains of international passenger trains on the China-Laos Railway has increased, passengers have more choices, the distance between time and space has been greatly reduced, and the distance between Wang Wei and home has become closer.
Reporter Sun Jianghong, Li Chenghan, Wen Courtesy of Kunming Bureau of China Railway