At 8:8 am on the 3rd, Kunming South Railway Station.

Facing the rising sun, train D87 slowly pulled out from platform 17 and accelerated towards Vientiane, Laos. On this day, the China-Laos Railway celebrates its third anniversary of its opening and operation.

When President Xi Jinping met with General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and President Thongloun in Kazan in October this year, he pointed out that both sides should continue to make the China-Laos railway bigger and stronger, promote the construction of the China-Laos Economic Corridor, and create a cooperation model in jointly building the "Belt and Road".

In the past three years,"from smooth to smooth, from smooth to fast, and fast to prosperous", the China-Laos Railway has sent more than 43 million passengers and transported 48.3 million tons of cargo. The international "golden channel" has surged with vitality. This transportation artery, which embodies the wisdom and deep friendship of the people of China and Laos, has become a vivid example of high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" and is surging with strong power to promote economic integration, cultural exchanges, and regional progress.

Prosperity of passenger transport leads a new trend of international exchanges

In winter, Laos welcomes the "golden season" of tourism, and a travel feast across national borders is being staged.

"I have always wanted to go to Luang Prabang, a tourist resort in Laos. This time I finally have to realize it. I am very happy." In the No. 4 carriage of train D87, passenger Li Yue from Kunming and her friends excitedly looked at the map of Laos on the tablet computer and looked forward to the upcoming trip to Laos.

Kunming, Yuxi, Pu 'er, Xishuangbanna in China; Boten, Luang Prabang, Vang Vinh, Vientiane in Laos... The China-Laos Railway connects more than 560 tourist attractions along the route, weaving colorful travel pictures for tourists.

On April 15, 2024, at the Luang Prabang Station of the China-Laos Railway, Laos, station staff took a group photo with passengers. Published by Xinhua Agency (Photo by Yang Yongquan)

Traveling in both directions, the popularity of the China-Laos railway continues to increase. Statistics from China State Railway Group Corporation show that the monthly passenger volume of China-Laos Railway has increased from 600,000 in the early days of its opening to the current 1.6 million.

Flying forward, the "Steel Dragon" continued to run out of "acceleration". Starting from April 13, 2023, the China-Laos Railway will operate international passenger trains, and the distance between Kunming and Vientiane will be accessible on the same day by train; starting from April 13 this year, international passenger trains from Xishuangbanna to Luang Prabang, Laos will also officially operate.

On April 13, 2023, the China-Laos Railway will operate international passenger trains. The D888 "Lancang" train departing from Vientiane Station in Laos runs on the Ganlanba Bridge of the China-Laos Railway in Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Photo by Xinhua Agency reporter Shan Yuqi

"We have operated more than 1500 international passenger trains on the China-Laos Railway, providing convenient cross-border travel services to approximately 360,000 cross-border passengers from more than 100 countries and regions." Zhang Ping, director of the customer service center of China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Company, said that the China-Laos railway has become the first choice for passengers along the route.

"My home is in Vientiane, Laos, and my children are studying in Kunming. They can arrive on the same day by train. It is convenient for my children to go home, and my old mother has also realized her wish to visit China." Lao passenger Susawan said.

On February 14, 2024, tourists took the China-Laos Railway International Passenger Train at Kunming South Railway Station to prepare for a trip to Laos. Photo by Xinhua Agency reporter Hu Chao

On November 19, the China-Laos Railway Cities Alliance was established. The launching cities of the alliance were Kunming City, China, and Vientiane City, Laos. The first batch of alliance members also included Yuxi City, Pu 'er City, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Chengdu City, Chongqing City, and Urumqi City of China. Nanta Province of Laos and Luang Prabang City, Laos. Ten representatives jointly signed the memorandum.

"The China-Laos Railway City Alliance will promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations between China and Laos, and weave a denser cooperation network. While expanding the international influence of the two countries 'cultures, we will further strengthen the value core of a' community with a shared future.'" said Ma Yong, honorary director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Yunnan Province Academy of Social Sciences.

Yang Junmei, an employee of China Railway Eighth Engineering Bureau, watched the live broadcast of the third anniversary of the opening and operation of the China-Laos Railway on her mobile phone, and her thoughts drifted back to 2019. At that time, she was participating in the construction of the China-Laos Railway in Huifulai Village, Menga County, Oudomxay Province, Laos, and forged friendship with local villagers. "At the end of this year, I will take the China-Laos Railway to Laos to visit them." Yang Junmei said.

The relationship between countries lies in the mutual friendship between the people, and the mutual friendship between the people lies in the mutual connection between their hearts. Taopai Chantanahin, Deputy Consul General of Laos in Kunming, said that the international passenger trains of the China-Laos Railway have greatly promoted cultural dissemination and exchanges along the railway and further promoted friendly exchanges between the two countries.

Prosperous freight transportation, expanding the logistics and transportation landscape

At noon on the 3rd, an international cargo train on the China-Laos Railway "Lanmei Express Line" entered China from Laos and arrived at Mohan Station. In just 5 minutes, the train successfully received the order to release it.

After the China-Laos Railway was put into operation, economic and trade cooperation along the route has become closer. Mohan Town, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, is an important hub of this "golden channel." In April 2022, Kunming City will fully manage Mohan Town and take the lead in launching the "Railway Express" model to shorten customs clearance time at the Mohan Railway Port and improve the level of trade facilitation.

The reporter saw at the Mohan Railway Port that digital management was applied to the freight yard, and staff remotely operated driverless vehicles through the command center to improve work efficiency and reduce operating costs. Zili, secretary of the Party branch of Mohan Station, said: "In the past, manual operations were very time-consuming, but now through digital means, customs clearance time has been greatly shortened."

Since the opening of the China-Laos Railway three years ago, freight time costs and logistics costs between China and Laos have dropped significantly, and bilateral economic and trade cooperation has continued to deepen. In 2023, the bilateral trade volume between China and Laos will reach US$7.1 billion, a year-on-year increase of 26.6%.

"The China-Laos Railway has transformed Laos from a 'land-locked country' to a 'land-linked country.' It is a very precious gift." Sipeng Gong Champain, director of the Lao Lang Nam Tha Provincial Special Economic Zone Management Committee, requires frequent exchanges and consultations with China's Mohan. He said that he hopes that the construction of the China-Laos Mohan-Mohan Economic Cooperation Zone and the development of Mohan will transform transportation advantages into development advantages to better drive the development of both sides.

This is a scene of Mohan taken on December 3, 2024 (drone photo). Photo by Xinhua Agency reporter Chen Xinbo

Data released by Kunming Customs shows that in the first 11 months of this year, Kunming Customs supervised the import and export of 4.34 million tons of goods through the China-Laos Railway, with a value of 16.81 billion yuan. Both figures have exceeded the whole of last year.

"After the opening of the China-Laos Railway, the sales of dried cassava slices in Laos have increased significantly in China. Lao people are willing to grow cassava. This year's cassava seedlings are even more difficult to find." Hu Shengli, safety technical director of Laos Tongda International Logistics Co., Ltd., said that the China-Laos railway has benefited the Lao people.

On January 1, 2022, the China-Laos Railway's first international cargo train in the New Year loaded with 30 standard containers (front) departed from Kunming to Vientiane, Laos (drone photo). Photo by Xinhua Agency reporter Hu Chao

In September this year, the first China-Laos-Thailand multimodal transport "one-order" freight train departed in Kunming, Yunnan, directly along the China-Laos Railway to Vientiane, and then transported by road to the Thai wholesale market, achieving full "door-to-door" transportation. It took only 3.5 days. "Consumers in China eat better quality durian, Thai companies and farmers share market opportunities, and the lives of people along the route continue to improve." Pan Jiaoling, director of operations of Thailand Shibida International Logistics Co., Ltd. said.

Industrial upgrading stimulates new economic vitality along the route

On the China-Laos border, the China-Laos Mohan-Boding Economic Cooperation Zone is a busy scene of tower cranes and heavy traffic. Projects are accelerating and industries are rapidly gathering.

"With the China-Laos Railway, we are full of confidence in the development of Mohan." Wang Yi, general manager of China Railway Yunnan Construction Investment Co., Ltd., said that since 2023, the company has continued to increase the scale of investment in Mohan and actively participated in the Digital Economy Industrial Park, Nanpo International Industrial Demonstration Park, Industrial Management Center and Mohan China Railway Plaza. The construction of key projects will help the high-quality development of Mohan International Port City.

All the way through, all industries prosper. The China-Laos Railway has increasingly become a "golden business card" for local investment promotion, injecting surging vitality into the prosperity and development of the regional economy.

In China, Yuxi City relies on the China-Laos Railway to give full play to the advantages of logistics supply chain organization, industrial chain construction and industrial cluster development, vigorously develop a complex urban economy and cultivate hundreds of billions of industries; Pu 'er City continues to promote the construction of bases such as characteristic biology, modern forest industry, leisure and vacation, and has achieved significant growth in Pu' er tea, coffee and other industries; Xishuangbanna Prefecture has promoted the construction and strengthening of seven key industries, including culture, tourism, health care, rubber, and Pu 'er tea, and achieved a significant increase in comprehensive output value.

On December 1, 2024, the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Pu 'er City, Yunnan Province organized staff of the city's song and dance troupe to hold a welcome event at Pu' er Station of the China-Laos Railway to celebrate the third anniversary of the opening and operation of the China-Laos Railway. Photo by Xinhua Agency reporter Chen Xinbo

In Laos, the Vientiane Saiseta Comprehensive Development Zone has attracted 154 companies from 9 countries and regions including China, Japan, the United States, and Malaysia, with an annual output value of more than US$2 billion; the Bodin Special Economic Zone focuses on investment in trade logistics, cultural tourism and other industries, and 891 companies have signed up to enter the park, with a cumulative investment of US$1.04 billion.

At the changing yard of Vientiane South Station, containers are hoisted from China standard-gauge trains on one side of the changing yard and are firmly loaded on meter-gauge trains on the other side of the changing yard. After the hoisting is completed, the meter-gauge train will head south to Thailand.

Du Zhigang, director of operations of Laos-China Railway Company, told reporters that after the replacement yard of Vientiane South Railway Station was normalized, the transportation cost from Kunming, China, to Linchaban Port in Thailand via Vientiane, Laos, was reduced by more than 20%.

According to statistics, the China-Laos-Thailand Railway is closely interconnected, completing a total of 342 direct transportation of "China-Laos-Thailand" trains and reloading of 159,000 tons of cargo. It has also promoted the transportation of cross-border goods such as Thai agricultural and sideline products and rubber to China through the China-Laos Railway.

On August 5, 2024, a train loaded with cargo left Vientiane Station and headed for Kunming, China (drone photo). Published by Xinhua Agency (Photo by Yang Yongquan)

The "dragon" is flying and bursting with vitality.

Today, the China-Laos Railway has become a golden logistics channel connecting China with South Asia and Southeast Asia. It not only achieves interconnection with the New Western Land-Sea Corridor and China-Europe freight trains, but also shortens the direct railway transportation time from Laos, Thailand and other countries to Europe to 15 days, greatly promoting inter-regional trade and economic cooperation.

Standing at a new starting point, this "Steel Silk Road" that is as beautiful as mountains and rivers will continue to benefit the people along the route, allowing people to gain prosperity from the prosperity of trade and enhance friendship through the integration of cultures.

Written reporters: Fan Xi, Ding Yiquan, Lu Junyu

Video reporters: Wang Anhaowei, Ding Yiquan, Lu Junyu, Han Yige

Poster design: Ma Development

Coordinator: Du Yu, Wang Naishui, Yu Qiongyuan, Ren Zhenglai, Gao Xinxin, Xiao Leitao