*Thelaunchofthecross-borderpassengerserviceoftheChina-LaosRailway,amajorpartofthetrans-Asianrailwaynetwork,hasbeenhailedasahistoriceventforLaos,asthelandlockedcountryhasrealizeditsdreamofbecomingaland-linkedhubintheregionandbeyond.

*ThonglorDuangsavanh,editor-in-chiefoflocaldailyVientianeTimes,saidthatthecross-borderpassengerservicewillgreatlypromoteLaos"nationalsocio-economicdevelopmentandfacilitatepeople-to-peopleexchangesbetweenthetwoneighbors.

*AsofFriday,3,049passengertrainshavebeenrunningontheLaosectionoftheChina-LaosRailway,carrying2.22millionpassengers.Thisyear,834passengertrainshavebeenrunning,transporting778,000passengers.Theaveragepassengerloadratereached97.85percent,andthehighestdailycountofpassengersamountedto10,197onMarch4.

(资料图)

VIENTIANE,April17(Xinhua)--Bounthavy,ayoungmanfromthetouristcityofLuangPrabanginnorthernLaos,feltabustlingauraoftheLaoNewYearnotseenforyearsinhishometown.

HeattributedittotheChina-LaosRailway,whichlaunchedthecross-borderpassengerserviceonThursdaytoshortenthetraveltimebetweenKunming,thecapitalofsouthwestChina"sYunnanProvinceandtheLaocapitalVientianeto10andahalfhours.

HISTORICEVENT

"IfeelproudtoseethechangestheChina-LaosRailwayhasbroughttomyhometown!"saidBounthavy,whohasbeenworkingasaninterpreterduringtheconstructionoftheChina-LaosRailwaystations.

Tourists,hesaid,areswarminginfortheLaoNewYearholiday,andhotelsinLuangPrabangareoperatingatfullcapacity.Manyofhisfellowvillagersapplaudedthedevelopmentandchangesbroughtbytherailway,expectingabrighterfuturefortheirhometown.

Laostaffmembersgreetpassengerstakingthefirstcross-borderpassengertrainfromKunming,thecapitalofsouthwestChina"sYunnanProvince,toLaocapitalVientianeattheBotenStationoftheChina-LaosRailwayinLuangNamtha,LaosonApril13,2023.(Xinhua/XingGuangli)

Thelaunchofthecross-borderpassengerserviceoftheChina-LaosRailway,amajorpartofthetrans-Asianrailwaynetwork,hasbeenhailedasahistoriceventforLaos,asthelandlockedcountryhasrealizeditsdreamofbecomingaland-linkedhubintheregionandbeyond.

Therailwaywillnowbecomea"goldenkey"forLaostoconnectwithChinaandothermembersoftheAssociationofSoutheastAsianNations(ASEAN),whichwillgreatlybenefittheChina-ASEANFreeTradeAreaandtheGreaterMekongSubregionEconomicCooperation.

PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLEEXCHANGES

OntheD888trainthatdepartedThursdayfromVientianeforKunming,Alounsack,aLaopassengerwhotookhisfamilytoKunmingfortheLaoNewYearholiday,wasmorethanexcitedtobeoneofthefirst-daypassengers.

Thefirstcross-borderpassengertraindepartingfromtheLaocapitalVientianetoKunming,thecapitalofsouthwestChina"sYunnanProvince,runsontheGanlanbabridgeoftheChina-LaosrailwayinXishuangbannaDaiAutonomousPrefectureinYunnanProvince,April13,2023.(Xinhua/ShanYuqi)

"IwouldliketoinviteLaopeopletocometotakethishistorictraintoChina,toseetheircountry,andinviteChinesetovisitLaosthroughtherailwaythatwejointlydevelop,"hesaid,beamingwithhappiness.

Souklati,astaffmemberwhoperformedLaotraditionalsinginganddancingforpassengers,saidshefelthappyandproudtobecomepartoftheevent.

"Theopeningofthiscross-borderrailwayisveryimportantbymakingitconvenienttotravelinternationally.Studentsortourists,theyhaveanotherwayoftraveltochoosefrom.Itwillhelptheeconomy,transportation,trade,tourismtoflourish,andtherewillbemorepeoplecomingandgoing,"shesaid.

"Cross-borderpassengerserviceontheChina-LaosRailwaywillsupporttheLaogovernment"spolicytotransformitselffrombeingalandlockedcountryintoalandlink,asaregionaloneorevenaglobalone,"saidKhampheuyPhilapha,directorgeneralofLaoNewsAgency(KPL).

ThonglorDuangsavanh,editor-in-chiefoflocaldailyVientianeTimes,saidthatthecross-borderpassengerservicewillgreatlypromoteLaos"nationalsocio-economicdevelopmentandfacilitatepeople-to-peopleexchangesbetweenthetwoneighbors.

"ThatmayberecordedinthehistorybookofcooperationbetweenLaosandChina,"saidSuanesavanhVignaket,theLaoministerofInformation,CultureandTourism,onthefirstdayofthecross-borderpassengerservice.

FLOURISHINGTOURISM

InnorthernLaos"touristtownofVangVieng,localssplashedwatertocelebratetheLaoNewYearinthescorchingAprilsun.

Despiteitsimpressivelandscapessuchaskarstterrainandstrangecaves,VangVienghaslongbeenlittleknowntotheoutsideworldforlackoftransportation.

"SincetheopeningoftheChina-LaosRailway,itonlytakesonehourtotravelfromVientianetoVangVieng,andtheticketpriceischeaperthanthatofthebus.ThenumberoftouristscomingtoVangViengistwoorthreetimesthatofthepast,"saidVangViengstationpassengerdutyattendantAnhsamayGnommilavong.

Duringthenewyearholiday,theticketofficeswerecrowdedwithpassengersatthestationsofVientianeandVangVieng.Someweregoinghomeforfamilyreunions,somevisitingtouristsites,andtherewerealsotouristscomingfromEuropeandAmerica.

PassengersenterstheVientianeStationoftheChina-LaosRailwayinVientiane,Laos,April15,2023.(Xinhua/XingGuangli)

ACanadiantouristwiththefirstnameofMichael,toldXinhuaatVangViengStationthatthiswasthesecondtimehehadtraveledtoLaoswithhisfamily.

"LasttimeweonlyvisitedVientianeduetoinconvenienttransportation.NowwiththeconvenientandcomfortableChina-LaosRailway,wecantravelaroundnorthernLaos.Ibelievethisjourneywillbeverypleasant,"hesaid.

StatisticsfromtheLaoMinistryofInformation,CultureandTourismshowthatsincetheChina-LaosRailwayopenedonDec.3,2021,ithasactivatedtheLaotourismeconomy,as85percentoftouristsfromVientianetoLuangPrabanghavechosentotakethetrain.

AsofFriday,3,049passengertrainshavebeenrunningontheLaosectionoftheChina-LaosRailway,carrying2.22millionpassengers.Thisyear,834passengertrainshavebeenrunning,transporting778,000passengers.Theaveragepassengerloadratereached97.85percent,andthehighestdailycountofpassengersamountedto10,197onMarch4.

Vignaket,theLaominister,toldXinhuathatwiththesupportofthetwogovernments,theLaos-ChinaRailway,alandmarkBeltandRoadproject,hasturnedfromablueprintintoareality,whichwillgodowninthehistoryofbilateralcooperation.

LiuHong,generalmanagerofLaos-ChinaRailwayCo.Ltd.,saidtherailwayisjustastartingpoint.Theirondragon,carryingthefriendship,dreamsandhopesofthetwopeoples,isspeedingtowardsabrighterfuture.(Videoreporters:HeChunhao,DingYiquan,WangAnhaowei,ZhangJianhua,LinHao,SunYi,Phouthaphone,JiangSai,SunMin,ZengWei;Videoeditors:YangZhixiang,ZhangYuhong,ZhouSa"ang,LiuRuoshi)■