I witness increasing exchanges between Laos and China:Consul General

Bounliep Houngvongsone (middle)，Lao Consul General in Kunming，shares his story with China and Yunnan on the Consul General New Year Storytelling Concert 2016. Photo by Yu Jiangning

On the evening of January 22, the “I have a date with Yunnan” Consul General New Year Storytelling Concert 2016 was held in Kunming. The event related the experiences of foreign consuls general in Yunnan and China, as well as cultural exchanges between China and other countries. On the occasion, Lao Consul General in Kunming, Bounliep Houngvongsone, also shared his story about China and Yunnan.

For Mr. Bounliep Houngvongsone, the year 2015 was the third year of his tenure as Lao Consul General in Kunming. Over the past three years, he has promoted exchanges between the two countries. Last year, the China-Laos brotherhood entered a new stage. The China-Laos Mohan–Boten Cross-Border Economic Cooperation Zone Common General Plan was signed in the presence of state leaders of both countries and more and more Chinese enterprises have invested in Laos.

When Yunnan Provincial Party Secretary, Li Jiheng, visited Laos in November 2015, he brought with him the Lao version of A Bite of China (a food documentary series), translated by the International Channel of Yunnan Radio and Television Station to the Lao Deputy Premier Somsavat Lengsavad and Lao government departments as gifts. In May 2015, Chen Hao, governor of Yunnan Province, paid a goodwill visit to Laos and witnessed the launching of Laos State Television’s programs entitled Chinese Animation, Chinese Theatre and Chinese Farms. In particular, the Chinese classic cartoon movie Monkey King was introduced to the Lao audience on the Lao National Day, and the Laotian-speaking Monkey King fascinated many children.

In December 2015, the China • Yunnan (English) news special, co-founded by Yunnan Daily Press Group and Laos’ Vientiane Times debuted in Vientiane. The news special introduces Lao readers to developments and changes in China, especially Yunnan, and has built a new cultural bridge for cooperation between the two countries.

With the deepening of the Yunnan-Laos friendship, the life of Bounliep Houngvongsone has changed. He practices the Tao of incense, learns to write Spring Festival couplets and has fallen in love with Chinese culture. Today, the floating incense smoke often adds a Chinese touch to the Lao Consulate General in Kunming.