Multilingual train conductor witnesses growing China-Laos ties

Zhao Yingjing, chief conductor of the China-Laos Railway, has been in charge of the line after it started operation on Dec 3 last year.

Zhao, who attended a university in Thailand, is fluent in Thai, English and Chinese, and she taught Lao herself to better serve the international passengers on the railway.

Take the current railway travel rush for example, many of the passengers are tourists to Yunnan, and the China-Laos railway has also stimulated the tourism development in the province, said Zhao.

As per statistics, it used to take 8 hours from Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, to Xishuangbanna, a well-known tourist attraction, by bus, but now the time has been shortened to 3.5 hours after the railway opened.

As of July 28, the China-Laos Railway has transported a total of 5.3 million passengers, significantly boosting the economic and social development of areas along the line.