China-Laos Railway ignites travel passion in retired Malaysian teacher

Decades ago, Yang Piyuan’s grandfather migrated by a junk from southeast China’s province of Fujian to Malaysia, a Southeast Asian country he calls home today. Now Yang himself , driven by his ancestry, has the passion in exploring different regions of China, with a special affinity for the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan. Yang recently took the train for the second time. This round he crossed the border from Moding (Boten) in Laos to Mohan in south Yunnan; and then onto Xishuangbanna, China's 2400 square kilometers gem of rainforests.

In December of 2018, Yang went traveling in China's Tibet autonomous region, which neighbours Yunnan. As one who enjoys travelling by rail, he did not think that any other train ride could come close to the one via the highest rail in the world—the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. But his thought changed last year, when he took the China-Laos Railway from the capital Vientiane to Vang Vieng.

The Vientiane Railway Station

The railway—one of the many projects that China carries out with participating countries under the Belt and Road Initiative—began operations in December 2021. It connects Southeast Asia with the city of eternal spring—Kunming in Yunnan province.

However, the volunteer teacher in his retirement was only able to travel to Laos after the country lifted its pandemic restrictions in May, 2022.

Like the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the China-Laos Railway has also left an indelible impression on him, but of a different sort. The China-Laos Railway has facilitated and fostered friendships, something which is difficult to place an emotional and materialistic value on.

The Vang Vieng Railway Station of China-Laos Railway

When Yang boarded the train at the Vientiane Railway Station, he was delighted to see a horde of tourists heading to Vang Vieng and Luang Prabrang. Just like him, many of the tourists were thrilled to ride the China-Laos Railway.

He arrived at Vang Vieng about an hour later. Vang Vieng is a picturesque town with rustic villages about 120km north of Vientiane. Before the Railway and the China-Laos Highway were completed, the journey would have taken three to four hours. The road in the past was winding and very dangerous when wet. With the new infrastructure, locals and visitors alike could travel quickly, comfortably and much more safely.

The Vang Vieng Railway Station

A Lao mobile app had made it convenient for him to book train tickets. The app brought back wonderful memories for him. He appreciated the ease of purchasing train tickets in China and now he felt really good that he could do the same in Laos.

He was greeted by Morlor, a project coordinator, who was in charge of a local remote school. The coordinator had to ensure the smooth running of the classes so that the children of the village could get their English lessons. Morlor belongs to the ethnic group Hmong. In China, “Miao” is a more commonly used term. The Miao is one of the largest ethnic groups in China’s Yunnan.

Morlor, a project coordinator, rides on a tractor.

For the fortnight Yang was there, he had the great company of two other volunteer teachers, in addition to Morlor.

One of the other volunteer teachers comes from Spain. The other is from the Netherlands. Till today, all of them are still keeping in touch and sharing their latest ventures. Without the China-Laos Railway, this relationship would not have come to fruition.

One evening, when classes were in progress, a French family of teachers dropped by. They participated in the teaching process and donated some books. The next day, the French family left for Luang Prabrang, a UNESCO world heritage site. They were there to give away more books. The China-Laos Railway had expedited their travel and transport of books from one part of Laos to another.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Luang Prabrangis made much more accessible by the China-Laos Railway.

On July 14, 2022, when Yang was staying in Vang Vieng, a newspaper in Malaysia printed the article "Luang Prabrang is top favourite with Thai tourists".

A line from the article stated: "Since the Laos-China Railway became operational, more people from Thailand and other countries have come to Laos to experience a new mode of travel through the country."

Fast forward to May 26, 2023, the Japan-based Nikkei Asia published the article that bore the title: High-speed rail to China a 'source of pride': Laos president.

One would usually associate scenic beauty, charm and relaxation with train rides. The China-Laos Railway delivered all of that, and much more, for the volunteer teacher. As for people-to-people friendship, the international rail nurtures relationships by bringing together individuals from different parts of the world. Just as much, if not more important, the railway also instills a sense of self-esteem among the people of the two nations.

Reporting by Yang Piyuan; Editing by Mo Yingyi; Photos provided by Yang Piyuan