Yunnan railway museum traces century of tracks linking China to Southeast Asia

A view of the Yunnan Railway Museum in Kunming, Yunnan province. Photo/Yunnan Daily

More than a century of railway development in Yunnan has transformed the province from an inland frontier into a gateway linking China with Southeast Asia, officials and experts said at an event marking International Museum Day on Monday.

The event was held at the Yunnan Railway Museum in Kunming, where exhibits traced the province's railway history through photographs, artifacts, and vintage locomotives.

Wang Xin, deputy general manager of China Railway Kunming Group, said the museum connects the stories of three landmark railways: the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, which began operations in 1910; the Chengdu-Kunming Railway, completed in 1970; and the China-Laos Railway, launched in 2021.

A vintage train head is on display at the Yunnan Railway Museum. Photo/Yunnan Daily

"The museum not only preserves and carries forward railway industrial heritage, but also serves as an important platform linking the past, present, and future, while promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning," Wang said.

Song Na, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, said relics such as steam locomotives are tangible witnesses to exchanges among civilizations and serve as links connecting historical memory with cultural resonance.

Yunnan's railways have brought tangible benefits to neighboring countries. Inthavong Phaphonepheng, a Laotian student at Kunming Railway Vocational and Technical College, said that the China-Laos Railway has made travel more convenient and significantly contributed to his country's economic development.

"Today, I attended a lecture on the crucial role museums play in preserving cultural heritage and fostering international exchange," she said. "It gave me a greater understanding of Chinese history and culture, and inspired me to become an ambassador for Chinese culture."