First cross-border Spring Festival gala takes place on China-Laos train

"The galloping friendship train carries our hope for happiness in the future..." A song titled “Railway enhances China-Laos friendship" was resounding in the D87 train on China-Laos Railway on January 14 morning. 

This train is actually venue of the Spring Festival cultural event under the theme of "singing with joy all the way”. As the first cross-border Spring Festival gala on China-Laos Railway, the event is also the first part of the "One River, One Family" Spring Festival Cultural Exchanges in Laos and Thailand. 

"Sound of Laos", "World Heritage tours along China-Laos Railway", “Love song of packet tossing”, “Visiting Laos by train”...These are among the 50 plus wonderful programs that were performed one by one in the compartments. The performance lasted for more than 4 hours, winning countless applause and laughter from the passengers.

Yan Kemu, descendant of an activist in Yunnan’s ethic unity, Robert, a German travel blogger, Duan Yubo, an instructor at Kunming Railway Vocational and Technical College, Kim, a blogger from Laos, and other guests told their stories of China-Laos Railway live.

When watching the Spring Festival gala, Lao tour guide Soulideth said with joy: "It’s a brand-new experience for me to enjoy musical and magic performances on the train, and the China-Laos Railway tour is getting more exciting."

"This is our first visit to Laos. On the train, we tasted Yunnan’s Pu'er tea and coffee and saw red paper cuts on the window, reminding us of the Chinese new year," said Australian girl Anna, who took the China-Laos train with her German friend to Vientiane, Laos. 

January 14 coincides with the beginning of China’s annual Spring Festival travel rush. Overseas Chinese are rushing back to their home towns for the lunar new year, Southeast Asian students in China are returning to their home countries for winter vacation, and cross-border tourist families and groups between China and ASEAN are emerging. All contribute to the booming travel via China-Laos Railway.

On the occasion of the coming Spring Festival for the year of Snake, international passengers took the China-Laos Railway train full of songs and spring blessings, traveling all the way from Kunming, Yunnan to Vientiane, Laos.

The 2025 "One River, One Family" Spring Festival Cultural Exchanges is sponsored by Publicity Department of the CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee.It is jointly organized by Yunnan Media Group, Yunnan Daily Press Group, Yunnan International Communication Center for South and Southeast Asia, and China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd. 

The 2025 "One River, One Family" Spring Festival Cultural Exchanges in Laos will be launched in Vientiane. The event will feature a dialogue on the China-Laos cultural rail and debut of a special news issue.

Among other things, the top 10 news highlights of Lancang-Mekong Cooperation in 2024 will be rolled out in Bangkok, Thailand on January 17, together with a Spring Festival singing party for the 50th golden anniversary of China-Thailand friendly relations.

A Spring Festival fair for the Lancang-Mekong family will be concurrently open in Laos and Thailand, bringing authentic Chinese flavors to locals and contributing to friendly exchanges in the region.

By YICC reporters