Int’l tourist shipping launched on Lancang-Mekong river

An international tourist ship runs on the Lancang-Mekong River.

The Lancang-Mekong international tourist shipping service was recently rolled out at Jinghong wharf in south Yunnan’s Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture.

Now tourists can board a ship from China's Jinghong to Thailand's Chiang Saen, then transit to Thai city Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang in Laos via other means of transport.

 

Mr. Zhao and his wife talk with a Thai reporter working in Yunnan.

"I love planning the trip, while my wife prefers surprises along the way," said Mr. Zhao, a Sichuan native who was traveling with his wife, adding they’ll try Thai tom yum soup and Lao coffee during their 3-nation tour.

Thanks to the Chinese 240-hour visa-free transit for international tourists and the 144-hour visa-free entry for tourist groups from ASEAN to Xishuangbanna, more tourists are expected to enter China through the Lancang-Mekong water route.

 

Typical Thai dishes

Sights of Luang Prabang in Laos

Xishuangbanna received 433,900 overseas tourists from January to August 2025, a year-on-year increase of 223.4%.

Reporting by Shu Wen and Li Wenjun; Trans-editing by Wang Shixue