Train attendant on China-Laos Railway witnesses gratifying changes, growing friendship

Yi Bofeng, a Chinese train attendant on the China-Laos Railway, which connects Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province with Lao capital Vientiane, has witnessed the positive changes and increasingly deep friendly ties between China and Laos since the opening of the railway.

Yi Bofeng, a Chinese train attendant on the China-Laos Railway, poses for a photo at the platform of the Kunming South Railway Station in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Lyu Shuai)

Yi majored in Applied Lao Linguistics at a university in Kunming, and also studied at the National University of Laos in Vientiane. Her experience of studying in Laos enabled her to better learn the language, culture, local conditions and customs of the country, and sowed the seeds of serving as a "messenger of friendship" between China and Laos in her heart.

After graduating from college in 2021, Yi was employed by China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd., and became a train attendant on the international train crew of the China-Laos Railway.

As a native of the Dai ethnic group in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, Yi has been fluent in both the Chinese and Dai languages since childhood. She can communicate with passengers in Mandarin Chinese, English, Dai language, Thai, and Lao.

While her identity has been transformed from a local resident into a train attendant, Yi has experienced how the China-Laos Railway has improved the transportation conditions and lives of people in both countries.

Yi is from Jinglong village, Mengman township, Mengla county, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. During her years in college, she needed to travel more than 500 kilometers from her hometown to Kunming, which meant a 10-hour bus ride, since there was no railway to her hometown then.

Photo shows a group photo of Yi Bofeng and her Lao teachers and classmates. (Photo courtesy of Yi Bofeng)

"The farthest place people of the generation of my grandmother have ever been to is Jinghong city, Xishuangbanna," Yi said, explaining that due to inadequate transportation, many residents of Xishuangbanna could hardly travel outside of their hometown before the China-Laos Railway started operating.

On April 13, 2023, the China-Laos Railway was officially put into service, bringing convenience to local residents' travel while driving the development of the local tourism industry.

"Now it's so convenient to go home. It only takes me three to four hours to travel between my hometown and Kunming by train," Yi said.

Since the railway started operating, both freight and passenger transportation have been booming in Xishuangbanna, according to Guo Shan, deputy head of the transport bureau of Xishuangbanna.

With the continuous improvement in the support facilities of the railway, regions along the railway have seen a steady momentum in economic development, Guo added.

A train runs on the China-Laos Railway. (Photo courtesy of China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd.)

As of June 30, the railway had handled a total of 17.3 million passenger trips, as shown by data from the China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd.

Turning Laos from an landlocked country into a land-linked hub, the railway has also brought tangible benefits to Lao people.

According to Yi, her Lao teachers used to have to rely on intercity buses and private cars for travel between Vientiane and Luang Prabang in Laos, and that took about 10 hours. "Since the China-Laos Railway was opened, the two cities have only been two hours away from each other by train," she said.

The China-Laos Railway has made it more convenient for Lao people to visit their family, relatives, and friends. Yi often sees Lao families take train rides together. Feeling a natural affinity with Lao people, she always tries her best to help them, including interpreting train safety instructions and announcements for them.

The railway has also facilitated the efforts of Lao people to get a better understanding of China. During this summer vacation, many Lao tour groups traveled to Xihuangbanna by the railway, with each train carrying up to over 200 cross-border passengers, Yi said.