ON TRACK: Vietnamese tourists pose for a photo with a Laos-China high-speed train. Photo courtesy of Dream Team |
By Lương Hương
Just over three years ago, the 300km journey from Laos’ capital city of Vientiane to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang took up to 9 hours on a night bus.
However, this arduous journey, after many bumps and curves on the way, has been significantly reduced to less than 3 hours with the opening of a high-speed railway.
The rail system is the result of a landmark partnership between Laos and China. It is a project that connects China’s “Belt and Road” initiative with Laos’s strategy to transform from a “landlocked” to a “land-linked” country.
The first high-speed line connecting…