China-Laos Railway uplifts local tourism and employment

Right direction: A street market in Vientiane. Over the past two years, the Laos-China Railway Co has handled 24.2 million passenger trips and transported 29.1 million tonnes of cargo, according to China’s railway operator. — AFP

VIENTIANE: At the age of 20, Lao girl Bounmee has already become the breadwinner for her family. As the chief conductor of a bullet train on the China-Laos Railway, she now earns a salary way more than her peers.“My parents are so proud of me,” she said in fluent Chinese.

After high school, she went to study Chinese in the hope that language skills could help her land a high-paying job, and the launch of the China-Laos Railway on Dec 3, 2021 helped her hard work pay off.