Lao-China Railway 中老铁路
October 27, 2024
We embarked on a journey from Luang Prabang to Kunming, China, via the Lao-China Railway (LCR). This travel route was carefully planned as an opportunity to try a unique means of crossing the border into China. The idea of experiencing this relatively new railway was intriguing, and we looked forward to the adventure.
Before heading to the train station, we witnessed the almsgiving ceremony once more. On our way back, we stopped at the morning market and indulged in a fried cake reminiscent of a childhood treat—a delightful way to start the day.
The drive to the train station, however, was less pleasant. The road was extremely bumpy, as though the train station had been built without considering infrastructure upgrades for access. Upon arrival, our driver dropped us off at the ground-level parking lot. With the elevators and escalators out of service, we had no choice but to lug our bags up the stairs—a less-than-ideal beginning to our railway experience, especially for a station only a few years old.
The train itself, operated by the Yunnan Railway Company, was fully booked. We traveled in a first-class cabin predominantly filled with foreigners carrying bulky luggage that cluttered the hallways. The remaining seats of other coaches were occupied by Chinese tourists. The total journey time was approximately seven hours, including one hour border procedures at both the Laos and China checkpoints.
The border crossing was a tedious process. At the Laos checkpoint, we had to disembark with all our belongings, exit the station, and pass through Laos customs and immigration before re-boarding. Shortly after, the train stopped at the Chinese border station, where we repeated the process. Chinese customs, however, were significantly slower, taking about 40 minutes. By the time we cleared the formalities, we were the last passengers to rejoin the train. While the train ride itself was smooth and enjoyable, the inefficient border procedures made the experience far from seamless. This was enough to dissuade us from attempting another cross-border train journey in Asia.
Arriving in Kunming, however, made up for the challenges of the day. The city’s clean streets and pleasant atmosphere left us with an excellent first impression, making us eager to explore its charm.
2024年10月27日
我们从老挝琅勃拉邦乘坐中老铁路（LCR）前往中国昆明，旨在尝试一种独特的跨境方式。中老铁路作为一条较新的线路让人颇感好奇，我们对这次体验充满期待。
出发前，我们再次观看了清晨的布施仪式。和昨天一样，僧侣们的钵盆迅速装满米饭，然后就倾倒进街边设置的垃圾桶中，这一幕真的让人不忍心。等到仪式结束我们才看到这些食物并未被浪费，而是由组织者和小贩重新销售，这才让我们稍稍宽慰了一些。然而，这种对神圣传统的过度商业化，整个仪式像是一场为游客安排的表演，而非真正的宗教实践让人感到心情沉重，不禁思索：在这个受旅游业深刻影响的时代，是否还有未被改变的纯粹传统？
返回途中，我们在早市停留，品尝了一种油炸小点心，味道让人想起童年的记忆。
前往火车站的路途并不那么顺利。路面颠簸不平，仿佛火车站修建时并没有考虑道路的升级。到达后，司机将我们放在地面停车场。由于电梯和自动扶梯都无法使用，我们不得不提着行李爬楼梯——对于一个才启用几年的车站来说，这是一次不尽如人意的开始。
高铁由云南铁路公司运营，我们乘坐的是一等座车厢，车厢满员。我们因为不是起点站上车，又正好有一组老挝学生去中国，已经几乎包了我们整节车厢，我们上车时行李架早已被大量行李占满，大件行李将过道都堵得水泄不通，感觉不是很舒适。从琅勃拉邦到昆明的总旅程时间约为七小时，其中包括在老挝和中国边境各一个小时的通关手续。
边境通关过程既繁琐又耗时。在老挝边检站，我们需要携带全部行李下车，经过老挝的海关，办完出境手续后再返回列车。上车不久列车抵达中国边检站，我们再次重复这一过程。然而，中国的通关效率更低，当我们完成入境手续返回列车时，已经是最后一批乘客。尽管列车运行平稳，服务也还不错，但边境通关的低效让整个体验远非无缝顺畅。这次经历也让我们以后不太愿意再尝试亚洲的跨境列车了。
到达昆明之后，等办完酒店入住手续就已经是晚餐时间了。去了前台推荐的一家本地餐厅，终于吃上了美味地道的中国菜，好好地享受了一下。
昆明的美丽弥补了旅途中的种种不如意。整洁的街道和宜人的氛围给我们留下了极好的第一印象，让人迫不及待地想探索它的魅力。
