As the Spring Festival approaches, the China-Laos Railway is seeing an increasing number of international travelers eager to experience traditional Chinese New Year customs.
Data from the Mohan Exit-Entry Border Inspection Station shows that since the start of the Spring Festival travel rush period on February 2, the railway checkpoint has processed over 9,600 inbound and outbound travelers over the past week. Among them, more than 1,300 were nationals from 33 countries and regions – a year-on-year increase of more than 30 percent.
On peak days, inbound international arrivals exceeded 130 a day, accounting for more than 20 percent of daily entries.
With China’s expanding visa-free arrangements, the cross-border railway continues to see steady growth of inbound foreign tourists, drawn by cultural immersion, culinary experiences and festive celebrations.
At the border inspection station, international travelers expressed their strong interest in Chinese culture, and delivered their new year wishes.
"We are very looking forward to the Chinese New Year. While we know a little bit about it but of course we would like to learn more. For example, we know that a lot of events are going on and maybe fireworks, and that all families have a small tradition to give a red envelope with money to bring good luck, and that every year they celebrate another year of an animal, and this year it will be the Year of the Horse," said Van Der Meer Sara Janne, a tourist from the Netherlands.
"We hope to see a lot of the traditions. We also contacted our host, and she will help us and explain where we can go, what we can see in the neighborhoods," said Van Mil Larice, another tourist from the Netherlands.
"Last year, I was lucky enough to spend the Chinese Spring Festival in Hainan – memorable experience for me. People were pleasurable, really interesting, fantastic time. I must remember on the night fireworks, all day long fireworks. May I wish a happy New Year in a prosperous 2026 to all Chinese people," said Walton Gary John, a tourist from the UK.
China-Laos railway sees increasing number of int'l travelers ahead of Spring Festival
A new Type 055 guided-missile destroyer, the Dongguan (Hull 109), recently completed its first maritime training at the waters of the East China Sea after commissioning to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy.
During this combat-oriented training exercise, the Dongguan not only completed single-vessel training subjects such as navigating through narrow waterways and damage control, but also coordinated with other warships in the formation to conduct joint operation drills, including maritime assault missions, at-sea replenishment, and multi-domain coordinated strikes.
With the improved performance of weaponry and equipment, the software and hardware of the Dongguan are vastly different from those of previous vessels. Sailors onboard the warship said that it's much more well-equipped and responsive.
"The Dongguan can now observe farther and hear more clearly. From detecting the target to launching strikes, it may take only a few seconds. However, seeing farther and wider also brings exponentially more interference factors. This requires us to practice and observe more frequently to accumulate experience, so as to enable rapid identification and efficient response," said Guo Tian, a lieutenant onboard the Gongguan.
In addition to diversified subjects with a clear combat focus, the Dongguan also faced challenges posed by harsh weather conditions during the training exercise. The crew remained at their posts throughout the process, demonstrating exceptional skills in maneuvering the vessel.
"To accelerate the combat readiness of the vessel, we participated fully in the testing and trial navigation missions from the very beginning of taking over the ship. The very first power trial navigation was independently completed by our own crew. Throughout this process, we not only learned how to operate the ship, but also understood the working principles behind its operation. This has laid a solid foundation for our combat-oriented training and equipment maintenance," said Zhang Chen, a helmsman onboard the Dongguan.
"During this maritime training exercise, we adhered to a problem-oriented approach. By creating complex settings and simulating real combat scenarios, we thoroughly tested the quality and effectiveness of the integration of trial and training during the equipment handover period, while systematically validating the combat effectiveness of the new equipment. Next, we will further optimize deployment, consolidate our foundation, strengthen coordination and cooperation, actively integrate into formation and group training, and continuously enhance the vessel’s comprehensive combat capabilities," said Shen Kai, commanding officer onboard the Dongguan.
The Type 055 destroyer is the fourth-generation destroyer independently developed and built by China. As one of the Chinese PLA Navy's most advanced surface warships, it carries advanced radar, universal vertical launch systems, and comprehensive radio frequency system, serving as the core the naval fleets for far-sea missions.
The Dongguan was commissioned to the PLA Navy together with another Type 055, the Anqing (Hull 110). With these additions, the number of China's Type 055 10,000-ton-class destroyers has risen to 10 since the first Type 055 destroyer Nanchang (Hull 101) was commissioned in 2020.
China's newly commissioned Type 055 destroyer Donggaun completes 1st maritime training
