Travel to Jinghong from Kunming by Train: Kunming to Xishuangbanna Speed Train

Bordering with Burma in the south, Jinghong is an important port city linking China with the Southeast Asian countries and regions, having a border line of 112.39 kilometers (70 miles). It covers a total area of 7,000 square kilometers (2,703 square miles), with thirteen towns and 86 villages under its prefecture. Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, PRC, is the only mega-city in Yunnan and the fourth largest city in western China. The transportation between Jinghong and Kunming is very popular. The railway between the two cities has not been opened yet, but now the China-Laos railway is under construction. After the railway is completed and put into operation, it will only take about 3 hours from Kunming to Jinghong city in Xishuangbanna Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, and it is expected to reach  Laos of Vientiane during one day.

China – Laos Railway

China – Laos Railway commenced construction on December 2nd, 2015 and is scheduled for completion by 2022. It will connect Kunming, the capital city of southwestern China’s Yunan Province, with Laos’ capital city, Vientiane. The China – Laos railway project is actually a section of the Kunming-Singapore Railway Project, which connects Kunming with Singapore, passing through Laos, Thailand, and Malaysia. Currently, Laos only has a 2.2-mile-long (about 3.5 kilometers) narrow-gauge railway, which cannot meet the demand of rail passengers and the development of the local economy. When this railway traversing the country is completed, it will first greatly mobilize the development of the Laotian economy, improving its transportation, boosting the tourism industry, and creating more jobs for the locals.

Kunming – Vientiane Train

  • Scheduled Open Time: 2022
  • Designed Speed: 99/124 mph (160/200 km/h)
  • Running Length: 635 miles (1,022 km)
  • Expected Duration: about 10 hours
  • Stations: It is planned that altogether 33 stations will be built along Kunming-Vientiane High Speed Railway, including Kunming South, Kunyang, Jinning East, Huacheng, Baofeng, Yuxi, Yuxi South, Puer, Mohan, Luang Namtha, Udomsay, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane, where passengers can get on and off. When finished, train will be the top choice to travel around Laos as well as to travel between Laos and China.

Laos – China Railway Sections

  • Kunming-Mohan: This section is made up of the Kunming-Yuxi Rail Line and the Yuxi-Mohan Rail Line. The former section is 55 miles (88 km) and has already come into service since December 15th, 2016 with a trip duration of 1.5 hours. The running speed is 124 mph (200 km/h). The latter section is 315 miles (507 km) and has been under construction since 19th, April, 2016; the planned top speed is 99 mph (160 km/h).
  • Mohan (Boten)- Vientiane: The construction of this section began on 2nd December, 2015 and it is scheduled for completion by 2022. The designed speed is 99 mph and the length is 265 miles (427 km). Around 162 bridges and 72 tunnels will be built along the way, accounting for about 60% of the overall length, making it a really difficult project. Among the bridges, two super ones will run over Mekong River, measuring 1334 yards (1,220m) and 1570 yards (1,436 m) respectively. It is estimated that the project will cost about CNY 400 billion, and is jointly funded by Chinese and Laotian governments in the ratio 70% to 30%.

Transportation in Yunnan:

Yunnan Travel by Air

Rail Transport in Yunnan

Roads in Yunnan