Gala spices up Kunming-Vientiane train ride

Passengers on board train D87 connecting China and Laos were blown away by a special gala during their ride.

More than 50 vibrant performances including singing and dancing, musical instruments, magic shows and acrobatics added a great deal of spice to the rail ride from Kunming of Southwest China's Yunnan province to Vientiane of Laos on Jan 14.

The gala was hosted by the publicity department of Yunnan and kicked off a series of Spring Festival cultural events from China to Laos and Thailand, which lasted until Saturday.

The four-hour-long gala elicited continuous applause and laughter from passengers.

Pongdong Paxaphacdy, consul general of the Consulate General of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in Kunming, says he already felt like celebrating Spring Festival on the train with other passengers.

"It's a very meaningful event," Paxaphacdy says.

The day marked the start of the Spring Festival travel rush, with a high influx of passengers on the China-Laos Railway. This surge is driven by Chinese nationals returning home, family short trips and group tours from Southeast Asia.