Editor's note: Amity between the people holds the key to sound state-to-state relations. China Daily will come out with a series of stories highlighting Chinese cities' special connections with sister cities, mutual understanding, trust and friendship between peoples of different countries and cultural backgrounds, and shining light on "city diplomacy".

A very special dish in a restaurant in Kunming has those who love good food licking their chops as they wait to be served. When the food arrives, the very sight of the crushed lemon grass that envelops minced pork, as well as the aroma that accompanies it, provides a foretaste of what's to come.

Everything has been grilled over charcoal and is served with a special sweet, spicy sauce all the way from Laos, about 500 kilometers away. The taste sensation begins with the delicate texture of the roasted pork, enhanced by the rich, savory sauce, followed by the citrus aroma of the lemon grass.

"Lemon grass is commonly grown in Kunming, but people here had never encountered this unique way of presenting it," said Fan Junfeng, founder of the restaurant, Sabaidee Lao Kitchen, in Kunming Old Street in the Yunnan capital.

This delicacy, the lemon grass chieftain skewers, was once a hidden recipe in the villages of Laos but has now become a part of Kunming restaurant fare.

However, there is a lot more to the relationship between the city and Laos than lemon grass skewers, thanks in part to the China-Laos Railway that opened three years ago.

Fan, 31, is one of 43 million passengers who have benefited from the high-speed link, allowing travel from Kunming to Vientiane, the capital of Laos, in 10 hours, and allowing him to explore local markets, night bazaars and, of course, the local restaurant fare.

For Teng Hailin, the general dealer of Beerlao in China, the railway has solved major issues with cross-border logistics. Before the railway opened, Beerlao's products being transported from Vientiane to the border needed at least four days to make the journey, she said.

"During the rainy season, the roads in mountainous Laos would be muddy, and beer bottles were often damaged. Sometimes. The trucks even overturned. In heavy rain, we generally lost 30 to 40 percent of the cargo.

"Now, with the railway, we can transport goods directly from Vientiane to Kunming and then distribute them to supermarkets in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou."

Just as those Lao lemon grass skewers have become de rigueur in Kunming, Lao coffee, hot pot and beer have also become a regular part of the city's dining scene. In fact, enjoying rice noodles in Kunming in the morning and sipping coffee in Vientiane in the afternoon has become a lifestyle for some thanks to the railway link, underlying the growing friendship between the two cities, which established a twin-cities relationship in 2011.

Despite the geographical proximity between the two cities, a mere 820 kilometers apart, the towering mountains and rugged terrain have long hindered communication between them. For thousands of years, these mountains only bore the footprints of wild elephants and the occasional caravan of horses carrying goods.

Friendly exchanges

Five years after the sister-cities ties were established, work on building the China-Laos Railway began, and since it opened in 2021, its trains — with a green livery that symbolizes nature and hope — have flourished, promoting friendly exchanges and deepening the long-standing friendship between Laos and Yunnan. When a railway station was being built in 2019 near the home of Khamphilom Vannaphone, a young woman in Vientiane, one of eight stations on the railway line, her parents' thoughts turned to China when they pondered the career prospects of her and her siblings. Eventually, she enrolled to study tourism management at Kunming University and her siblings enrolled to study international economics and trade at Yunnan Normal University in Kunming.

Now, Vannaphone, 33, is not only living in Kunming but has become a veritable cultural ambassador, promoting ties between the two cities and between Laos and China.

When the China-Laos Railway officially opened on Dec 3, 2021, Vannaphone filmed a video of the trip and posted it on the internet, sparking a wave of interest in traveling to China by train.

"The video got 1.08 million views, and don't forget that the population of Laos is less than 8 million," Vannaphone said. "I got a lot of comments from Laos and Thailand."

Vannaphone has become a full-fledged travel vlogger and has used her video skills to tell the world about the beauty of Dianchi Lake in Kunming, Xishan Mountain and Yunnan food.

Cross-border tourism

Cross-border tourism produced by the railway has created many jobs in Laos, she said, adding flourishing business for hotels, restaurants and travel agencies has given a significant boost to local tourism and increased incomes for people.

"Experiencing the China-Laos Railway has become one of the most sought-after activities for Lao tourists," she said. "I hope to use my lens to help people from Laos understand China, and vice versa."

The similarities in the environments and cultures of Kunming and Vientiane add to the aura of their intimacy.

Since the China-Laos Railway's opening, the daily passenger traffic has risen from 20,000 to a peak of 100,000; the number of cross-border cargo trains running each day has risen from two to 18; and the number of countries and regions represented by inbound and outbound passengers has risen from just over 20 to more than 100.

Saonakhone Thongmixay, director of Chinese-language studies at the National University of Laos in Vientiane, said that in Laos the demand for those with Chinese-speaking skills has surged in recent years. The Ministry of Education and Sports of Laos has supported schools offering Chinese-language courses where possible.

In 2021, when the railway opened, the university had 60 students in its Chinese-language program — out of 2,953 applicants. The Chinese language has become the most popular subject among students registering for the university's bachelor's degree entrance exams, Thongmixay said.

Inthavong Phaphonepheng, 23, a Lao student at Kunming Railway Vocational and Technical College, said, "The average monthly income in Laos is $100 to $150, but if you speak Chinese your income can double."

The number of Lao students studying in Kunming continues to grow. Vannaphone said this year alone she helped more than 10 Lao students enroll at Kunming University and helped more than 30 Chinese students studying at the National University of Laos.

Yunnan is the destination of choice for young people in Laos who wish to study in China, said Tang Zhiying, deputy of the International School at Yunnan Minzu University in Kunming. Among full-time international students, Lao students account for a significant number and are one of the largest source countries.

Lao students tend to pursue international economics and trade, tourism management, and journalism and media, Tang said. After graduating, they generally work in industries related to China-Laos trade, tourism and education.

Huang Muxia, associate professor and Lao-language director in the School of Foreign Languages at Yunnan Minzu University, said: "With closer ties between the two countries, students' enthusiasm for learning the Lao language has increased. The employment rate for Lao-related jobs is high, and many Chinese graduates choose to develop their careers in Laos. The geographical advantage makes it natural for Yunnan to offer this undergraduate program."

Mandarin interest

Yunnan Minzu University was one of the first tertiary institutions in China to establish a Lao language and literature program, in 2003.

When Huang graduated in 2002, the Lao language was still a niche subject. Now 10 public universities in China offer Lao-language programs, training nearly 200 students a year. Six of these universities are in Yunnan, with three of them in Kunming.

Anouphab Tounalom, party secretary of Vientiane and president of the Vientiane People's Council, said education and language learning are becoming increasingly important in promoting economic, trade and tourism collaboration, as well as in deepening the friendship between the sister cities, he said.

Chinese-language training should not only benefit Lao government workers but also reach more young people in Laos, he said.

"We encourage more Lao people to learn Chinese and seize opportunities to pursue higher education in China. Language and education are the bridges that bring our two cities closer as good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good partners."

The Mayor of Kunming, Liu Jiachen, said, "Kunming has historically been an open and inclusive city, as well as an important transportation hub connecting both domestic and international regions."

Kunming aims to work with all sides to promote friendship, deal with cross-border transportation problems and develop a multinational transportation network along with the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.

Last month, Kunming and Vientiane set up a 10-city alliance that aims to improve the international competitiveness of cities and provinces along the China-Laos Railway through better regional transportation connectivity and logistics.

【编者按】国之交在于民相亲。本报今起推出"外国友人说"系列报道，讲述友城交往故事，展现各国民众之间的相互了解、信任和友谊，为推进民间外交汇聚更多友好力量。

在昆明一家餐厅里，有一道非常特别的菜肴，让一众食客垂涎欲滴。当这道菜端上桌时，包裹着碎猪肉的香茅草碎和扑鼻而来的香气让人食指大动。所有食材都用炭火烤制，搭配从500公里外的老挝运来的特制甜辣酱。烤肉的鲜嫩口感与浓郁的酱汁相得益彰，最后以香茅草的柑橘清香收尾。

"香茅草在昆明很常见，但人们从未见过这种独特的呈现方式。"昆明老街"萨巴蒂老挝厨房"餐厅创始人范俊峰说。这道名为"香茅草酋长烤肉串"的美食，曾经是老挝村寨的秘制配方，如今已成为昆明餐桌上的佳肴。

不过，得益于三年前开通的中老铁路，昆明与老挝的缘分远不止于香茅草烤肉。31岁的范俊峰是中老铁路开通以来4300万人次旅客中的一员。这条铁路让昆明至万象的行程缩短至10小时，使他得以深入当地集市、夜市，遍尝老挝美食。

对于老挝啤酒中国总经销商滕海琳而言，铁路彻底解决了跨境物流难题。她介绍，铁路开通前，从万象运输到边境的老挝啤酒至少需要四天。"雨季时老挝山区道路泥泞，啤酒瓶经常破损，有时货车甚至会侧翻。大雨天通常要损失三四成货物。现在通过铁路运输，我们可以从万象直达昆明，再分拨到北京、上海、广州的商超。"

正如老挝香茅草烤肉成为昆明新宠，老挝咖啡、火锅、啤酒也逐渐融入当地餐饮版图。得益于这条铁路，"早上在昆明吃过桥米线，下午到万象喝咖啡"成为新的生活方式，见证着这对2011年缔结友城关系的城市日益紧密的联结。

虽然两地直线距离仅820公里，但崇山峻岭长期阻隔交流。千百年来，这些山脉只留下野生象群的足迹和零星马帮的蹄印。

自结好五年后启动建设，到2021年正式通车，象征自然与希望的"绿巨人"动车组飞驰在群山之间，推动着中老友好交往，续写着滇老千年情谊。2019年，当中老铁路万象站开建时，当地姑娘康派·万纳冯的父母开始为子女谋划前程。最终，她考入昆明学院旅游管理专业，弟妹则进入云南师范大学学习国际经济与贸易。

如今，33岁的万纳冯不仅定居昆明，更成为名副其实的文化使者。当中老铁路2021年12月3日通车时，她拍摄的乘车视频引发网络热潮。"视频获得108万次观看，要知道老挝人口还不到800万。"万纳冯说，"我收到大量来自老挝和泰国的留言。"这位全职旅游博主用镜头向世界展示滇池、西山和云南美食，她说铁路带动的跨境旅游为老挝创造了大量就业岗位，酒店、餐饮、旅行社的繁荣显著提升了当地旅游收入。"体验中老铁路已成为老挝游客最向往的行程之一。我希望能用自己的镜头帮助老挝民众了解中国，反之亦然。"

昆明与万象相似的气候环境和文化特质，更添亲近之感。中老铁路开通以来，日客运量从2万人次攀升至最高10万人次；跨境货运列车从每日2列增至18列；出入境人员来源地/目的地从20余个国家和地区扩展至100余个。

万象国立大学中文系主任萨那空·通米赛介绍，近年老挝汉语人才需求激增，教育与体育部支持有条件学校开设中文课程。2021年铁路通车时，该校中文专业在2953名报考者中录取60人，中文成为最热门的报考专业。正在昆明铁道职业技术学院留学的23岁老挝学生因塔旺·帕蓬佩说："老挝月均收入约100至150美元，会说中文收入就能翻番。"

在昆老挝留学生数量持续增长。万纳冯表示，仅今年她就协助10余名老挝学生入读昆明高校，帮助30多名中国学生赴万象国立大学深造。云南民族大学国际学院副院长唐志英介绍，云南是老挝青年留学中国的首选，全日制留学生中老挝生源占比显著，是主要生源国之一。老挝学生多选择国际经济与贸易、旅游管理、新闻传播等专业，毕业后多从事中老贸易、旅游、教育等行业。

云南民族大学外国语学院老挝语专业负责人黄慕霞副教授表示："随着两国关系日益紧密，学生学习老挝语的热情高涨。老挝语相关专业就业形势良好，不少中国毕业生选择赴老挝发展。云南的地缘优势使其天然具备开设该本科专业的条件。"该校2003年即开设老挝语本科专业，属国内首批。黄老师2002年毕业时老挝语还是冷门专业，如今全国已有10所公办高校开设老挝语专业，年培养近200人，其中6所在云南，3所在昆明。

万象市委副书记、市人民议会主席阿努帕·杜纳洛表示，教育和语言学习对促进经贸旅游合作、深化友城情谊愈发重要。"中文培训不仅要惠及政府工作人员，更要覆盖更多老挝青年。我们鼓励更多老挝民众学习中文，把握赴华深造机遇。语言与教育是让两座友城亲上加亲的金桥。"