How
the 中老铁 China Laos-Railway affects the lives of many
people
Vientiane Railway Station
During the difficult two years, the children had to solely depend on a very hardworking Laotian Hmong coordinator and his teaching assistant for their classes. Only in mid-June of 2022, did a British couple join the project. This kickstarted Sae Lao's re-enrolment of volunteer teachers. One of the contributions the young couple did was to paint an eye-catching "VOLUNTEERS NEEDED" signboard.
the front of the not-for-profit restaurant and project site
Less than a month later, that signboard beckoned yet another young couple - one from The Netherlands and the other, Spain - both on summer vacation to heed the call. Many events and random acts of kindness tugged at my heartstrings at the site. To see how the children of this community respond to this dynamic pair was one such experience.
On one evening when classes were in progress, a French family of teachers dropped by. They participated in the teaching process and donated some books. Surprised that they had lugged books all the way from France, I asked them what had prompted them to do so. They told me they had been informed that some children in Luang Prabrang (their next destination on the following day) would welcome additions to their library. Not many would contest the argument that without the train, books would not have been so easily transported by generous volunteers from one part of Laos to another. Luang Prabrang, which lies about 120km north of Vang Vieng, became a topic of interest among people back home when I was at Sae Lao. A newspaper in Malaysia printed an article with the title "Luang Prabrang is top favourite with Thai tourists". I would like to quote a line from the article: "Since the Laos-China Railway became operational, more people from Thailand and other countries have come to Laos to experience a new mode of travel through the country." I can attest to the fact that many Thai tourists are indeed visiting Laos.
In my writing to China Daily in August
2018 Charting China's
reform and opening -up,
I mentioned that I was touched by the sight of
Chinese undergraduate students teaching English
in Siem Reap, Cambodia. This time my emotions
are stirred by Laotian children (with support
from their parents) eager to learn the Chinese
language, in addition to English. Even the
Coordinator who communicates well in English
wants to be able to converse in Chinese.
I shared some 汉语Hanyu words with them, and also
with the energetic and kind-hearted couple,
during my stay there. And I left this "calling
card" on the blackboard of the Coordinator's
office.
Vientiane Railway Station
I was only able
to travel to Laos after the country lifted
its restrictions in May 2022. One of my
objectives was to ride the 中老铁 China
Laos-Railway train. I would soon discover
that it was the goal of many other
travellers, as well, during my two-week stay
in Laos. The other aim of going to
Laos again was to teach voluntarily in Vang
Vieng.
Vang Vieng is a picturesque town with rustic villages about 120km north of Vientiane. A recently launched Lao mobile app made it convenient for me to book train tickets. The safe, smooth and reliable journey from the capital to the town took about an hour. This would unlikely have been achieved if not for the railway.
arrival at Vang Vieng
The Sae Lao Project site, situated about 7km from the town of Vang Vieng, would become my home for twelve days. The project provides free education for the children of the community (comprising of no less than four villages). Situated in tranquil and enchanting surroundings, this previously well-run community project has been hit hard by how the rest of the world managed the virus.
Vang Vieng is a picturesque town with rustic villages about 120km north of Vientiane. A recently launched Lao mobile app made it convenient for me to book train tickets. The safe, smooth and reliable journey from the capital to the town took about an hour. This would unlikely have been achieved if not for the railway.
arrival at Vang Vieng
The Sae Lao Project site, situated about 7km from the town of Vang Vieng, would become my home for twelve days. The project provides free education for the children of the community (comprising of no less than four villages). Situated in tranquil and enchanting surroundings, this previously well-run community project has been hit hard by how the rest of the world managed the virus.
students
studying on a platform above a
pond
that is also used as a restaurant
that is also used as a restaurant
During the difficult two years, the children had to solely depend on a very hardworking Laotian Hmong coordinator and his teaching assistant for their classes. Only in mid-June of 2022, did a British couple join the project. This kickstarted Sae Lao's re-enrolment of volunteer teachers. One of the contributions the young couple did was to paint an eye-catching "VOLUNTEERS NEEDED" signboard.
the front of the not-for-profit restaurant and project site
Less than a month later, that signboard beckoned yet another young couple - one from The Netherlands and the other, Spain - both on summer vacation to heed the call. Many events and random acts of kindness tugged at my heartstrings at the site. To see how the children of this community respond to this dynamic pair was one such experience.
Julia
and Bob are post-graduate students
On one evening when classes were in progress, a French family of teachers dropped by. They participated in the teaching process and donated some books. Surprised that they had lugged books all the way from France, I asked them what had prompted them to do so. They told me they had been informed that some children in Luang Prabrang (their next destination on the following day) would welcome additions to their library. Not many would contest the argument that without the train, books would not have been so easily transported by generous volunteers from one part of Laos to another. Luang Prabrang, which lies about 120km north of Vang Vieng, became a topic of interest among people back home when I was at Sae Lao. A newspaper in Malaysia printed an article with the title "Luang Prabrang is top favourite with Thai tourists". I would like to quote a line from the article: "Since the Laos-China Railway became operational, more people from Thailand and other countries have come to Laos to experience a new mode of travel through the country." I can attest to the fact that many Thai tourists are indeed visiting Laos.
Sae Lao is
surrounded by mountains, pools and caves
During the weekend, I climbed up to one
of the many peaks of this alluring region. Along
the way up, I was encouraged by fellow hikers.
They inspired this old man with a walking stick
to soldier on. An hour after they reached the
top, I finally got to the viewpoint. A
spectacular landscape beheld the climbers of Nam
Xay. Among the sights was a pair of twin peaks
that, to me, looked like a smaller version of
the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Fanjingshan.
It was nonetheless breathtaking.
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