Yunnan railway museum traces century of tracks linking China to Southeast Asia
Source: China Daily | 2026-05-20 | Editor:Jennifer
Visitors view historical photographs of the railway at the Yunnan Railway Museum in Kunming, Yunnan province, on May 18. [Photo by Yan Yujie/chinadaily.com.cn]
More than a century of railway development in Yunnan has transformed the province from an inland frontier into a gateway linking China with Southeast Asia, officials and experts said at an event marking International Museum Day on Monday.
The event was held at the Yunnan Railway Museum in Kunming, where exhibits traced the province's railway history through photographs, artifacts, and vintage locomotives.
Wang Xin, deputy general manager of China Railway Kunming Group, said the museum connects the stories of three landmark railways: the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, which began operations in 1910; the Chengdu-Kunming Railway, completed in 1970; and the China-Laos Railway, launched in 2021.
A diverse collection of vintage trains is on display at the Yunnan Railway Museum on May 18. [Photo by Yan Yujie/chinadaily.com.cn]
"The museum not only preserves and carries forward railway industrial heritage, but also serves as an important platform linking the past, present, and future, while promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning," Wang said.
Song Na, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, said relics such as steam locomotives are tangible witnesses to exchanges among civilizations and serve as links connecting historical memory with cultural resonance.
Yunnan's railways have brought tangible benefits to neighboring countries. Inthavong Phaphonepheng, a Laotian student at Kunming Railway Vocational and Technical College, said that the China-Laos Railway has made travel more convenient and significantly contributed to his country's economic development.
"Today, I attended a lecture on the crucial role museums play in preserving cultural heritage and fostering international exchange," she said. "It gave me a greater understanding of Chinese history and culture, and inspired me to become an ambassador for Chinese culture."
You May Like
-
Take a dynamic testing train on China-Laos railway
On November 5, the dynamic test work was declared complete after a dynamic testing train arrived at Mohan station departing from Kunming station. The next step ...
InKunming 2021-11-10 -
New high-speed railway facilitates transportation in Hechi
A new high-speed railway between Yunnan's Kunming and Fujian's Xiamen which will pass through Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has entered the planning stage.
InKunming 2021-03-30 -
Tunnel along China-Laos railway bored through
A tunnel along the railway connecting China and Laos was drilled through Saturday, according to China Railway 15 Bureau Group Co., Ltd.
InKunming 2021-01-04 -
Meter-gage railway facilitates Sino-Vietnam trade amid COVID...
Freight trains on a meter-gage railway line connecting southwest China's Yunnan Province and Vietnam have made 1,558 trips this year.
InKunming 2020-12-23 -
The number of passengers transported by Yunnan railway has e...
According to China Railway Kunming Group Co.,Ltd., the total number of passengers sent by Yunnan railway reached 40.046 million between January 1 and December 1...
InKunming 2020-12-14 -
All 35 tunnels completed on 202-km Dali-Lincang railway
Construction of the last of the 35 tunnels on a 202-km railway linking Dali and Lincang in southwest China's Yunnan Province was completed Thursday, marking sub...
InKunming 2020-09-11 -
Construction going well on China-Laos railway
Construction of the Kunming-Vientiane Railway to link China and Laos is proceeding smoothly, according to the company in charge of the project's Chinese secti...
InKunming 2020-08-25 -
China builds railway arch bridge with world's longest span
InKunming 2018-12-11 -
Sino-Thai railway to connect Kunming and Bangkok within one ...
InKunming 2017-08-23 -
Trains of "Spring City" high-speed-railway lines began opera...
InKunming 2017-02-24
