The whistle of the Central Laos Railway broke through the morning mist, and an international passenger train slowly left Kunming Station. In the carriage, British photographer Thomas Heaton was holding a camera and looking out of the window eagerly. This journey from Kunming, China to Vientiane, Laos was not only a transnational journey, but also an exploration journey to unlock the old friendship and development code.

Thomas Heaton, a British photographer, started a transnational travel between China and Laos. He took the China Laos railway international passenger train from Kunming, China, to Vientiane, Laos, recording what he saw and heard along the way, and feeling the cultural customs and development context of China and Laos. During the trip, Thomas Heaton systematically learned about the construction process of the China Laos Railway, deeply participated in and experienced the railway operation and maintenance work, personally walked into 7 towns and villages in China and Laos, felt the local beautiful scenery, traditional culture and social trends at a close distance, and captured the significance of the connection between the China Laos Railway and the two countries with the camera.

In Kunming, the first stop of the trip, Thomas Heaton successively entered the bustling Zhuanxin Farmer's Market, witnessing the scene of Southeast Asian fruits entering Chinese families through the China Laos railway; Go deep into Pu'er Tea Mountain and explore the inheritance and rebirth of the ancient Tea Horse Road in the railway era; Explore logistics centers and operation and maintenance systems to uncover the balance between efficient operation and ecological protection on this' Steel Silk Road '. The visit ended with the "Friendship Tunnel" symbolizing the friendship between China and Laos, vividly demonstrating how railways have become a link that carries dreams and promotes common prosperity.Editor/Gong Ziwei