As of May 21, only the remaining 100 meters of Jingzhai Tunnel, the last tunnel to be constructed on the China-Laos Railway, was yet to be completed, marking that all of the tunnels along the line would be holed through soon.

Jingzhai Tunnel stretches 9,509 meters long in Menghan Town of Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, reaching 711 meters at its deepest point. The local complex geological conditions, abundant groundwater, and fault development make it a Class I high-risk tunnel with high ground temperature, high ground stress, sudden mud and water surges, and large deformation of soft rocks, which caused safety risks and difficulties in construction.

After it is put into service, the 1,000-km China-Laos Railway will end Xishuangbanna’s history of being inaccessible by train, and passengers from the provincial capital Kunming can reach Jinghong in about three hours, and arrive in Vientiane in Laos within the same day.