29 Dec, 2025

Luang Namtha Welcomes Nearly 1.3 Million Tourists in 2025, Surpassing Expectations

Luang Namtha Province has marked a successful year for tourism in 2025, welcoming a total of 1,290,192 visitors both international and domestic, an increase of 2.86 percent compared to the same period of 2024.Somsawat Namintha, Deputy Head of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Luang Namtha Province, reported that among these visitors, 970,760 tourists entered via international checkpoints and 136,410 via the Laos-China Railway.A major factor driving the province’s rise in tourist numbers was a series of vibrant cultural festivals. These included the Akha Swing Festival, Hmong New Year, Rocket Festival, and Boat Racing Festivals in Nalae and Viengphoukha districts, which drew both domestic and international visitors and generated over USD 40 million in revenue.Key highlights of 2025 also featured the Forest Trekking and Boat Trip Festival in the Nam Ha National Protected Area, which promoted sustainable tourism and environmental conservation. In addition, Luang Namtha enhanced its international profile by participating as the “City of Charm” at the 22nd China-ASEAN Expo 2025 in Nanning, China, in September.In addition, the province earned two ASEAN-standard awards for excellence in Community-Based Tourism (CBT) and public sanitation. Strategic projects included designating the Luang Namtha Paddy Fields as a cultural and tourism site.Currently, Luang Namtha has 433 tourism business units, with total investment exceeding LAK 504 billion (about USD 23 million ). Provincial authorities have focused on inspecting and regulating services, particularly improving the central provincial market and ensuring compliance with standards to guarantee service quality.Looking ahead, the province aims to attract 1,441,568 visitors in 2026, generating around USD 45 million in revenue, while continuing to enhance sustainable tourism development.

25 Dec, 2025

Laos Section of Laos-China 500kV Power Interconnection Reaches 80% Completion

The Lao section of the Laos-China 500-kilovolt (kV) power interconnection project has reached 80 percent completion, one of the country’s most important cross-border energy infrastructure projects in northern Laos.Vilaxay Xayluangsy, a technical officer from Electricité du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDL-T) under the Construction Department, confirmed the milestone during an interview with Lao state media on 19 December at Namor 3 Power Station in Namor district, Oudomxay Province.The project is being developed in two phases. EDL-T is responsible for the Lao section, while China Southern Power Grid (CSG) manages the Chinese section, which includes a 145-kilometer, 500kV transmission line from Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture to the Lao border.This interconnection is expected to support major renewable energy developments in northern Laos, including the 1,000-megawatt solar power project in Oudomxay Province, which was inaugurated on 13 December. Phase I of the solar facility is projected to generate 1.7 billion kilowatt-hours annually, with electricity transmitted to China’s Yunnan Province through the new interconnection.Beyond these bilateral benefits, the project will enhance power system stability, facilitate clean energy exports, and strengthen Laos’ electricity connections with neighboring countries, including Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar.Once completed, the Lao government said the Laos-China 500kV interconnection will be a cornerstone in its plan to position the country as a regional clean energy hub in the Lancang-Mekong region.Project BackgroundConstruction of the Lao section began in late February 2025, following an official launch ceremony in Vientiane Capital. The project is expected to be completed by April 2026, with full operations scheduled to commence later that year.The Lao section encompasses Oudomxay and Luang Namtha provinces and includes construction of a new 500kV substation in Namor district. This substation will connect to Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province, China, via a 183.5-kilometer cross-border transmission line.Once operational, the interconnection will enable two-way power assistance of up to 1.5 million kilowatts and facilitate transmission of approximately 3 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, enough to power millions of households for an entire year.