At the China–Laos border town of Mohan, immigration officers demonstrated on 5 February how new ‘express channels’ equipped with facial recognition and e-passport kiosks can process each traveller in about one minute—seven seconds per automated gate plus ancillary checks. (edehong.com)
The Mohan facility, which serves the China–Laos Railway, has become a showcase for Southwest China’s digital-border initiative. Officials expect the number of cross-border rail passengers to double during the 40-day Chunyun period, fuelled by overseas Chinese returning from Laos, Thailand and Malaysia as well as backpackers drawn to Yunnan’s warm climate.
![One-minute clearance: Yunnan’s Mohan railway port showcases smart border for Spring-Festival peak]()
Whether you’re a business traveller ticking off multiple Southeast Asian destinations or a backpacker riding the new rail line, sorting out entry documents ahead of time remains crucial. Online services such as VisaHQ can help you confirm visa requirements, submit applications for China, Laos and neighbouring countries, and track approvals in one place, saving precious time on the road. Check out https://www.visahq.com/china/ for details on how the platform supports seamless cross-border itineraries.
To manage the surge, the station has re-configured its hall so that manual counters can be converted to e-gate banks in under two minutes, while multilingual ‘robo-guides’ patrol the queue to help first-time users. The National Immigration Administration is collecting performance data to decide whether to replicate the system at Hekou (Vietnam border) and Ruili (Myanmar border).
For travel managers whose assignees transit between China and mainland Southeast Asia, the faster rail option offers a viable alternative to limited regional flights, particularly during peak travel seasons when airfares spike. The smart-border model also aligns with Beijing’s goal of creating a fully paperless immigration experience by 2028.
The Mohan facility, which serves the China–Laos Railway, has become a showcase for Southwest China’s digital-border initiative. Officials expect the number of cross-border rail passengers to double during the 40-day Chunyun period, fuelled by overseas Chinese returning from Laos, Thailand and Malaysia as well as backpackers drawn to Yunnan’s warm climate.
Whether you’re a business traveller ticking off multiple Southeast Asian destinations or a backpacker riding the new rail line, sorting out entry documents ahead of time remains crucial. Online services such as VisaHQ can help you confirm visa requirements, submit applications for China, Laos and neighbouring countries, and track approvals in one place, saving precious time on the road. Check out https://www.visahq.com/china/ for details on how the platform supports seamless cross-border itineraries.
To manage the surge, the station has re-configured its hall so that manual counters can be converted to e-gate banks in under two minutes, while multilingual ‘robo-guides’ patrol the queue to help first-time users. The National Immigration Administration is collecting performance data to decide whether to replicate the system at Hekou (Vietnam border) and Ruili (Myanmar border).
For travel managers whose assignees transit between China and mainland Southeast Asia, the faster rail option offers a viable alternative to limited regional flights, particularly during peak travel seasons when airfares spike. The smart-border model also aligns with Beijing’s goal of creating a fully paperless immigration experience by 2028.
