Vientiane is the capital of Laos, set along the Mekong River near the Thai border. Vientiane Railway Station is northeast of the city center and is the main Lao terminal for Laos-China Railway long-distance services.
Kunming is the capital of Yunnan province and a major rail hub for southwest China. The Vientiane train arrives at Kunming South Railway Station, the city's high-speed rail terminal with metro connections toward central Kunming.