On the occasion of the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Laos, to further promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges, foster deeper local integration and enrich employees’ cultural life, the Laos Branch organized a “China-Laos Year of Friendship · Celebrating Songkran Festival” event on April 10. Chinese and Lao employees welcomed the Lao New Year in a joyful and harmonious atmosphere and strengthened their mutual friendship.

Following local customs, the event kicked off with a solemn yet warm baci ceremony. The Branch invited a respected local elder to preside over the ceremony, who placed white cotton threads on a silver tray adorned with fresh flowers, while the employees sat in a circle and listened to the elder’s blessings. The elder then tied the cotton threads, which symbolize good fortune and peace, around the employees’ wrists. The employees then tied threads on each other’s wrists and exchanged blessings, implying that happiness and good luck were tightly “tied” to them.

Then came the water splashing session. Crystal-clear water droplets splashed through the air, accompanied by waves of laughter and joy. Everyone exchanged sincere blessings by splashing water on one another”, bridging distances and deepening friendship in joyful interaction. Kamla, a local employee, emotionally shared that over his 19 years with the company, he had taken part in the annual Songkran Festival celebrations, constantly feeling the care and warmth extended by the company. 

The year 2026 marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Laos, the “China-Laos Year of Friendship”, as well as the Laos Branch’s 30th anniversary of its long-term commitment to the local community. Over the years, adhering to localized operation and the philosophy of “Appreciating the beauty of others and achieving common harmony through shared beauty”, the Branch has actively engaged with local communities through diverse people-to-people exchange and cultural activities built around traditional Chinese and Lao festivals, thereby strengthening employees’ sense of identification with Chinese and Lao traditional cultures as well as corporate culture. Seizing the “China-Laos Year of Friendship” as an opportunity, the Laos Branch will further deepen cross-cultural exchanges and mutual learning, build synergy for common development, and contribute to advancing the company’s high-quality development and fostering an even closer China-Laos community with a shared future.