Boten
Boten
ບໍ່ເຕັນ 磨丁 | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Boten | |
| Coordinates: 21°11′03″N 101°40′19″E / 21.18413°N 101.67202°E | |
| Country |  Laos |
| Province | Luang Namtha |
| Time zone | UTC+7 (ICT) |
| Website | www |
Boten (Lao: ບໍ່ເຕັນ, pronounced [bɔ̄ː.tèn]; Chinese: 磨丁) is a town in Laos in Luang Namtha Province. Boten is on the China–Laos border. It is opposite the Chinese town Mohan.[1]: 129 While Boten is part of Laos, most of its inhabitants speak Mandarin Chinese as their native language. Boten operates on Beijing time.[1]: 130
Economy
[edit]Boten allows the use of both the Lao kip and the Chinese yuan.[1]: 130
The Boten special economic zone is under development.[1]: 129 The town is seeking to transition from its former gambling focused economy to one focused on logistics and tourism.[1]: 130
Transport
[edit]After 5 years of construction, in December 2021 both the Vientiane–Boten Railway and Yuxi–Mohan railways opened, connecting the town south towards Vientiane and towards Kunming, China to the north. Boten is the northernmost Lao town on the 414 km railway, with 198 km of tunnels and 62 km of bridges, that runs at an operating speed of 160 km per hour. The town is served by Boten railway station.
Casino
[edit]
In 2002, a big casino was built in Boten. The casino mainly attracted Chinese visitors as gambling is illegal in China. In 2011, the Chinese government requested Laos to close this casino.[2][3] Today the casino is abandoned.
References
[edit]The Rebirth of Casino Town Boten, Laos | Borderlands | Full Episode
Citations
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Curtis, Simon; Klaus, Ian (2024). The Belt and Road City: Geopolitics, Urbanization, and China's Search for a New International Order. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. doi:10.2307/jj.11589102. ISBN 9780300266900. JSTOR jj.11589102.
- ^ Ganjanakhundee, Supalak (8 September 2013). "No more casinos in Laos: Somsavat". The Nation. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
- ^ "Treasures of Laos: Golden Boten City has been closed down—will it wake up again with help from China?". Treasures of Laos. 7 April 2013. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
