Boten ບໍ່ເຕັນ 磨丁 | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Boten | |
| Coordinates:21°11′03″N101°40′19″E / 21.18413°N 101.67202°E /21.18413; 101.67202 | |
| Country |  Laos |
| Province | Luang Namtha |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (Beijing Time) |
| Website | www |
Boten (Lao:ບໍ່ເຕັນ,pronounced[bɔ̄ː.tèn];Chinese:磨丁) is a town inLaos located inLuang Namtha Province, situated on theChina–Laos border opposite the Chinese town ofMohan.[1]: 129 Although Boten is part of Laos, most of its inhabitants speak Mandarin Chinese as their native language. The town operates onBeijing time.[1]: 130
Boten allows the use of both theLao kip and theChinese yuan.[1]: 130
The BotenSpecial Economic Zone is currently under development.[1]: 129 The town is aiming to transition from its former gambling-focused economy to one centered on logistics and tourism.[1]: 130
After five years of construction, both theVientiane–Boten Railway andYuxi–Mohan railways opened in December 2021, connecting Boten south towardsVientiane and north towardsKunming, China. Boten is the northernmost Lao town on the 414 km railway, which features 198 km of tunnels and 62 km of bridges, and operates at a speed of 160 km per hour. The town is served byBoten railway station.
In 2002, a big casino was built in Boten, primarily attracting Chinese visitors, asgambling is illegal in China. In 2011, the Chinese government requested that Laos close the casino.[2][3] Today the casino stands abandoned.
The Rebirth of Casino Town Boten, Laos | Borderlands | Full Episode
