Dandong
Dandong lies in China's northeast just across the Yalu River from North Korea. The bridge that connects the two countries is North Korea's primary conduit to the outside world. Because of this link to the world's most reclusive country, Dandong has a unique North Korea themed tourism angle; many Westerners who could not get close to North Korea any other way come here for a glimpse of the Hermit Kingdom. Dandong used to be called Andong (Safe East) before the Korean War. The name was later changed to Dandong (Red East) to better reflect the history of the region, China's involvement in the war, and its enduring ties to the Democratic People's Republic just across the river. With over 700,000 people, it sounds like a big city to most Westerners but in China this is still considered a relatively small and backwards place. English is not widely understood here, and most signs except those along the actual border itself are only in Chinese.
---------------------------------------
My hotel in Dandong, the Zhong Lian, picked because of its central location directly across the bridge that connects China with North Korea.
---------------------------------------
Dandong waterfront. This was a beautiful sculpture of a boat piercing what looked to be a giant wave. But it apparently has little historical significance; when I asked, I was told this is just a symbol of Dandong city. The "wave" is actually a stylized letter "D" for "Dandong".
---------------------------------------
Peace sculpture in Dandong along the Yalu River.
---------------------------------------
Ads for tours to North Korea are seen along the Chinese side of the Yalu River.
---------------------------------------
Directly out my window is the famous Broken Bridge, "accidentally" bombed by the US during the Korean War. The bridge still extends halfway out across the river and is a historical landmark today. To left of that is the Friendship Bridge, the primary roadway into and out of North Korea. It is here that North Korea is linked by road and rail to the outside world.
---------------------------------------
The Broken Bridge is a national historical site in China. This is the bridge that the Chinese "volunteers" used when they entered the Korean War against the US in support of their North Korean allies.
---------------------------------------
A shot from the very end of the Broken Bridge, where China officially ends and North Korea begins. From this point on, only the support columns of the bridge in North Korean territory remain. The still-functional Friendship Bridge is to the left.
---------------------------------------
The view from my hotel room at night. The Chinese side is all lit up in neon, a fascinating contrast to the fact that almost no light at all can be seen from North Korea at the far end. It's as if this bridge just disappears into the night, connecting to nothing.
---------------------------------------
More night comparisons. First, a snapshot of the Yalu River bank at night, Dandong, China. And just below that, the same river at the same time, only this time maximum zoom on North Korea. A few single solitary lights are the only illumination.
---------------------------------------
Dandong has several North Korean restaurants staffed with waitresses who are actually from North Korea. Not all North Koreans in China are illegal refugees. Part of the allure of these restaurants is the singing; the waitresses sing a mixture of North Korean and Chinese ballads.
---------------------------------------
What was most interesting for me was how these ladies would alternate between performing on stage and serving food -- all at the same time!
---------------------------------------
North Korean feast.
---------------------------------------
Next day, time to get out and start exploring the border while hopefully not drawing too much attention to myself. As said above, Dandong is still quite backwards compared to many of China's bigger cities. I shot this photograph for evidence of the rural atmosphere of the place -- and just for fun -- by sticking my camera out the window as far as I could and pointing it in the general direction of this donkey cart as we drove by. I wasn't looking through the viewfinder at the time, so I was just hoping something would come out. Have to say I like the way it looks.
---------------------------------------
The border between China and North Korea is nearly all river. But there is a short section of a couple miles southwest of Dandong where the border actually comes up onto the Chinese side of the riverbank for some reason, creating a very small, and very rare, land border between the two countries. This picture shows how the border literally comes right up next to the road. We're driving in China, and just a couple feet to my right is North Korea.
---------------------------------------
Border sign with all of the rules and regulations.
---------------------------------------
It's always fun taking pictures of "No Photos" signs.
---------------------------------------
The Chinese seemed especially concerned with anyone trying to throw anything over the border or converse with someone on the other side. There were lots of warning signs against this.
---------------------------------------
This really isn't a very effective border. Just a series of short concrete Ts with barbed wire across the top and between the poles. But China has a very strict policy of deporting North Korean refugees back to the authorities on the other side, no doubt to face harsh punishment. This is a very rural area, so there are not a lot of Koreans on the other side anyway.
---------------------------------------
Some North Korean farm houses on the other side. I saw a couple farmers, but that was the only hint of activity across the border.
---------------------------------------
Back in Dandong proper, a look across the Yalu River at some buildings in North Korea.
---------------------------------------
Climbing the Great Wall at Tiger Mountain, the eastern terminus of the Great Wall. The China/North Korea border runs right next to this area, in some cases just a few feet away.
---------------------------------------
Overview of the border area at Tiger Mountain. China is the hilly area to the left of the river along the left margin of this picture; North Korea is the area of flatlands to the right of the waterways.
---------------------------------------
Closeup view of the narrow border between China & North Korea in this area. China top left, North Korea bottom right.
---------------------------------------
The top of the Great Wall offers some spectacular views of North Korea below and beyond.
---------------------------------------
The famous Yibukua ("one step across") marker at the narrowest part of the river border with North Korea. Here, China is in the foreground, and North Korea is in the background literally just a few feet away.
---------------------------------------
Korean War Memorial Column in Dandong, built 53 meters high to symbolize the end of the Korean War in 1953.
---------------------------------------
Museum to Commemorate the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, Dandong, China.
---------------------------------------
Just inside the museum entrance, a touching memorial. One of my favorite parts of the museum.
---------------------------------------
Some rambling about the evil imperialist Americans. What I found interesting is that most of the displays seem to deliberately avoid specifically saying who started the war. In North Korea, people are taught that the US started the war, so I found this difference to be notable. When I asked some Chinese what they are taught about who started the war, my favorite response was this: "We all know North Korea started it. But the US should not be involved. The US should not be policeman of the world."
---------------------------------------
I thought the idea of having mock-up tunnels connecting the various display halls was creative.
---------------------------------------
The friendship between China and North Korea has a long history and many important milestones, perhaps none more poignant than Mao Zedong's own son, who was killed in the line of duty in the Korean War. Below left, he is immortalized in the Hallway of Heroes. To the right, one of many pictures showing happy North Koreans greeting their Chinese liberators.
---------------------------------------
Outside the hall, a huge field covered with planes, tanks, and other weapons from the war period.
---------------------------------------
China and North Korea have an agreement that the boats of either country can use the entire Yalu River for navigation. What this means for tourists is that you can board a boat on the Chinese side of the river and sail across the river very close to North Korean soil. As long as you don't touch land, you are still considered to be in international waters. Below, our boat cruise starts by sailing under the Freedom Bridge and Broken Bridge.
---------------------------------------
This picture and many to follow show various scenes from one of these tourist boats of Sinuiju, the North Korean border city. Sinuiju is a heavy industry city. Lots of cranes visible, and lots of boatbuilding activity.
---------------------------------------
Fishermen. Quite an elaborate net, but apparently not much to show for it.
---------------------------------------
The red sign says, "Long live the son of the 21st century, General Kim Jong Il!"
---------------------------------------
More fishermen, staring at us staring at them.
---------------------------------------
North Korean soldiers.
---------------------------------------
A few more glimpses of DPRK propaganda. The vertical sign on the side of this building says, "Rich and powerful country." The horizontal red letters proclaim, "Long live the great songun (military first) politics!"
---------------------------------------
A couple more random snapshots of Sinuiju life.
---------------------------------------
This group of rusty old North Korean fishing boats was roped together tightly right smack dab in the middle of the river.
---------------------------------------
The famous "Bridge to Nowhere". The existing Friendship Bridge between Dandong and Sinuiju hardly suffices for the amount of trade that goes back and forth between the two countries. It is so narrow, in fact, that traffic can only go one way at a time. To increase capabilities, China spent $350 million to build this brand-new state of the art facility. North Korea had promised to make a special economic zone on their side, but so far nothing has been built on the other end. This massive feat of engineering marvel starts impressively on the Chinese side and ends into nothing but rice fields in North Korea.
---------------------------------------
Chinese boat with North Korea in the background.
No lights at all from the North Korean side of the river as the sun sets.
