Post the Twelfth: North Korea (Dandong 2 of 5)

The famous Sinuiju ferris wheel. It rarely moves since no one ever rides it.

Continued from Part I...

A view of a North Korean factory from Dandong.

After sleeping for a couple hours in our lovely hotel (see LUXURIOUS), we decided to go down to the river to explore a bit and, of course, get a glimpse of the DPRK.

A statue by the Yalu River.

The Sino-Korea Friendship Bridge. Behind it lies the "Short Bridge", a partially dismantled bridge that was bombed by the US during the Korean War.

After looking over the river for some time, we decided to walk down the riverside in the hopes of taking a boat to get closer to North Korea. The official tours (see city-approved) were 50 kuai for a big slow river boat and 70 kuai for a smaller but faster speedboat. Naturally we opted for the speedboat. (There were also unofficial tours given by random salesmen but all them involved bargaining with an obnoxious Dandong person and then being told that there boat wasn't in the river and we had to get in an unmarked black van in order to reach it).

Our speedboat was piloted by a tall Dandong native who rarely smiled or laughed. The man wordlessly provided life-jackets (all XXXL sized and missing buckles) before helping us board the boat and jetting off. I have to say that this was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life: bumping up and down on the waves while blasting our way to the North Korean riverbank as a remix of Gwen Stefani's "Crash" served as our anthem was an excellent remedy for a 12-hour hard-seater train ride. Once we arrived at the other side, our driver slowed the boat so we could take some photos of North Korean children playing in the river water.

After some time had elapsed, we struck up a conversation with the boat driver. Apparently this rarely happens (then again, most speedboat passengers are 300 lbs. non-Chinese speakers) so he told us that he could take us closer to the coast (than was allowed by company rules) if we put our cameras away. Naturally, everyone's camera was instantly in its case and away we went.

As we slowly motored by hulking, rusty wrecks of ships, we spotted many a North Korean walking, talking, and otherwise going about their lives. When we were in their direct vicinity, however, all conversation stopped and they stared at us as we stared back. Some of them unsmilingly waved to us while we cautiously waved back, aware that at any moment bullets could pepper the side of our vessel. There were plenty of soldiers on the docks, though most ignored us. One solider waved discreetly at us as we passed (his hand moved in a waving motion though his wrist did not leave his waist) so that no one would see his actions, while other soldiers whistled at our passing boat (it became clear that it was a greeting when we passed them again and they waved back). The entire time my heart was forcefully beating in my chest with excitement: I was on the North Korean border waving at North Koreans! And they were waving back! Some of them even smiled!

North Korean children playing on a beach by the Yalu River.

"Ship-building" equipment on the North Korean riverbank. No ship has ever been built by the DPRK here.

Children playing part II.

A far-off view of the North Korean riverbank.

A rusty riverboat on the Yalu River. North Koreans earn a meager living by taking these wrecks apart for scrap metal. Some also may or may not serve as homes.

After some time, the driver turned the boat around and told us that we were heading back to the Chinese side of the river. We were all thrown back into our seats when he suddenly stepped on the gas pedal. Our shock instantly abated when "Baby" by Justin Bieber began blasting out of our boat's speakers. We sped by the North Korean soldiers and ship-workers and passers-by, dancing and singing along to Bieber's (questionably) dulcet tones, smiles nearly breaking our faces as we returned to the dock.

One thing that became apparent on this river cruise was the difference between the city of Dandong and the city of Sinuiju. Dandong is China's 80th largest city; Sinuiju is North Korea's 6th largest. Dandong's population stands at 2.4 million; Sinuiju has 350,000 people. Dandong is a major port city connected to Shenyang and the Pacific Ocean; Sinuiju is one of the special economic zones established by the DPRK to experiment with market reforms. One side of the river is a noisy mess of bodies, cars, and neon billboards, while the other side looks like it hasn't ever been touched by humans. One skyline is pierced by skyscrapers, the other by green mountains. At night, the Chinese side has singing and dancing as well as lanterns, music, fountain shows, and bright lights that make it seem that everyday is a holiday. The last light from North Korea vanishes at around 8PM; after dark, you'd never know it was there.

A view of Dandong from our speedboat.

A mountain rising over North Korea.

Comparison shot: China is on the left and North Korea is on the right.

On the left, part of the fountain-light show on the Chinese riverbank. The Sino-Korea Friendship Bridge appears to extend into nothingness.

View of the Chinese park next to the river. So many lights!

The North Korean side of the river. The only things giving off light: the moon, the water's reflection, and a balloon lantern released from the Chinese park (top, slightly left of center).

It still seems weird to me that the municipal government was allowed to install a light-show fountain on their side of the riverbank when the Chinese know that the other side of the river has nothing to offer after dark. Perhaps this is a display of power to establish China's dominance over the DPRK, a sort of we're-the-only-people-keeping-you-alive-in-this-day-and-age. Or maybe it's an incentive for the North Korean government to open up their economy and allow for more market freedom. The black market trade between China and North Korea for cellphones, clothes, DVDs, etc is considerable; perhaps China wants to legitimize the exchange to increase profits. Regardless of the reasoning behind the fountain, one thing remains obvious: the distance between the two nations may be slight, but the difference is enormous.


End Part II