Peeking at North Korea

Tong’s former classmate Chris, an economic development aide, joined us in Dandong, his home town.

The “Broken Bridge” was built across the Yalu River from Dandong to North Korea by the Japanese in 1908 or so, at a time when they held this part of China; it was bombed by the American forces in 1950 to prevent China from providing aid to the Northern forces during the Korean War. It has somehow become a popular Chinese symbol of the communist fight against American aggression.

It’s also a prime spot that the Chinese tourists visit to look over at North Korea.

It’s a bleak picture. The Chinese side of the river is a modern city, with broad boulevards and skyscrapers, colorful lights after dark.

 

The North Korean side is dark and destitute; a few communist-era concrete buildings, some burned-out old ships, and an overgrown amusement park where we heard that Kim Jong Un sometimes rides the ferris wheel or roller coaster while his subjects starve. 

The contrast:

The Chinese on the street are full of stories about atrocities – round-ups of hundreds of refugees being pierced through the shoulder, strung together with wire and dragged back across the border before being shot in the head, and cannibalism as food supplies dwindle. Chris says that few of the stories are true; only a handful of refugees have actually been shot, and most of them are welcomed into China and then shuffled off into South Korea. The truth may be somewhere in between.

Although the Chinese government has been supportive of the North Korean regime in the past, its position has modified as Kim’s government has become more aggressive and erratic. The Chinese people seem scornful of the plight of their neighbors; there clearly is a sense of superiority and very little sympathy, if any. It’s a sad place. Needless to say, the dolphins are not regnant here.

Still a bright light or two – Henry met a 93-year-old World War II veteran on the Chinese side whose wheelchair is draped with platitudes about peace, love and the fellowship of humanity. His smile tells his story.

You can also get your shoes repaired cheaply and conveniently.

If you have a fender bender, the police review video cameras on the spot, make a ruling (in our case against the taxi that scraped us), and you immediately drive to the body shop for a cosmetic job.

Off then to Phoenix Mountain, a Chinese “touristic site” where you can take a cable car part-way up the mountain, and from there experience an absolutely terrifying climb through boulders, along very narrow passages and atop spiny ridges at dizzying heights to glass walkways with glorious vistas, but only if you can overcome your paralyzing fear to look around.

Deadened by the horrific ordeal, we drove through the dark back to Shenyang for the night. (Henry might have a different opinion on the Phoenix Mountain experience.  He can write his own blog.)