Dandong
This past weekend I went to Dandong with the language program I’m currently at. Some highlights included:
Bonfire on the beach at Dalu Island at night, with innumerable bottles of beer, pseudo-s’mores, and (literally) long walks on the beach (to get to the water, as it recedes at night).
Exploring Dalu Island, meeting fisherman on the beach and farmers on the mountain.
Beach at Dalu Island.
Seeing yet another Mao statue, this one at the Dandong train station.
Seeing the half-lit bridge that connects China and North Korea.
North Korea at night
On a boat on Yalu River to get a close-up of North Korea(‘s border).
There were three things that I will remember about Dandong. First, that besides the riverside, the city looks like (get this) every other Chinese city in the country.
Second, there’s this phenomenon that I experience here in China, where many many citizens always ask me, “Are you Korean?” Coming to Dandong, a city that borders North Korea and has a lot of Korean immigrants, I was surprised when people came up to me and asked, “Are you from North Korea or South Korea?” AnnyonghaseNO? I am surprised by the inability of Chinese people (surrounded by Koreans) to recognize Koreans and non-Koreans. Or at least, instead of asking whether I am A or B race (if you were so curious), you could ask what nationality I am. Though they never believe me when I tell them I’m American.
Lastly, and most strongly, I was struck by–and I’m sure any tourist that comes to Dandong–the stark difference of standards of living between the two sides of the Yalu River. You saw what North Korea looks like at night–almost completely black. I didn’t post a photo of China, but the half-lit bridge pretty accurately describes the state of development each state is in. Flashing neon lights floor the Chinese side of the river, signs of a bustling economy are prominent on the riverside, and people are dressed in whatever which fashion they wish. High-rise buildings are featured prominently, and cars bustle all over the streets. As mentioned before, it is just like any other Chinese city.
North Korea, on the other hand, was characterized by a sparsely populated, propagandized landscape. Signs proclaming, “Long Live Kim Jong-Il in the 21st Century!” were plastered on buildings. The clothing people wore matched, and were various shades of navy, olive, and brown. Guards watched over everything construction workers and fishers did on the border, some of them shooting dirty glances when I caught their faces with my camera. Children threw rocks towards our boat (perhaps in spite?) and yelled at us. Some people say that North Korea was China 25 years ago. I wonder how true that may be, and whether any hope lies for the North Koreans.