Exploring North Korea: Crossing the Yalu River
China's border is Dandong, Korea's border is XinYiZhu.
At China Customs, we received the temporary passport for entry into North Korea. The passport only had the Dandong port exit and entry stamped, without the seal of the North Korean passport office. This passport is to be returned upon our return, so please be sure to take screenshots.
North Korean temporary passport
After routine security checks at Gangkye Station, we were arranged to board a bus to North Korea via the Yalu River Bridge. The bridge runs in parallel with the Chinese Dandong Broken Bridge Scenic Area for a section, and was crowded with tourists during the National Day holiday. The bridge is not wide, with the railway beside it, vehicles are not fast and a bit bumpy.
XinYiZhu architecture
Looking across the Broken Bridge, you can see the buildings of XinYiZhu. The most prominent is the circular building with 'Unity' written on it. From a distance, it looks like a magnificent projection, but when you get closer, you realize that the main body of the building has not been completed, but people are already eager to live inside. Online, people from (Pingan Beida –) said: 'According to relevant construction officials, the circular structure was built to commemorate the leader.' This means 'circle symbolizes the sun.' 'The hotel has not been named, but it may be named with a connection to the leader.' 'There are also rumors that the buildings on both sides of the hotel symbolize Mount Baekdu.' It covers the Kim family's worship. 'It is said that the construction cost five or six million RMB, and the ground floor will be used for businesses, while the upper floor will be used as a hotel. It is scheduled to be completed in early next year.'
XinYiZhu park
You can still see a small Ferris wheel on the Broken Bridge, which is already abandoned. Online, it's said to be Labor Park
Further west, you can see the traditional buildings with blue tiles, some are two stories high with upturned corners and banners with four Korean characters 'Yalu River Pavilion.' A Chinese restaurant is also seen online. We saw a Korean wedding being held in a car there
XinYiZhu side bridge
Crossing the Yalu River brings you to XinYiZhu in North Korea. Not far from the bridge is the North Korean customs, where we underwent routine security checks
Customs building: The main building is two stories with a downstairs, with large photos of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il hanging on the top. These photos are frequently seen during our subsequent trip to North Korea. The flag of North Korea is raised in front of the building. On the west side of the building, there are North Korean slogans with red and white letters: 'Long Live the Great Labor Party of Korea,' 'Long Live Great Chairman Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il,' 'The 21st Century Sun Kim Jong-il,' 'Long Live General Kim Jong-un' etc.
Before security checks, we were asked to hand in our phones, which is not the case in other countries. The security checks were not strict and did not confiscate phones or cameras. During our journey along the Yalu River, except for the Gangkye Station guard post and the military not allowing us to take photos, there were no restrictions, which is different from the rumors spread online. It may be due to North Korea's openness or previous rumors.
Yalu River Hotel
Hotel interior
We stayed in Yalu River Hotel in XinYiZhu. This is the top-level international hotel in XinYiZhu. The lobby has photos of Kim Il-sung inspecting the hotel during the unfinished construction. Korean television programs are playing in the lobby. The hotel has a bookstore and a souvenir shop. The facilities are equivalent to those of Chinese hotels in the 1990s. We had no hot water in the mornings and evenings when we stayed there.
