Visiting our Friends in the North

I'm sure everyone has those one or two dreams on their bucket lists that they would love to do but they know that those dreams will probably never come true. One of the things on my list (#31) is "Visit every country in the world." So far, I think I've done pretty good with 23 out of 194 countries and it is my hope to visit at least a few more while living over here in China. But if I force myself to really think things through (which pains me to do sometimes), there are a few countries that might be a bit difficult to be able to visit without fearing for my life.

One of those countries happened to be North Korea.

Now I admit, personally I don't know much about the country of North Korea (though I am obsessed with the pop culture of it's southern counterpart). All I really know goes back to my early years in high school, learning about the Korean War. I know that after World War II, Korea was split in half at the 38th Parallel--the north occupied by the Soviet Union and the south by the US (both with VERY different governments at this time). In 1950, North Korean forces passed over the 38th Parallel and entered South Korea, starting the Korean War. Eventually there was a cease-fire and armistice talks that set the borders to how they had been prior to the war, set at the 38th Parallel. Thank you APUSH.

Aside from that and knowing that my grandfather on my father's side fought in the Korea War, I don't know too much about the country. I know that Lisa Ling (my hero) from National Geographic went there once. I know Dennis Rodman likes to visit. I know from reading Escape from Camp 14 that there are still labor/death camps in the countryside. And I know recently a music group of idols were executed and one of the members was Kim Jong Un's ex-girlfriend.

Most of us in the West are afraid of North Korea and from what we see in the media and hear through the grapevine, I think it is pretty fair to feel that way.

However, being in Dalian, a mere four hour bus ride away from the border between China and North Korea, clearly The Adams and I decided that it was time to pay North Korea a visit!!

For 100RMB, we hopped on a charter bus and rode for four hours to the city of Dandong.

Snuggled in nice and close to North Korea

There is a very big military culture up in Dandong. The Korean War (or as the Chinese call it, "The War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea") has not been forgotten in this city and that is due to The Friendship Bridge.

The Friendship Bridge might be the #1 attraction in Dandong. It is actually made up of two bridges--one that still connects China to North Korea and another known as the Broken Bridge that was destroyed when the US bombed it in 1951 during the Korean War to stop troops from China entering into Korea. It is still broken today and for 27RMB (that's about $4) you can walk along the bridge out over the Yalu River.

The best part about visiting these bridges is just how close you get to North Korea. North Korea was one of those countries that I never imagined being able to see so when I arrived at the bridges and spotted the factory in the distance--the only real structure you could see--it was a sobering moment. I don't know anyone who has been anywhere near North Korea, and so, as we stood along the shore of the Yalu River, it was kind of hard to not feel like a total badass.

People are not allowed on the bridge that connects the two countries together. However, tourists flock to the Broken Bridge that goes a little more than halfway across the Yalu River. There are vendors selling Korean cigarettes and fake money. There are street performers, people selling balloons, and even places for ladies to dress up in a hanbok (the traditional Korean dress) for photoshoots. China knows that this is a tourist attraction and businesses, shops, and vendors have all set themselves up strategically along the shore of the river.

North Korea and China across the Yalu River

On the other side of the river, it is the complete opposite. It is empty, spooky, and desolate. There is a factory that towers over the trees along the North Korean shore of the river. Even spookier is the Ferris wheel that you can see in the distance just beyond the treeline. It never moves and no one is riding it but it is there, trying desperately to show the outside world an illusion of a happy country where families might spend an afternoon at an amusement park together. It is a facade that would freak anyone out. To accompany the spooky sight of the abandoned Ferris wheel, there is also a beach that you can see from the bridge and on that beach there are children playing in the water. You can't help but wonder what they are doing there. Are they happy? Are they forced to be there? Maybe they are being paid to put on a show for the tourists who are riding by on the high speed boats. Either way, it only further adds to the mystery that is North Korea.

Now people who know me might be aware of the fact that I might not be one of the most patriotic people on the planet. I do not hate my country--not by any means!--but if I had to list my relationship status with America on Facebook, it would have to say, "It's complicated." I think that we have some great things to offer... but I also believe that sometimes we think way too highly of ourselves and we have the tendency to always feel the need to play the hero. I hate politics with every fiber of my being so I don't want to start any kind of debate. Long story short: I'm not openly patriotic. 

That being said, I could not help but feel awesome walking along that bridge. The whole time along the bridge (and also at the nearby war museum focused on the "War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea") you are constantly bombarded with the story of the American aggressors and how they were so cruel to destroy this bridge that linked the two countries of Korea and China together. I did not notice it at first but Adam pointed out and asked me, "Did you notice all the dirty looks we've been getting?" I admit, I had been completely oblivious to them but as I looked around, I noticed (especially among the older people) we were getting a lot of nasty, dirty looks for being there. It's so interesting to witness a moment in history through the eyes of the opposite side.

We walked the length of the bridge which takes you out over the Yalu River. At the end is the jagged remains of the bridge that had been so cruelly destroyed by those nasty old Americans. As I stood at the end of the bridge, the sharp, twisted metal behind me and the country of North Korea before me, I could not help but feel ridiculously patriotic. Yes, America bombed this bridge. Yes, America broke that one highway between the two countries. Yes, America was cruel enough to use weapons against their enemy in a war. In that moment I was proud to be an American. With all those dirty looks being thrown my way, I was able to hold my head up high and look at that broken bridge with a bit of pride.

Now, did we actually go to North Korea? I am not entirely sure. I've read online several different things. I read that the moment you get onto the bridge, you are technically in North Korea. I also read that once you go beyond the halfway point across the river, you are technically in North Korean territory. And then I read that if you walk to the end of the bridge and stick your hand over the side, THAT is North Korea. I don't know which one is true (if any of them) so we made sure to do all of them--we got on the bridge, walked more than halfway, and went as far beyond the end of the bridge as we could. No matter what, I am going to count it because being able to say you visited North Korea is about as badass as you can get.

Taking that one last step!!

Overall, Dandong was a very interesting place to visit. It is always interesting to look at someone else's point of view especially when it comes to something like a war. And while I couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable whenever Americans were referred to as the aggressors in the Korean War and how one sided and skewed China's museum is on the war, I think it was a great experience. To be able to say that I not only saw North Korea (including that God-awful Ferris wheel), but also say that I might have technically stepped foot in the country is something that I never thought that I would do. It is one of those things that you always wonder about or ask yourself, "What if?" For 200RMB and eight hours on a bus, I am glad that I got to answer that question of "What if?" and got to see a country that has always fascinated and terrified me at the same time.

But our National Holiday Tour isn't over yet! Stay tuned for our time in Dalian and the oh-so exciting (aka terrifying) flight home to Hangzhou through a typhoon!

To be continued...

Until Next Time,
Amanda