Yalu River 鸭绿江 and North Korea 朝鲜
Remember I mentioned that Ji’an city is a remote town which is one China’s border? I was actually referring to China’s border with North Korea. The famed Yalu River marks the boundary between the two countries. I stood there in awe as I realized that I was staring at one of the most impoverished and isolated countries in the world. This is contrast to the economic powerhouse that China is now. Actually, if you so dare, you can walk across the Yalu River to get to North Korea since there were no border police to stop you from doing so. However, one would have to be very careful about this since you can never tell when those North Korean soldiers would just shoot anyone crossing the border.
Mountains of North Korea 朝鲜 from Ji'an City 集安 in China
The North Korean side of the Yalu River, Chagang Province, is a stark contrast to the hub of activity of Ji’an city. There were only mountains in the distance and probably signs of some houses. It was quite far so it was difficult to tell. There wasn’t any sign of people there either. I would have expected that there would be a lot of people along the border hoping to be able to get a chance to cross into China and have a better life. It was then that I realize how much China has improved to become the envy not only of North Korea but of the world.
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