Sneaking into North Korea? It’s easier than you might think.
Ever want to touch North Korean soil but just can’t bring yourself to give the DPRK government your money for an official tour? Why not just sneak into North Korea? Pyrodes has already encouraged you to sneak into Cuba, Moldovan breakway republics, and Area 51, and now we assure you getting across the North Korean border is easier than you might think. And so, Pyrodes welcomes you to Dandong, China, a city of over 2 and a half million that sits right on the Chinese/DPRK border, separated by the ever so thin Yalu River. You can soak in the friendly atmosphere, propaganda museums, and karaoke bars before tackling the real attraction in town: getting as close to the DPRK as sanity allows. In Dandong, you’ll find a line of eager taxi drivers and speedboat operators who will drive/ferry you to the least guarded, most accessible points of the border. Pyrodes, of course, warns you: go at your own risk; North Korean border guards aren’t all sunshine and roses. Especially now that they have shown a new propensity to scoop up reporters in the region (look here). But, that said, Dandong offers Cold War adventure you can experience few other places. Info and video after the jump…
Ok, let’s go over the basics. Dandong lies in the Southeast corner of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. This is the rust belt of China, so it ain’t that pretty, but the people are great and the food is delicious. Some things to ponder:
Getting There: You can take the train from Beijing overnight right into Dandong. It’s tougher to fly there, but you can fly into the beautiful city of Dalian or the less beautiful (but more historical) city of Shenyang and grab a shorter train to the border. There are also buses to and from all of these cities if the trains and planes book up (it happens).
It's a short bridge-span from China to the DPRK
Staying There: Dandong sports a number of Hotels, many with views of the DPRK. The city hugs the Yalu River, and is quite walkable along the river, but there will be many friendly cabies to take you on your way as well. While contemplating your invasion of the DPRK, make sure to check out the many Korean resteraunts in town (try the rice noodles, a local favorite) and the one or two Kareoke bars. More importantly, there are a number of Korean War era museums and monuments, including a bridge that was bombed by the US and still spans half the Yalu River. After all that, rest up for the main event.
Mao is Ever Present
Planning Your Attack: This part of your journey is something best left to the locals. The density and location of border patrols changes throughout the year, and the local cabbies and speedboaters will be your best source of information. You can take a boat and skim the coast of the DPRK or take a cab out of town and find more shallow crossings for a quick picture (especially in winter when the river is low). Listen to the locals and don’t go out on your own.
For a great starting point in planing your trip and keeping up with the latest from the DPRK, Check This Out.
Happy Travels. Here’s some photos and video to whet your appetite:
Photos, Wikitravel, More Photos
-Pyrodes
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