Lonely Planet China
Page 29
For most visitors to Dāndōng, this is as close as they will get to the DPRK. While you can’t see much, the contrast between Dāndōng’s lively, built-up riverfront and the desolate stretch of land on the other side of the Yālù River speaks volumes about the dire state of the North Korean economy and the restrictions under which its people live.
Dāndōng
1Sights
1Broken BridgeD3
2Yālù Jiāng ParkD2
2Activities, Courses & Tours
3Boat CruiseD2
4Sleeping
4Life's Business HotelC1
5Lǜyuàn BīnguǎnC2
6Yìhǎi Business HotelC2
7Zhong Lian HotelC2
5Eating
8Sōngtāoyuán FàndiànC3
9Tóudào WontonC1
1Sights
Dāndōng is relatively compact and easy to walk around. The river is about 800m southeast of the train station straight down Shiwei Lu (and parallel streets), while the main shopping district is just east of the station.
Tiger Mountain Great WallWALLS
(虎山长城, Hǔshān Chángchéng ¥60, museum ¥10, buy ticket at main entrance booth; h8am-5pm)
About 20km northeast of Dāndōng, this steep, restored stretch of the Wall, known as Tiger Mountain Great Wall, was built during the Ming dynasty and runs parallel to the North Korean border. Unlike other sections of the Wall, this one sees comparatively few tourists. The Wall ends at a small museum with a few weapons, vases and wartime dioramas.
From here two routes loop back to the entrance. Heading straight ahead on the road is the easy way back. But there’s nothing to see. It's better to climb back up the stairs a short way and look for a path on the right that drops and then literally runs along the cliff face! There are some good scrambles and in 20 minutes or so you’ll get to a point called Yībùkuà – ‘one step across’ – marking an extremely narrow part of the river between the two countries. Not far past this you’ll reach an area where you can walk back to the entrance.
Buses to the Wall (¥6.50, 40 minutes) run about every hour from Dāndōng’s long-distance bus station. A taxi from town will cost ¥35 and you can usually flag a share taxi back for ¥10.
Jǐnjiāng PagodaPAGODA
(锦江塔, Jǐnjiāng Tǎ )F
The highest point for kilometres, this pagoda sits atop Jǐnjiāng Shān in the park of the same name. The views across to North Korea are unparalleled and the park itself (a former military zone) is a well-tended expanse of forested slopes, a pretty pond and walking paths. You can take a taxi to the entrance or easily walk there in 20 minutes from the train station, though it’s another steep 1km uphill to the pagoda.
Broken BridgeBRIDGE
(鸭绿江断桥, Yālǜjiāng Duànqiáo MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 58 Binjiang Zhonglu, 滨江中路58号 ¥30; h8am-5pm, last entry 4.30pm)
In 1950, during the Korean War, American troops ‘accidentally’ bombed the original steel-span bridge between North Korea and China. The North Koreans dismantled the bridge less than halfway across the river, leaving a row of support columns. You can wander along the remaining section of the shrapnel-scarred bridge and get within a good toss of a baseball of the North Korean shoreline, where there is a disused amusement park.
Korea StreetSTREET
(高丽街, Gāolí Jiē Erjing Jie, 二经街 )
Dāndōng may sell Korean culture at the river, but this street is the epicentre of South and North Korean daily life in the city. Local Koreans visit the hairdressers and grocery stores here, and visitors and locals alike eat at the Korean restaurants, which range from quick eats to seafood barbecue restaurants for large groups.
Korea Street is actually Erjing Jie (二经街) and runs parallel to the river a few blocks north. The pretty Korean-style arches mark the entrance at the corner off Shiwei Lu (十纬路).
Yālù Jiāng ParkPARK
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
For views of the border, stroll along the narrow riverfront Yālù Jiāng Park, which faces the North Korean city of Sinuiju. You can have your photo taken (¥10 each) in Korean costumes and sometimes catch locals dancing, playing music or singing.
Museum to Commemorate US AggressionMUSEUM
(抗美援朝纪念馆, Kàngměi Yuáncháo Jìniànguǎn %0415 215 0510; www.kmycjng.com; 68 Shanshang Jie, 山上街68号 h9am-4pm Tue-Sun)F
With everything from statistics to shells, this comprehensive museum offers Chinese and North Korean perspectives – they take the view that they won it – on the war with the US-led UN forces (1950–53). There are good English captions here, which offer a thought-provoking alternative view to the West's. The adjacent North Korean War Memorial Column was built 53m high, symbolising the year the Korean War ended. A taxi to the museum costs ¥12 from downtown.
TTours
Boat CruiseBOATING
(观光船; Guānguāng Chuán MAP GOOGLE MAP ; boats ¥60, speedboats ¥80; h7am-6pm)
To get close to North Korea, take a 30- to 40-minute boat cruise from the tour-boat piers on either side of the border bridges. You have to wait for boats to fill up with passengers (on average 30 minutes), but the pace allows you to take more in than on the smaller, splashy speedboats. In summer you might see kids splashing in the river, or fishermen and boat crews moored on the other side.
Speedboat ToursBOATING
(快艇码头; Kuàitǐng Mǎtóu per speedboat ¥180)
About 23km northeast of Dāndōng is a small dock where you can board a speedboat (seats eight) for a thrilling, wet 30-minute ride up the Yālù River. Close to shore, the driver will take you close to a portion of river where you are between two DPRK banks – the mainland on the left and a DPRK military-occupied island on the right.
VISITING THE HERMIT KINGDOM
Most tours to the DPRK start with a flight from Běijīng or Shěnyáng into Pyongyang, but Jílín and Liáoníng offer a more interesting alternative launching pad. You can visit the Special Economic Zone of Rason from Yánjí in Jílín province or consider taking a train from Dāndōng all the way to Pyongyang. The following tour agencies organise visas and offer trips designed for Westerners. Check the websites for costs and itineraries. Note that some travel restrictions apply to American tourists (who must fly in) and Japanese tourists.
Explore North Korea (www.explorenorthkorea.com) Dāndōng-based agency.
Koryo Tours Large, long-running Běijīng-based agency.
Young Pioneer Tours (www.youngpioneertours.com) Offers alternative itineraries into Rason, Namyang, Hoeryong city and Onsong county.
4Sleeping
There are many hotels in Dāndōng, most for around ¥200 a night. High-summer rates may be 30% to 50% more than the prices given here. Anywhere between the train station and the river is a convenient place to base yourself. Unlike in other Chinese cities, staying in the train-station surrounds is not a hectic experience.
Yìhǎi Business HotelBOUTIQUE HOTEL$
(艺海商务宾馆, Yìhǎi Shāngwù Bīnguǎn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 12-11 Shiwei Lu, 十纬路12-11号 d incl breakfast ¥218)
The faux-antique Chinese-meets-baroque styling of the halls and large rooms, some with bath-tubs, creates a romantic, or over the top, atmosphere depending on your tastes. Either way, staying at Yìhǎi is comfortable and anything but boring or strictly 'business'. It's a short walk to the river or train station. Discounts available.
Lǜyuàn BīnguǎnHOTEL$
(绿苑宾馆 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0415 212 7777; fax 0415 210 9888; cnr Shiwei Lu & Sanjing Jie, 三经街十纬路交界处 dm/s without bathroom ¥60/¥138, d & tw with bathroom from ¥168; aiW)
There are reasonable singles and three- and four-bed dorms at this long-running guesthouse on busy Shiwei Lu.
Life's Business HotelBUSINESS HOTEL$$
(莱弗仕商务快捷酒店, Láifúshì Shāngwù Kuàijié Jiǔdiàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0415 213 9555; www.lifeshotel.com; 29 Liuwei Lu, 六纬路29号 r ¥168-298; aiW)
Life's is a smart business hotel
popular with North Korean businessmen and within walking distance of the riverfront, restaurants and a Tesco supermarket. Rooms are tidy and comfortable with the ones on higher floors affording river views. Cheaper rooms have no windows.
Zhong Lian HotelHOTEL$$$
(中联大酒店, Zhōng Lián Dà Jiǔdiàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0415 233 3333; www.zlhotel.com; 62 Binjiang Zhong Lu, 滨江中路62号 d/tw incl breakfast ¥478/598; aiW)
Directly across from the Broken Bridge is this solid midrange option with large rooms, an even larger marble lobby and English-speaking staff. The pricier rooms offer great views of the bridge and river. Discounts available.
5Eating
On summer nights, barbecue smoke drifts over Dāndōng as street corners become impromptu restaurants serving fresh seafood and bottles of Yālù River beer. One of the best places for barbecue is in the tents on the corner of Bawei Lu and Qijing Jie. More conventional restaurants, including a range of Korean, hotpot and DIY barbecue, line the riverfront on either side of the bridges, and Korea Street parallel to the river a few blocks north.
Tóudào WontonCHINESE$
(头道美味馄饨馆, Tóudào Měiwèi Húntún Guǎn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0415 212 2500; 37-12 Jiangcheng Dajie cnr Liuwei Lu, 江城大街12号, 六纬路的路口 mains ¥9-16; h6am-11pm)
Locals come to this nothing-fancy place for the good, homemade pork-filled wontons (馄饨; húntún) in soup and lěng miàn (冷面; cold noodle soup with meat and shredded vegetables) from the picture board. There are side dishes on display too, such as shíbǎn huángguā (pickled cucumber).
Opposite a Tesco supermarket.
Sōngtāoyuán FàndiànNORTH KOREAN$$
(松涛园饭店 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 5 Binjiang Zhonglu, 滨江中路5号 dishes ¥18-108; h11am-3pm & 5-10pm)
A big part of the experience for many travellers to this region is eating at a North Korean restaurant with reputedly real North Korean waitresses. This locally recommended place sits appropriately enough just a few hundred metres from the Broken Bridge (directly beside SPR Coffee) and has a range of traditional dishes. There’s a full picture menu to help you decide.
6Drinking & Nightlife
Drinking with a Korean meal is common practice. Korean beers and the potent spirit soju are popular choices in any of the restaurants in and around Korea Street, where there are also a few nondescript bars, which close before midnight.
8Information
Bank of ChinaBANK
(中国银行, Zhōngguó Yínháng GOOGLE MAP ; 60 Jinshan Dajie, 锦山大街60号 )
Has ATM and will change currency. Another ATM ( GOOGLE MAP ; 77-1 Binjiang Zhonglu; 滨江中路77-1号 ) is closer to the river at 77-1 Binjiang Zhonglu.
Public Security BureauPOLICE
(PSB, 公安局, Gōng’ānjú GOOGLE MAP ; %0415 210 3138; 15 Jiangcheng Dajie)
8Getting There & Away
Air
Dāndōng airport has infrequent flights to a few cities in China; most travellers arrive by bus or train.
Bus
The long-distance bus station ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Shiwei Lu & Jinshan Dajie) is near the train station.
ADàlián ¥105, 3½ hours, 15 daily (5.30am to 2.30pm)
AJí’ān ¥87, seven hours, 8.30am
AShěnyáng ¥87, three hours, every 30 minutes (5.40am to 6.30pm)
ATōnghuà ¥84, seven hours, 6.30am and 8.50am
Train
The train station is in the centre of town. A lofty Mao statue greets arriving passengers. There are much slower versions of the following trains, but the cost saving is minimal. The attendant at ticket window 1 speaks English.
ADàlián (D/G) ¥109, two to 2½ hours, 10 daily
AShěnyáng (D/G) ¥70, 1½ hours, every 30 minutes
BORDER CROSSING: DāNDōNG TO SOUTH KOREA
Dāndōng International Ferry Co (丹东国际航运有限公司, Dāndōng Guójì Hángyùn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī GOOGLE MAP ; %0411 315 2666; www.dandongferry.co.kr; cnr Xingwu Lu & Gangwan Lu; h8am-5pm) runs a boat to Incheon in South Korea on Tuesday and Thursday at 6pm and Sunday at 4pm (¥1110 to ¥1810, 16 hours). Buy tickets at the company’s office on Xingwu Lu. A bus to the ferry terminal leaves two hours before departure (¥20) on the respective departure days from the train station.
Shěnyáng 沈阳
%024 / Pop 6.25 million
The capital of Liáoníng province, prosperous Shěnyáng (沈阳) has made enormous strides in overcoming its reputation as a postindustrial 'rust-belt' city. True, Shěnyáng is still a sprawling metropolis, but the metro is easy to navigate, and there’s a buzz on the streets and in the designer malls as locals grow confident, positive and urbane.
For the traveller, Shěnyáng boasts its very own Imperial Palace, a tomb complex and decent museums, as well as several fine parks. Given its strategic location as a transport hub for the north of China, Shěnyáng is well worth a stopover on your journey.
History
Shěnyáng’s roots go back to 300 BC, when it was known as Hou City. By the 11th century it was a Mongol trading centre, before reaching its historical high point in the 17th century when it was the capital of the Manchu empire. With the Manchu conquest of Běijīng in 1644, Shěnyáng became a secondary capital under the Manchu name of Mukden, and a centre of the ginseng trade.
Throughout its history Shěnyáng has rapidly changed hands, dominated by warlords, the Japanese (1931), the Russians (1945), the Kuomintang (1946) and finally the Chinese Communist Party (CCP; 1948).
Shěnyáng
1Top Sights
1Shěnyáng Imperial PalaceD3
4Sleeping
2Liáoníng BīnguǎnA3
3Shěntiě Shěnzhàn BīnguǎnA3
4Vienna International HotelA3
5Eating
5Carrefour SupermarketC1
6Korea TownA2
7Lǎobiān DumplingsD2
8Měijīn HotpotA3
9View & World Vegetarian RestaurantB3
6Drinking & Nightlife
10Lenore'sB3
11Stroller'sB3
Transport
12China Travel Service of ShenyangC2
1Sights
From the Main Train Station, it's worth strolling along Zhongshan Lu and around Zhongshan Sq, which has the largest Mao statue in China, for the many historical buildings from the early 20th century.
oShěnyáng Imperial PalaceHISTORIC SITE
(沈阳故宫, Shěnyáng Gùgōng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 171 Shenyang Lu, 沈阳路171号 ¥60; h8.30am-5.30pm, from 1pm Mon, last entry 4.45pm)
This impressive palace complex resembles a small-scale Forbidden City. Constructed between 1625 and 1636 by Manchu emperor Nurhachi (1559–1626) and his son, Huang Taiji, the palace served as the residence of the Qing dynasty rulers until 1644. The central courtyard buildings include ornate ceremonial halls and imperial living quarters, including a royal baby cradle. In all, there are 114 buildings, not all of which are open to the public.
Zhong Jie metro station (exit B) is a few minutes north.
Běilíng ParkPARK
(北陵公园, Běilíng Gōngyuán GOOGLE MAP ; c)
With its pine trees and large lake, this park is an excellent place to escape Shěnyáng’s hubbub. Locals come here to promenade, sing or just kick back with their families. Beiling Gongyuan metro station is directly outside the park.
oNorth TombHISTORIC SITE
(北陵, Běilíng GOOGLE MAP ; 12 Taishan Lu, 泰山路12号 ¥50; h7am-6pm)
One of Shěnyáng's highlights is this extensive tomb complex, the burial place of Huang Taiji (1592–1643), founder of the Qing dynasty. The tomb’s animal statues lead up to the central mound known as the Luminous Tomb (Zhāo Líng). In many ways a better-preserved complex than Shěnyáng's Imperial Palace, the tomb site is worth a few hours examining the dozens of buildings with their traditional architecture and ornamentation.
The North Tomb sits a few kilometres north of town inside expansive Běilíng Park.
THE �
��MUKDEN INCIDENT’
By 1931 Japan was looking for a pretext to occupy Manchuria. The Japanese army took matters into its own hands by staging an explosion on the night of 18 September at a tiny section of a Japanese-owned railway outside Mukden, the present-day city of Shěnyáng. Almost immediately, the Japanese attacked a nearby Chinese army garrison and then occupied Shěnyáng the following night. Within five months, they controlled all of Manchuria and ruled the region until the end of WWII.
4Sleeping
Shěntiě Shěnzhàn BīnguǎnHOTEL$
(沈铁沈站宾馆, Railway Station Hotel MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %024 2358 5888; 2 Shengli Dajie, 胜利大街2号 r without bathroom ¥60-80, tw with bathroom ¥148-168; ai)
A convenient if ageing place next to the Main Train Station. Note that some of the cheaper rooms have no windows.
Vienna International HotelHOTEL$$
(维也纳国际酒店, Wéiyěnà Guójì Jiǔdiàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %024 8360 8888; 58 Minzu Beijie, 民族北街58号 d & tw ¥348-438, ste ¥538)
The Vienna is a neat little hotel tucked down a small road 150m east of the Main Train Station. Smart, clean and bright rooms paired with good service make this a good midrange option. Discounts of 40% with ¥198 membership; coupons for ¥168 doubles sometimes distributed outside.