There isn't much to see at the North Korean border, but the contrast between lively Dandong and depressed Sinuiju does provide a vivid illustration of the different paths to development taken by China and its Communist ally. There are two ways to see the border -- by boat and by bridge. Most visitors do both. Boats leave from inside the Yalu Jiang Gongyuan (6:30am-5:30pm; ¥1/15¢/10p), a 10-minute walk south of the railway station at the end of Shi Wei Lu. The boats range in size, from large, tacky Chinese-roofed floats to small speedboats. Prices are highly negotiable, but in general, you should not pay more than ¥10 ($1.30/65p) per person, and chartering a small speed boat should cost no more than ¥30 ($3.90/£1.95). Drivers will hand you a flimsy life jacket, then whip you around to within 3m (10 ft.) of Sinuiju so you can take pictures of the rusting cargo boats, a shipyard, and waving children. A few blocks west, along Jiangyan Jie, is the Yalu Jiang Qiao (tel. 0415/312-4767; 6am-6pm; ¥20/$2.60/£1.30), a unique horizontal rotation bridge bombed by the United States in 1950. Korea dismantled its half shortly after the Korean War armistice, rendering the bridge useless. You can wander out to the still-mangled end of the Chinese section, where someone has installed a pair of bomb casings as a reminder.
You might guess what kind of perspective a museum clunkily named the Memorial Hall of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (Kangmei Yuanchao Jinianguan; open 8am-5pm; ¥30/$3.90/£1.95) might have. Nevertheless, it offers an interesting Communist revisionist's look at the Korean War with black-and-white photos, surprisingly clear English translations, and patriotic music piped in. The museum requires some effort to reach -- not just because it's located on a hill on the north side of Shangshan Jie, in the northwest part of town, but because the stairs to the memorial are quite a climb. The museum is to the right of the memorial, and behind the museum are some rusty rail cars, tanks, and fighter planes used during the war. Take bus no. 21 from the railway station, get off at the Tiyuguan, and walk northwest.
Border Crossing: North Korea and Russia -- At press time, United States citizens were not allowed to travel from Dandong to North Korea. CITS in Dandong can arrange tours for other nationalities, but independent Beijing-based operations like foreign-run Koryo Tours (www.koryogroup.com) can also pick you up in Dandong, charge roughly the same rates, and have more experience with foreigners. The paperwork takes 2 weeks to process.
Crossing the border from Dongbei into Russia, either on the Trans-Siberian train or at one of the border posts in Heilong Jiang and Inner Mongolia, is easier but also requires a visa. Tourist visas can usually only be arranged at the Russian Embassy in Beijing. Keep in mind you'll have to arrange for a Chinese double-entry visa if you plan to come back to China from either country.
