For years now the border region between China and North Korea has been a hive of activity. With both legal and illegal trade flowing between the two nations (ok, mainly just into the North), cities like Dandong (China) have become trading hubs - so to speak.
For the most part, China send fuel, building supplies and food stuffs into the North, while the DPRK sends out a trickle of workers to fill low paying jobs in NE China (and "low" in China translates into "very low" or "pleasepayme2centsanhour low"). The legal North Korean workers find themselves in either the service industry (restaurants for women) or labor (mining and such for me).
No one really profits from this trade. Sure, there is the occasional businessman that pockets a few dollars smuggling people across, but for the most part the trade might as well be with a black hole. Anything you put into it will simply be sucked into another dimension.
If you have plans to visit the North on a trip to Dandong, prepare to be dissapointed. Apparently the North cancelled tour groups of of China in August. Said a Chinese tour guide:
For the most part, China send fuel, building supplies and food stuffs into the North, while the DPRK sends out a trickle of workers to fill low paying jobs in NE China (and "low" in China translates into "very low" or "pleasepayme2centsanhour low"). The legal North Korean workers find themselves in either the service industry (restaurants for women) or labor (mining and such for me).
No one really profits from this trade. Sure, there is the occasional businessman that pockets a few dollars smuggling people across, but for the most part the trade might as well be with a black hole. Anything you put into it will simply be sucked into another dimension.
If you have plans to visit the North on a trip to Dandong, prepare to be dissapointed. Apparently the North cancelled tour groups of of China in August. Said a Chinese tour guide:
she found it a restrictive and depressing experience to take Chinese tour groups to Pyongyang.
"They watch your every move and every word," Liu says. "Every tour group gets two Korean guides. One explains about North Korea. The other is a national security agent."
"They watch your every move and every word," Liu says. "Every tour group gets two Korean guides. One explains about North Korea. The other is a national security agent."
So, if you're really determined to see amazing sights like this one>
Make sure you bring your "I love Kim" badge and a lot of booze to bribe the officials. Who knows, if you're lucky, you just might get to see the profile of a Nuclear blast (unlike my head-on view).
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