General: North Korea

North Korea’s full name is the “Democratic People's Republic of Korea” and like most places that feel the need to put the word “democratic” in the title, it is in no way democratic whatsoever. The country’s ruler Kim Jong Il holds totalitarian sway over all 46,959 square miles of the DPRK’s territory and the lives of all 24 million of its inhabitants are at whim. He is not, however, top dog. His post of “Chairman of the National Defense Commission” ...
...a living person, but his (dead) father technically outranks him with the humble little title of “Eternal President”.

Unfortunately Kim senior's decision-making ability and hold on bureaucracy has slipped somewhat since his death. An incredibly severe drought in 2001 followed by a harsh winter and mismanaged state food distribution has seen the country fall foul of a widespread famine that threatens to topple this time-bomb country ... more

North Korea’s full name is the “Democratic People's Republic of Korea” and like most places that feel the need to put the word “democratic” in the title, it is in no way democratic whatsoever. The country’s ruler Kim Jong Il holds totalitarian sway over all 46,959 square miles of the DPRK’s territory and the lives of all 24 million of its inhabitants are at whim. He is not, however, top dog. His post of “Chairman of the National Defense Commission” is indeed the highest post that can be held by a living person, but his (dead) father technically outranks him with the humble little title of “Eternal President”.

Unfortunately Kim senior's decision-making ability and hold on bureaucracy has slipped somewhat since his death. An incredibly severe drought in 2001 followed by a harsh winter and mismanaged state food distribution has seen the country fall foul of a widespread famine that threatens to topple this time-bomb country into chaos. Talks with it’s southern neighbour (South Korea) have foundered and a legacy of military threats clouds diplomacy. To make matters worse, heavy rains have returned and filled badly maintained North Korean dams to breaking point, threatening to spill billions of gallons south of the border. It is fair to say that North Korea’s future look uncertain – hardly surprising given that in North Korea even the past is subject to flux and change on a daily basis. It is a textbook publishing company’s heaven – a new edition goes to print every other week.

Despite North Korea’s problems, tourism is on the increase in this diplomatically isolated country – 200,000 people visited last year, and government officials, keen to reap the tourist dollar, are greasing wheels to see that more and more of the country is available for visitors. A long term visit will be expensive, costing from $100-$250 a day depending on the size of your group. You must be accompanied by a state guide, and only a very limited itinerary is open to you. The excellent Lonely Planet website (from which I took the land area and population statistics) details the types of tour available – options including mountaineering, language study and so forth. Please go to http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/north_east_asia/north_korea/ if you are interested in learning of the possibilities of group visits or want to know more statistics such as GDP, etc.

This review is concerned with a little known way to experience North Korea, and get a foot across the border, legally and without any great expense. If you want a full holiday to this weird and not particularly wonderful land, I’m afraid you’ll have to contact your nearest North Korean tourist office or embassy. What you will need is an easy to get Chinese visa and a ticket north from Beijing to either Changchun or Jilin, where you will need to change trains to reach the little town of Tumen, smack on the northern most tip of North Korea’s border with it’s giant communist neighbour. To see it on a map, I’d suggest a look here - http://www.multimap.com/wi/15220.htm. Zoom out to 4,000,000 to get a clearer look at the borders – at this scale you’ll need to use the motorway as reference point to locate Tumen. If the link doesn’t work try 42.97°N 129.82°E in an atlas! All in all, I would allow two days to get here from Beijing – it is about 10 hours north to either of Changchun or Jilin, and then the same again east to reach Tumen. Costs depend on which class you choose, I’d opt for “hard seat” by day or “hard sleeper” by night. I’d estimate a total cost of about 40 pounds for train tickets using these options, and assuming one of the two journeys would be overnight.

Spring or autumn would definitely be the optimum times for travel. In winter is can be bitterly cold (up to –15C) and in summer temperatures soar (to around 35C max). The scenery from the train in spring is very appealing – the brown grass, killed by the horrors of winter, is just stirring back to life and great sheets of bright purple heather-like flowers range across the crooked hills. Not your tradition “sound of music” beauty, but very interesting nonetheless.

A good rate of exchange to use to convert RMB (otherwise known as "yuan" or "kuai") into pounds is 10 RMB to 1 pound. In reality it is more like 12 to the pound, but using 10 makes it easier and adds a little caution into everything you might buy.

Tumen is a small town of just under 80,000 people, set in low hilly agricultural land. It is definitely a town that could be called “real China”, and the potholed streets, hovels, building sights and noisy markets are as much an attraction as anything else, I suppose, for the off-the-beaten-track adventurer. Through the middle of town runs the Tumen River, which serves to delineate the China-North Korea border. The river is wide here, and perhaps 80m wide. Internet searches for Tumen turn up two predominant themes – the pollution of the Tumen River and the current underground escape route that sees unhappy North Koreans trying to jump the fence for the greener pastures of China. The river is wide, but only waist deep in places and wading across is possible. Only an idiot would try it though, as guards and patrols roam both sides of the river, to arrest would be escapees. If they caught a tourist trying to do this, his or her fate would in the lap of the gods. Given that God is dead in North Korea (since 1950) things would look pretty grim indeed. The legal route across is much tamer, and you’ll be pleased to hear won’t involve getting your feet wet.

Having checked into your hotel (see below) in Tumen, head for the river (south). It is easy to find, though the Chinese words for river are pretty difficult to pronounce – try “Tumen jiang” if you want to. Directions shouldn’t be needed though, for Tumen is a small town and the river cuts it clean in two. When you do reach the river you will see a single long bridge across, painted red on the Chinese side, and blue on the Korean side. Head for it. Looking across the river you will see a scrubby no man’s zone along the far bank where soldiers purposefully wander lighting fires and prodding the odd bush with their rifles. In stark and bizarre contrast, a huge, skeletal Ferris wheel (on the Chinese side) churns out soda-pop melodies as it creaks round and round and round – empty of riders. A perky xylophone version of “Over the Rainbow” sounded particularly haunting, drifting across the cold grey river to the crackling fires and harsh calls of the soldiers on patrol.

A huge concrete arch with plastic bronze trimmings flanks the bridge, and serves as the Chinese border control. By paying 20 RMB (just shy of 2 pounds) you are entitled to do two things. The first is to march out across the bridge to a big metal plate that marks the physical border between the two countries. You may step across it, and the soldier will shoulder his machinegun for a few moments to take photos of you on the North Korean side. Should you take more than a couple of steps beyond the line, he will get tetchy and though it’s OK for him to snap you, the reverse is most certainly not true. He is the only man allowed to take any pictures on the bridge. A good rule of thumb to follow in and around Tumen is "don't piss off people with machineguns". You will see them at the railway bridge too, and they are a camera-shy lot.

After you’ve tested out the feel of North Korean bridge compared to Chinese bridge, and had a sniff of the air on the other side, you can return to the arch. A concrete staircase zigzags up through the guts of this uniquely communist monster, leading to an open roof equipped with high power binoculars and telescopes, all free.

Using them enables you to put to scrutiny the North Korean half of town on the far side of the river. A grey, grey expanse of tomblike apartment blocks huddles together at the foot of a great grey hill. It looks desolate. The only colour comes from the many red, white and blue DPRK flags and the many, many giant portraits of the Kim Jong Il and his dad, gazing sternly down on their subjects from high above. People can be seen tottering about town on their way from one place to another, chatting with friends, and so forth – the same as people do anywhere. It is very strange indeed to see the people move, or see them shrug their shoulders as they talk, to see the soldiers searching, to see steam trains come and go from a little station, to see birds and cats and animals on the other side of the river. Their movements tell you that this place, this crazy George Orwell world of watching eyes and rifles, is real, something you will find your commonsense refuses to accept.

When you have been sufficiently spooked, the same zigzag staircase takes you back out of the arch. On the way out you can stop at a little kiosk which sells all sorts of interesting things from the other world. North Korean stamps, bank notes and coins are plentiful, but expensive. Much cheaper are packs of North Korean cigarettes which make great gifts for pretentious friends from north London. My beret-wearing brother enjoyed posing with these for ages. They only cost a pound a pack, though this is an outrage compared to Chinese cigarettes which start from as little as 10p. If you opt for these may I recommend the erstwhile Flying Horse. I do not and have never smoked, but am told that the quality of all Chinese brands is so universally vile, that the cover is all you really need consider when buying. Flying Horse are about 20p a pack, and are wonderfully illustrated, featuring a big brown airborne horse hurtling over industrial and agricultural landscapes, a wicked Mona Lisa-esque grin just visible on his seemingly calm face. The packs are sky blue and white and widely available.

Well, let the Flying Horse herald a few details about the Chinese side of town that will make this trip feasible. First, there is a worthwhile wander out to the east of town, which leads up a low hill to a big marble column bearing inscriptions in Korean alongside Chinese. I would love to tell you what it’s therefore, but I can’t. Surrounding are a number of small farms and wandering cows, who occasionally break from grazing to gaze longingly at the far away mountains of the DPKR. The grass is always greener on the other side, perhaps, but hard to believe.

If you take a wander in the other hills nearer the river, I’d advise the same precaution be taken as when trekking in bear country. Make a lot of noise. You know you’re not a western spy sussing out a crossing point, but the many soldiers on patrol do not. As long as you are loud and keep cameras out of sight they really couldn’t care less – say hi! I got some military police types to sign my travelling guitar, along with badge numbers. Guitars in China can cost as little as 120 RMB (not much over a tenner) so, even if you don't play guitar, this would make a cheap and emminently cool souvenir.

Another point that justifies this to me as a North Korea holiday, rather than a Chinese holiday, is that the food you will eat in town and the people you will talk to are actually more Korean than Chinese. 2 million ethnic Koreans live in China, and most are located in the north in provinces such as Heilongjiang and Jilin (where Tumen is located). They even have a semi-autonomous area to themselves just north of Tumen. It is these Korean families that are sometimes involved in the person smuggling racket, providing safehouses inside China for recent border jumpers.

Thus, Tumen is a great place to try Korean food. A good filling dish is “ban fan” – a big bowl of rice, pickles, bean sprouts, vegetables and a fried egg on top. A big heap of red chili usually heaps the top. If you mix this in with the rest, prepare for burns – it is shockingly strong and could quite possibly be a derivative of the face melting goo in Robocop. These hearty beasts, sometimes served in cast steaming iron pots are a great value and delicious filler at around a pound (10 RMB). One would do for two. A good meat dish is “goo bao rou” – strips of tasty pork fried with chili or ginger in a crispy batter – all for 8-20 RMB depending very much on the quality of the establishment you chose to patronise.

If you want to try dog, you can do it here. It is relatively expensive though, from 40 RMB. There is an ethical reason not to, however. The basic argument offered against eating dog is that “it’s a dog”. This seems illogical to me, and rather unfair on cows and other beasts. A real reason to perhaps avoid dog is that the method used to slaughter and tenderise the meat is particularly cruel, and really not very pleasant. The Koreans believe that the meat tastes better tinged with adrenaline, which animals, including us, produce when afraid or tormented. Needless to say then , the methods of slaughter then are not quick and not painless. Consider this fact if you intend to order. Sorry to bring this up if you find it distressing, but I feel visitors should be fully informed of the situation.

To pleasanter things though. There is little else to do in Tumen than scan the other side of the border and stroll about town. For this reason I’d recommend a hotel near the railway station as you’ll probably only want a day to see it all. Heading out of the station, with your back to the station building, turn left along the main road. About 200m along you’ll see an unmissable pink building to your right. There’s a very clean, excellent value hotel on the second floor. We paid 10 RMB each for an immaculate room of four beds, with shared bathroom. In the basement is an equally great value bath-house and sauna where for 8 RMB men can bathe and relax. The sauna is very interesting, and the Korean (ethnically) policemen who frequent this place are very happy to show visitors how to use the big bucket of salt to intensify your sauna experience. There’s a massive cold and smaller hot tub here too, and many showers. Touts at the station may well try and pick you up and take you elsewhere, but I’d definitely try for this little pink wonder first. It may not still be there of course, as it has been 16 months since I visited. I am sure the touts still will be though, as a backup option.

As ever, I hope this has fueled some interest or desire to go and see it for yourself, or if not entertained in some small way. We went to Tumen on the advice of some Russians in Haerbin (where I was working at the time) who told us you could take a locked train into North Korea for an hour’s tour. Sadly, this is no longer true, though I have heard from elsewhere it used to be possible, as the Chinese track dipped across the border and through Onsong, before returning to China. I later saw it in the Asia Overland guide too. Still, it is not possible now. The little step across and telescope viewing that is still possible may seem tame to the reader, but I assure you it is one of the most fascinating things I have ever done.

PS: The text book's statistic was exaggerated for effect. 

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