This next chapter in my China odyssey took me to the city of Dandong, famous for sharing a border with North Korea which you could cross pre-COVID. The two countries have always enjoyed close social and cultural ties, with imperial China affectionately reputing itself to be the “big brother” in the relationship, symbolised by a hierarchical tributary system. This dynamic deepened following the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. China’s intervention and continued succour thereafter has now propped up three generations of the beleaguered Kim regime.
With this in mind, my first stop was to the Memorial of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid North Korea which is more than a little suggestive of how China perceives its involvement. The museum was totally biased but absolutely brilliant, replete with dramatic dioramas of battle scenes and tales of individual heroism. As if it weren’t unsubtle enough, the presence of organised Communist Party tour groups shows just how large historical memory looms in contemporary Chinese politics.
I was surprised to see that they still peddle Mao’s fictitious claim that the US used bacteriological weapons in Korea
A fabulously implausible depiction of a Chinese soldier jumping into a frozen lake to save a North Korean boy from drowning
Next up, was the Yalu River Broken Bridge and parallel Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge. The former, as the name suggests, isn’t in use because it was bombed by the US during the Korean War. Though it’s never been repaired, it was recently refurbished and now serves as a tourist attraction, allowing you to get great views of North Korea (unlike at the DMZ where I had to use a telescope). My parents will be pleased to know that this was the closest I got to North Korea, as the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, which still connects the two, is currently closed. Again, it was an unabashedly jingoistic affair, with visitors exultantly waving the national flag as loudspeakers blared patriotic songs. Such an uncritical view of one’s own history is deeply problematic, especially when propagated by an authoritarian government seeking to ensure the unwavering loyalty of its population. Yet I’m not sure that the current internecine cavilling about our own history (one that is far less contentious I might add) in the West is any better. I’ll take the company of credulous patriots over po-faced wokeists any day.
View of Sinuiju in North Korea from the Broken Bridge
In addition to its North Korean connection, Dandong is also where the eastern terminus of the Great Wall is situated. I had an exerting but splendid hike along it as the sun was beginning to come down. A lovely prelude before doing its larger and more famous counterpart in Beijing.
Most importantly, I got to see my first Mao statue at Dandong railway station which I hope will be the first of many on this trip. It was very kind of the Chairman to wish me a bon voyage on my journey to Shenyang.
