Boating on the Yalu

We grabbed a speedboat and went for a quick trip along the Yalu River. Looking over at Dandong, it was striking how different the two shores looked - Dandong rises above the river in row after row of shining high rises, with more under construction. On the North Korean side, however, there are a few trees, some old boats, a factory... and not much else. Near the main bridge across the Yalu, the river does not freeze over, so the boats can run year-round. Our speedboat driver wanted to get the most out of his yuan, taking us as fast as he could along the North Korean shore, leaving little time to shoot pictures from the bouncing boat. But we did see the North Korean fishing fleet pulled ashore for the winter, a few freighters in the slack water, and a small North Korean riverine patrol boat - the occupants of which looked mildly amused as we sped by and snapped a few pictures.