North Korea Trip Day 4: End the Journey, Back to Dandong, Reflections on the Trip

North Korea Trip From Dandong – Day 4

The journey in North Korea has come to an end. Early in the morning, the bus was already waiting at the hotel entrance to take us to the train station. On the way to the station, the usually calm streets were bustling with excitement. Every citizen’s face was filled with smiles and joy because there was a grand parade today.

60th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice

July 27, 2013, marked the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. The whole city seemed to come alive, filled with vitality. We wanted to join the grand ceremony, but the train was coming, and we had to leave Pyongyang… However, while waiting in the train station hall, we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Kim Jong Un’s speech on TV. Sadly, the broadcast was interrupted by a power outage shortly after. I really wished I could have experienced this magnificent scene in person.

Leaving Pyongyang, Back to China

At the train platform, I was suddenly craving a snack, so I bought something from a food cart vendor. However, since she didn’t have any Chinese Yuan to give me change, she gave me North-Korean Won instead. When other group members found out, they all rushed to buy things from staff, scaring her away. The reason for the big reaction was that throughout our trip in North Korea, we used either Chinese Yuan or US Dollars, and the change we received was the same. So, there was no chance to get any North-Korean Won, making it quite a novelty for everyone.

Around 10 AM, the train was ready to depart, slowly heading towards China, saying goodbye to North Korea! We had lunch on the dining car at noon. The dishes were decent, but I had a stomach ache later…

Customs Inspection at Sinuiju

When we arrived at Sinuiju, customs officers boarded the train to inspect luggage and conduct body searches. I thought the inspection would be as relaxed as when we entered, but this time, it was very thorough. They opened my wallet and backpack, and briefly checked my camera, but seemed unaware that phones could also take photos. Then they found my USB drive and asked if I had a laptop. I said no, and then they let me go, but they didn’t know that I had transferred photos to the USB drive using a group member’s laptop the night before 🤣

The most thoroughly inspected in our group was an Australian guy. The officers looked through his camera photos one by one and kept asking him questions. I guess they were curious about the outside world. A Hong Kong girl hid North-Korea Won in her bra, so it wasn’t found. After the inspection, the train continued over the Yalu River, with Sinuiju, North Korea on one side and the high-rise of Dandong, China on the other. Our North Korea trip ended when we arrived in Dandong.

Postscript: Observations on North Korea

• North Korean citizens receive 16 kg of rice, 1 kg of pork, and six eggs per month from the government through ration tickets.
• The streets in North Korea are very clean, maintained by each household.
• There are not many cars on the roads; mostly bicycles, but most people walk.
• Outside of Pyongyang, almost all areas are rice fields. The oxen plowing the fields are very skinny.
• Women in Pyongyang like to wear high heels.
• Most Pyongyang citizens are friendly but reluctant to be photographed.
• In some ways, living in North Korea could be considered happy, provided you don’t know about the outside world.
• As one of the Chinese tour group member said: North Korea today is like China 40 years ago.
• If you want to lose weight, you can do so visiting North Korea. The food is healthy, sleep patterns are regular, and there’s a lot of forced exercise (visiting 6~8 attractions a day).

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