Chinese tourists drawn to North Korea despite nuclear test

• Source: The Global Times
• [23:28 May 28 2009]
• Comments

By Wu Gang in Yanbian

A group of tourists pose for a picture Thursday while a Chinese border guard watches at the middle of a bridge linking Tumen of China and Nanyang of North Korea across Tumen River. Photo: Wu Gang

“Cheers!” a photographer called out Thursday to a group of about 30 Chinese youngsters sitting, crouching or standing at the border line right in the middle of a bridge linking Tumen of China and Nanyang of North Korea.

Many were aware of the nuclear test that took place less than 200 kilometers in the Korean side just three days ago, an underground explosion that has shocked the world.

“It doesn't seem to have anything to do with us,” a girl muttered, while pointing her binocular to the portrait of North Korea’s former leader King Il Sung on a wall on the other end of the bridge.

“There is a Korean border guard! There are three farmers working in the field!” she exclaimed, panning the binocular.

The first day of a three-day holiday of Duanwu, or Dragon Boat Festival, has drawn throngs of tourists to Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture bordering on the northeastern part of North Korea.

Travel agencies said the recent nuclear test did not affect the mood of tourists at all. People continue to come to see the borders, or even travel into North Korea with organized tourist groups.

“Our two-day travel package to North Korea’s Luojin scheduled for May 30 and June 6 will move ahead as usual,” a Shuguang International Travel Agency manager surnamed Wang said.

A 24-person group from Shanghai was not affected by the nuclear test, either. They entered North Korea Wednesday as planned, headed to Pyongyang, Shanghai Morning Post reported.

Many people in Yanbian, including a restaurant worker, a pharmacist, a street vendor and even a government publicity official, said they did not feel the 4.5 magnitude earthquake local seismic bureau reported Monday, which later was known to have been caused by the North Korean nuclear test.

“I didn’t know an earthquake happen, until a friend called me later and then I saw the news,” Zhang Weixin, a publicity official with the Yanbian government.

But the schools took action swiftly, evacuating their students to open areas soon after they learnt about the quake.

“Nobody wants the 512 tragedy in Sichuan happens again for our school kids,” Zhang said.