Yalu River Island - Van Camping Opposite North Korea

For a few days, we just stared at North Korea.

Opposite us.

At three different riverbank sites we parked-up our mini-van, looking to the hauntingly beautiful mountains of North Korea; shrouded in mist every morning.

Yalu River Fishing On Chinese Side Looking To Blown Up Japanese Ww2 Bridge Over To Dprk — Yalu River Fishing On Chinese Side Looking to Blown up Japanese WW2 Bridge Over to DPKR

At our favourite camp spot (pictured below) we would wake at 4AM – because that is sunrise here in northern China in the summer.

North Korea hid for hours amid morning mist of the Yalu River

But slowly, beguiling mountain scenes open across the Yalu River.

Van Camping On Island Yalu River China North Korea Border — After mid-day before any color enters the scene: van camping on Peach Island (yeah, they grow peaches here) in the middle of the Yalu River on the China-North Korean border. NOTE: in the middle of the photo, the buildings on the North Korean side are a military post – see picture further down.

Yalu River Panorama North Korea — Our room with a view … to North Korea. Often it felt like we were at a lake, rather than amid a mighty river.

After the mist cleared, we sat opposite a DPRK military post. Sometimes small army speedboats zipped along the opposite bank. One day, 2 Chinese navy patrol boats growled up and down the river.

Ducks Misty Mountains Yalu River To North Korea — Ducks on the Yalu River amid early morning mist hanging over North Korea.

Another day, it was young Chinese men in Olympian rowing practice teams.

But mostly, it was masses of ducks that brought the Yalu River to life.

North Korea Watchtower Yalu River — North Korea floating watchtower on Yalu riverbank (this detail was not visible with the naked eye; only seen with my 200mm camera lens).

Woman Looking Towards North Korea Across Yalu River China — Wei looking towards mountains of North Korea shrouded by mist across Yalu river. At first light, you can’t even see the outlines!

What could you see of North Korea when the mist lifted?

Apart from beautiful peaks and forest, not much.

Occasionally, a truck, bus or car horn would sound from a hidden dirt road, but you rarely saw the vehicle as forest covered most of the route.

rowers on yalu river misty morning — Rowers training on a very calm day, like a long exposure photo. The river waters are smooth.

As mentioned, sometimes a DPRK army speedboat left or arrived from that base opposite us, and at night, the tower was the only dwelling with lights on.

The Korean village was in darkness (as I had seen in the countryside of North Korea a couple of years earlier when traveling by train from China).