Ten Years of Isolation: The Shattered Dream of Dandong New Area Across the Yalu River

Ten Years of Isolation: The Shattered Dream of Dandong New Area Across the Yalu RiverIn the southwest direction of Dandong City, Liaoning Province, a new city called Dandong New Area, also known as Guomenwan New Area, was erected more than a decade ago. Occupying an area of approximately 61

Ten Years of Isolation: The Shattered Dream of Dandong New Area Across the Yalu River

In the southwest direction of Dandong City, Liaoning Province, a new city called Dandong New Area, also known as Guomenwan New Area, was erected more than a decade ago. Occupying an area of approximately 61.8 square kilometers with a capacity of 400,000 people, this new city, which was held in high expectations, was positioned as the future international financial and commercial center on the Sino-North Korean border, the future urban administrative and cultural center of Dandong City, as well as a modern water and land port, logistics hub, and modern industrial base. Today, many supporting facilities, including the imposing Guomen Building, Customs Building, port, and passenger inspection center, have been completed, but this new city remains sparsely populated, cold and deserted, its dream shattered across the Yalu River. The reason for this lies in a cross-sea bridge, the new Sino-North Korean Yalu River Bridge.

The design and planning of Dandong New Area were initially based on this new bridge. Construction of the bridge, which began in 2010, was originally scheduled for completion and opening in 2014. However, ten years have passed, and this bridge connecting China and North Korea still shows no sign of opening to traffic.

Not far from the unopened new Sino-North Korean Yalu River Bridge, there is another bridge for both road and rail traffic, the Sino-North Korean Friendship Bridge. It is currently the only land passage for cargo trade between China and North Korea. Built during the early stages of the Anti-Japanese War, the Friendship Bridge gained international recognition after the Korean War. However, as this bridge is a one-way route that can only accommodate trucks weighing less than 20 tons, it not only consumes a significant amount of time, making it inefficient but also easily leads to traffic congestion. This severely restricts trade and economic exchanges between the two countries.

To improve the transportation situation between China and North Korea and promote bilateral trade and economic exchanges, both countries decided to build another modern bridge with four lanes in both directions across the Yalu River in late 2010. The design, construction, technical materials, and the 2.2 billion RMB required for construction of this new bridge were all borne by the Chinese side.

November 30, 2014, was supposed to be the day the new Yalu River Bridge officially opened to traffic. However, both inside and outside the port were deserted and empty. In the following years, news of the opening circulated annually, only to be dashed year after year. In recent years, even the mention of the opening has ceased, leading to a sense of indefinite postponement.

Why has this new bridge, built ten years ago, failed to open to traffic? The reason lies in the fact that the North Korean side has not yet built the connecting roads leading to the city, nor the accompanying customs and port facilities.

These construction facilities on the North Korean side of the new bridge have not only remained unbuilt to this day, but even the foundations have not been laid. Today, all that exists is green, fertile land. A Dandong resident lamented, "It's such a waste to have this brand new bridge just end in a cornfield."

Regarding why the North Korean side has not built the approach roads and related supporting facilities, there are various explanations. Some say it's due to technical issues, while others claim it's a matter of funding. Notably, the North Korean side has also launched numerous large-scale projects in recent years, such as the Pyongyang Stadium, the permanent venue for the "Arirang" performance, and the terminal building of the Sunan International Airport. These projects have now been completed and put into operation.

The ten-year lonely bridge has become an insurmountable obstacle on the path of development for Dandong New Area. This new city, held in high hopes, ultimately saw its dreams shattered due to a cross-sea bridge. The future of Dandong New Area inevitably raises questions: when will this new city truly experience prosperity? When will this new bridge finally fulfill its intended purpose?

This ten-year lonely bridge is not merely a bridge; it symbolizes the hopes and dreams connecting China and North Korea. It is hoped that this bridge will soon open to traffic, becoming a symbol of cooperation and mutual benefit between the two nations. It is also hoped that Dandong New Area can quickly achieve its development goals and become a new highlight on the Sino-North Korean border.

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