The Border Railway Bridge over the Yalu River at Jian/Manpo

Korea (North) / Chagangdo / Manpo /
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The construction of this bridge started in 1937 and was completed on July 31 1939. As can be seen from the dates, it was constructed by Imperial Japan who controlled both Korea and the Chinese northeast at the time. It is 589.23 meters in length and 16 meters high. During the Korean War, masses of Chinese volunteers crossed this bridge on trains heading toward the frontlines. It was targeted by US aerial bombing but it survived the War. An arch-style border gate was erected on the Chinese end of the bridge in 2004. In 2010, Kim Jong Il’s train is known to have crossed this bridge for his surprise visit to Jilin Province in late August that year. It was used again by Kim Jong Il's train on his return from his visit to Russia in August 2011 (the train entered China at Manzhouli and traveled here to the Korean border).
On the Chinese side, (at least) Chinese tourists are allowed on the bridge for a fee when there is no expected train traffic, but policy and implementation regarding foreigners seem to vary according to circumstances (and the particular PLA soldier at hand making the judgment), so beware.
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Coordinates:   41°9'21"N   126°16'20"E
This article was last modified 12 years ago