Yanjee - Part 2 - Going to an Improbable Place

At times during Rosanne and Kevin's trip to Yanjee it was hard to believe that we were in China. One could look around and see the fall colours, the rolling hills, the beautiful country side and to be honest one could think that you were anywhere in the world. However, once in a while you would come across a Chinese flag - as pictured above - and then you could say to yourself - ahhh - that's right I am in China.

During the 3rd day of their journey Kevin and Rosanne experienced a number of moments that made them realize just where they were in the world. Pictured below is a sample of life around Yanjee as viewed from the bus. Below one can see a "butcher shop" where people are buying meat. Similar to this are "fish shops", produce vendors and so on. This is definitely a different way of looking at the economy and of commerce.


Below you will see a road which leads to small area of housing in an area just outside of Yanjee. The housing is very simple and these areas or villages would be clumped together and would have a number of stores or shops close by. These villages, which were extremely independent, did not have a lot of cars - but some motorcyles or small tractors.


When Rosanne and Kevin visited this area it was beginning to get cold - the start of October - and we saw a number of people searching and gathering fire wood. Below you can see the fire wood that they need to get through at least part of the winter.


After a long journey - 3 to 4 hours - the group arrived a Tumen a border city between China and North Korea. In order to travel between the two countries one would have to travel between the long 200 meter bridge. Pictured below is Kevin and Rosanne standing on this bridge the gateway to North Korea.


The excitement at the bridge was quite intense as you can see in the picture below. (To be honest our friend Choua has a trademark photo of people "jumping" in a special place or after a special event. So, at her request, everyone around her jumped on the bridge from China to North Korea).


Following our time on the bridge was another stop to a restaurant - this time it was a restaurant with a Korea/Chinese influence. Yet when you look at the signs in the area you can see three languages - Chinese, Korean and Russian. When you think of these countries it is hard to see similarities, yet, when you visit you begin to understand that these countries are related. Borders define a country or area - it does not define a culture or heritage of a person. Yet, through it all, people are people they have a job, families, they love, laugh, cry and live - maybe in a way that is different from us - but they live.



As our group continued down the road we came to the point where the countries of China, Russia and North Korea (DPRK) meet. The picture of Rosanne and Kevin seen below actually show a view of the Sea of Japan. What one cannot see is the fences which divide the three countries.


Returning from this place we stopped at large rock which was erected by the United Nations and number of years ago. The rock calls for peace not only between these three countries but for all countries around the world. To the left of this rock is a 12ft fence that marks the border with Russia - while to the right is a river that is the border between North Korea (DPRK) and China.


In the end this trip provided Rosanne and Kevin and understanding of a different and developing world. Of people who are living in world which is evolving with Chinese Communism (China) and a country which may, hopefully, be on the verge of opening itself up to the world (North Korea). Growing up many of us had notions of countries like China and Russia of what communism is and the negative affect it must have on its people - yet, those notions do not seem relevant or even possible now.


In the end the world is full of people...who are living and doing and learning. We have a lot to learn from each of them. The trip to Yanjee is a reminder of this.