Although Dandong is not large, in and around the city limits there is actually a lot to do. From hiking the eastern portion of the Great Wall to camping in nearby mountains or islands, not to mention the historical sites from the Korean War and more recent, massive industrial expenditures, there is plenty to keep you busy at any time of the year. Most people opt to spend a weekend in Dandong, choosing two or three activities out of the plethora of choices. There are some must-see places inside the city, however. One such place is the Yalu River Broken Bridge and memorial. Another is the Korean War Memorial, or the "Resist America-Save Josun (nowadays a reference to N. Korea) War" Memorial. Below are some images of our time in Dandong, from our first steps outside the train station to our last hour in a beautiful park.
Dandong train station
The Resist America-Save Josun Memorial
DA3 standing in line at the memorial. The man is taking a picture of...
Me! with his friends, who were making him take the picture, thinking I didn't understand what they were saying. So I got DA3 to take a picture of me pretending not to notice.
Old machine guns outside the memorial
Old fighter planes
It cost 10 RMB to get in the weaponry field, otherwise I would have gotten as close as this guy.
After visiting the memorial, we went into the city to find some of Dandong's delicacies for lunch before our train back to Changchun. Unfortunately for this street food connoisseur, Dandong's "specialties" were basically the same foods I've seen in Changchun going by a different name. I did find some brownie-like mooncakes (how have I not found them before??) and we ended up at a random porridge place that surprisingly had the best broccoli and shrimp, sweet and sour chicken, and meat-stuffed fry bread we've had in a long time. Thank goodness DA3 insisted we buy soft-sleeper tickets for the ride back, because a few minutes into the ride our food got the best of us and we napped to the rocking of the train in our own private compartment.
Our order of Dandong's Egg-Nut Bread. Translated literally it sounds funny, but it's just a thin, crisp crepe topped with three different sauces (semi-spicy, sesame paste, and really spicy), folded over with fry bread (or sausage) and lettuce in between.
Amid all the planning that went into the trip, we still managed to come across the unexpected: a beautiful mosque in the middle of the city.
DA3 before going inside. Having made the choice to stay cool that day, my attire did not allow me to enter the complex.
A bass saxophone player tooting his memorized 1950's American movie scores in a mountain-side park.
Tai-chi practitioners on the Yalu River boardwalk at dusk.
Humongous blooms! Unfortunately I couldn't get closer without paying something to someone.
A new favorite exercise machine: Calf Massager
I could totally use a calf massager machine! Lol!
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