Here’s a bit of trivia. What is the largest border city in China, where it’s possible to stand on the so-called Broken Bridge and wave at the DPRK neighbours? 

Answer: Dandong, Liaoning Province. Situated on the banks of the Yalu River that flows for 300 kilometers between the two countries, it’s a major gateway in China’s northeast. In fact, 80 percent of China’s trade with the DPRK goes through Dandong.

But despite being a port city with ferries carting curious tourists carving down its waters, Dandong possesses some precipitous peaks that erupt into an extravaganza of color every autumn. While many travelers visit Dandong for its proximity to the DPRK, some choose to venture to its mountains and lakes for a very visual feast. Forests like the ones that carpet Phoenix Mountain become a crimson-and-gold inferno.

In the “Valley of the Heavens,” thrill-seekers can hike up a narrow schism formed by an earthquake aeons ago, and then make their way down from the summit via flying fox. Beware, however, it’s the only way down. In contrast are the crystalline ripples of Qingshan Lake, which UNESCO deemed one of the world’s six least polluted nature reserves. Dandong’s location lends it to some other interesting facts: the northernmost island in China is part of it. Zhangdao Island is home to 600 people and is approximately two square kilometres in size.

Additionally, the easternmost point of the Great Wall is in Dandong. It was excavated in 1989 and soon thereafter opened to tourists. The wall runs for about 1.2 kilometres over Hushan, or Tiger Mountain.As it turns out, Dandong is much more than just a sneaky peek at the DPRK from the Broken Bridge, whether you get a wave back or not.