China
and North Korea shares only about 45 km dry land border, out of a common
about 1400 km boundary which streches from the Yellow Sea in west to the Sea of Japan
in east. The remaining lenght is divided on 803 km along Yalu River (in
west) and 530,8 km along Tumen
River (in east). Between the two rivers is this dry lenght at Mount
Paektu.
Chinese
side of CNKP Border marker 37 (2009). This is situated on the same place
as marker no 5 (1990). As the number is higher it seems there has been a
new Chinese-North Korean border demarcation in 2009. 1)The photo is taken in Autumn
2009.
The
same marker as above, but watched from the North Korean side. 1)
Map
over the area with bordermarker numbers. The divided Lake Chonji (Chinese)
or Lake Chon (Korean) is located between marker 5 (1990)/ 37 (2009) and
marker 6 (1990).
Wet
land boundary (River)
The
new bridge (left) and the old and partially destroyed old bridge (right).
Watched from Dandong, China over Yalu River in
direction of Sinuiju, North Korea. 2)Both Chinese-North Korean border
rivers are condominia, but river islands are not. It is unclear
how the ownership of bridges is governed.
On
bord train from Sinuiju to Dandong; in northern direction: North Korean
land to right and Dandong on the other side of the joint Chinese-North
Korean Yalu River.
The
train is now both in North Korea and in China.
This
was Geosite's Jan S. Krogh's first visit inside a condominium!
Yalu
River towards south: The old and damaged bridge streches about 356
metres, while the total width of the river is 641 metres (see map below).
On it's eastern end it is closer to North Korea than it is to China. But
since it is in a condominium and since it cannot be reached from North
Korea, it is de facto (and possibly also de jure) administrated by
China.
Here
a 1930 map is overlaid an orthomap. 3)
We can see the old bridge on the topographical map and the new bridge from
the photography. At this time the border followed the river midline.
Only
the Chinese-North Korean border rivers themselves make condominia; not the
river islands. We do not know what is agreed concerning manmade
structures which are permanently located on or in the river.