PYONGYANG, North Korea — On a grey stone column in Pyongyang, a mural shows Chinese and North Korean soldiers rushing into battle against US-led forces in the Korean War. Decades later, the monument is a regular stop for new waves of Chinese going to the North, this time as tourists. “I’m very interested in North Korea and wanted to come to see what North Korea looks like,” said Yu Zhi, a retiree from Anhui province visiting Pyongyang, telling AFP that she had a “special feeling” for the country. “China is very friendly with North Korea,” added her fellow traveller, a woman surnamed Jin. The Chinese travel phenomenon is market-driven, rather than prompted by state order — as well as the market offered by China’s huge population, the two countries’ border enables cheap overland journeys.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer June 18, 2019 04:41 UTC