Photo taken on April 11 shows that visitors are few and far between at the entrance to the Huangjinping Economic Zone. [Photo: DFDAILY.COM]

Local people's feelings for the Yalu River

55-year-old Liang thinks that, at least from the Dandong perspective, the situation is getting increasingly tense.

In the 1970s, when Liang was in his twenties, he could see no soldiers at the border. In summer, he often swam in the Yalu River, and could easily cross to the other side. "But I didn't go to shore. The people there were very friendly. Nowadays, the soldiers there scare us."

Years later, China entered the period of reform and opening up. At that time, Liang made a living by selling gifts. Many docks could be seen in those days and many locals had their own small vessels; Liang got along well with all. He remembered that many people from North Korea also boated on the river. When people from the two nations met on the river, they would greet one another.

When Kim Il-sung was still alive, ships from China and the DPRK often crossed paths. "When the North Koreans saw the Chinese, they would shout and say hello. The warmth could be felt," said Chang Zemin, a former Dandong factory worker. When it came to the Kim Jong Il era, several vessels could still be seen on the river, yet these would always be followed by a few motorboats and the Korean people no longer waved hello. In recent years, the ships have become a rare sighting.

20 years ago, these private vessels helped the relatives from both sides to meet up . They named the time and the ship and would then meet on the river. "Two ships were usually six to seven meters away from each other. The relatives would cry with excitement when they saw each other, not knowing when they would meet again," said Chang.

Things that changed and didn't change

30 years ago, Chang Zemin had a great admiration for North Korea.

From Dandong, Chang could see a big round construction. "We could not see that thing in Dandong. Later I found out it was a roller coaster. They had it in the 1970s," said Chang. "When I was young, we only had No. 1 buses, no Line Two and Line Three."

Chang also admired the Koreans' spacious housing. "In my childhood, my family of three generations lived together in a house with only one bedroom and a kitchen. In Dandong the best house would be over 10 square meters big."