After several years of promotion, the new city area has become sizable. However, the occupancy rate of the new buildings is still low. "On the one hand, people who buy houses there usually have houses in the old city area. On the other hand, the supporting facilities have not been perfected." said an engineer. "Maybe [another] ten years will suffice."

The slow progress in the occupancy rate is obvious, as is the slow construction of the new bridge and the Huangjinping Economic Zone. The iron gate was tightly closed at the site of the economic zone, where one North Korean soldier was on duty in the makeshift duty room. The soldier would stop people from taking photos.

The construction of the economic zone was launched in 2011 and is still in its initial stages. The entrance to the zone has not been finished.

The development of the new city area and Huangjinping needs more time.

Separated by a river

Liang Chuanbin once had the notion that people east of the river had no business with the North Koreans opposite the river. "Each goes their own way."

He has however gradually adjusted his viewpoint. Due to the instability, local tourism was affected. Now Liang and other locals look forward to the day that the DPRK can open its doors to the outside world. "If not, Dandong will reach the end of development."

When the young Kim Jong Un took charge of North Korea, the people of Dandong cherished new hope. To their astonishment, more than one year after, the prospect of a war on the Korean Peninsula has greatly disappointed them.