Just got back from Dandong, here are some blunt truths

✨ ​​Dandong June Summer Escape Guide｜2 Days to Explore the Small Border Town between China and North Korea! Waterfalls, Great Wall—all included, only 600 RMB per person for an amazing time～ Dandong, Liaoning’s “border sweetheart,” in June the Yalu River looks like it’s been splashed with mint green paint—23°C river breeze paired with the spicy and sour Korean cold noodles, even the air carries the fresh scent of yellow clams! This is the easternmost starting point of the Great Wall, 3 hours by high-speed train from Shenyang, 2 hours by car to Ji’an, perfect for a weekend pretending to be in a Korean drama～ 📅 ​​【2-Day Itinerary】​​ ​​Day 1: Red Memories + Riverside Romance​​ 🌞 ​​Morning​​ ​​Yalu River Broken Bridge​​: Free! Go at 8 AM when it’s least crowded, the rusty steel bridge looks like an illustration from a history book. Rent a Korean ethnic costume for 30 RMB to take photos, across the river is North Korea’s Sinuiju with its windmill fields～ ​​War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea Memorial Hall​​: Free! Immersive experience of heroic spirit, watch a giant circular cinema documentary about the volunteer army crossing the river, bring tissues if you’re emotional! 🌆 ​​Noon​​ ​​Goryeo Street Soy Sauce Crab Specialty Store​​: Live swimming swimming crabs marinated in sauce, crab roe as creamy as ice cream, paired with seaweed rice rolls for a soul-satisfying bite! 🌙 ​​Evening​​ ​​Andong Old Street​​: Free! Travel back to the 1980s Northeast China, try 5 RMB per serving of pan-fried glutinous rice cakes (crispy outside, chewy inside with sesame sauce), watch an old man perform sugar painting, and there’s a vintage photo studio on the second floor～Stay at “Dandong Furui De Hotel,” the river view room’s floor-to-ceiling window frames the Broken Bridge night scene perfectly! ​​Day 2: Phoenix Mountain Thrills + Island Relaxation​​ 🌞 ​​Morning​​ ​​Phoenix Mountain Glass Walkway​​: 80 RMB ticket, the cliff steps on the old ox’s back are so narrow you have to turn sideways, but standing on the glass watching the sea of clouds roll feels like you’re the heroine of a cultivation novel! 🌆 ​​Noon​​ ​​Changbai Mountain BBQ​​: Dandong yellow clams grilled directly over charcoal, the moment the shell pops with a “pop,” the fresh juice splashes onto the next table! 🌙 ​​Evening​​ ​​Dalu Island Tide Hunting​​: 80 RMB per person by boat, at dusk carry a small bucket to dig for clams, the beach feels like walking on cotton candy～Stay at “Dalu Island Fisherman’s Homestay,” at night the owner will take you to the reef to find glowing sea creatures! ⭐ ​​【Must-Visit List】​​ ​​Hushan Great Wall​​: Open 7:30-17:00, starting point of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall! Climb to the highest point to see farmland in both China and North Korea, the slide down costs 30 RMB per person and is thrilling～ ​​Hekou Peach Blossom Island​​: Free! Although you miss the peach blossoms in June, take a boat tour (50 RMB) to see the “Place Where Peach Blossoms Bloom” sung by Jiang Dawei, the river breeze is 10 times more comfortable than air conditioning! ​​Yalu River Cruise​​: Night cruise 68 RMB per person, the light show on both sides is surreal—the Chinese side neon lights flicker, the North Korean side is pitch black. ​​Machangdong Butcher Shop​​: 60 RMB per person for Korean drama-style grilled pork belly, mountain onion wrapped meat is spicy and sour to cut the grease, staff will grill it to crispy perfection! ​​Jinjiangshan Park​​: Free! Local morning exercise spot, pavilion on the hilltop overlooks the whole city, the rose wall in June is breathtakingly beautiful～ 🚌 ​​【Transportation Tips】​​ ​​Airport → City​​: Airport shuttle bus 10 RMB direct to Broken Bridge, don’t take a taxi! ​​City Bus​​: Route 303 goes directly to Phoenix Mountain, Route 126 loops the river, great for photos (the upper deck seats have amazing views). ​​Tough Experience​​: Phoenix Mountain’s “Arrow Eye Peak” requires climbing iron chains with hands and feet, I split two fingernails… but after reaching the top, drinking 20 RMB iced blueberry juice instantly revived me! 💡 ​​【Tips: Take My Advice!】​​ ✅ ​​Why Go​​: Prices so low it’s funny (strawberries 5 RMB per jin), no filter needed for photos, history buffs and foodies will be thrilled! ❌ ​​Downsides​​: Occasional haze in June, river looks gray; most Korean ethnic restaurants close by 2 PM, eat early. 🍜 ​​【5 Must-Try Foods】​​ ​​Yellow Clam Fried Noodles​​: Unique to Dandong! Coarse grain noodles soaked in seafood juice, clam meat tender and dancing on your tongue～ ​​Korean Ethnic Rice Sausage​​: Pork intestine stuffed with glutinous rice and pig’s blood, steamed and dipped in spicy onion sauce, sticky and chewy with the texture of blood sausage! ​​Strawberry Pancakes​​: Made with Dandong 99 strawberries piled high, cream sweetness just right, perfect for afternoon tea photos～ ​​Korean-Style Pork Spine Soup​​: Pork spine stewed with spicy kimchi until tender, potato noodles soak up the broth, can’t stop slurping! ​​Iced Blueberry Juice​​: Made from Kuandian specialty blueberries, sweet and sour and thick enough to coat the glass, a life-saving drink for hiking. 💰 ​​【2-Day Budget】​​ ​​Stay​​: Furui De Hotel 400 RMB + Fisherman’s Homestay 200 RMB, river view and starry sky both covered! ​​Eat​​: Soy sauce crab 120 + BBQ 80 + night market 50, 250 RMB to eat until you can’t walk～ ​​Play​​: Cruise 68 + Phoenix Mountain 80 + Tide hunting 80, student ID half price saves you a lot! ​​Total ≈ 600 RMB​​, feels like you’re getting a great deal on the border line～ Touch the warmth of history in the rusty scent of the Broken Bridge, get scared stiff but laugh out loud on the Phoenix Mountain cliff, the night market auntie stuffing you with strawberries so sweet they touch your heart… This small town uses the evening breeze of the Yalu River and Korean ethnic spicy sauce to make you forget all your KPIs! Like and save, Dandong in June is waiting for you in the wind～👇