Yalu River Bridge

Yalu River Bridge

The Yalu River Bridge actually consists of two bridges, less than a hundred meters apart. The first bridge began construction in May 1909 and was completed in October 1911. It was built by the Railway Bureau of the Japanese Government-General of Korea at the time, initially serving as a railway bridge. It has twelve spans, is 944.2 meters long, and 11 meters wide. The fourth span from the Chinese side is an opening span, which can rotate 90 degrees to allow passing ships to navigate. The second bridge was first built in April 1937 and put into use in 1943, located less than a hundred meters upstream from the first bridge. From November 1950 to February 1951, after being bombed multiple times by U.S. aircraft, the first bridge was reduced to ruins, leaving only half of it standing, with just bare piers remaining on the North Korean side.

The second bridge, which is the one we commonly refer to as the Yalu River Bridge, is still in use today and serves as a vital link between China and North Korea. This bridge began construction in 1937 and was put into service in 1943. The upper level is used for railways, while the lower level is for road traffic. At that time, the road surface was paved with wooden planks, which were later replaced with cement slabs in 1977 and have not been repaired since. After many years without major maintenance, the steel beams of the Yalu River Bridge are heavily rusted, and there are over 300 damaged sections on the road surface. Some bridge panels have shifted or cracked, reducing the bridge’s load-bearing capacity.

The Yalu River Bridge is 946.2 meters long in total, with the Chinese section measuring 569.9 meters. According to news reports, the recent major repair project for the bridge deck received an investment of over 2 million RMB, funded by Shenyang Railway Bureau and constructed by the Dandong Maintenance Section of Shenyang Railway Bureau. The construction site will be closed to traffic for round-the-clock work every Thursday from 4 PM to Sunday at 11 PM, while normal customs clearance will be maintained during other times. This project is expected to be completed in late October this year. After the renovation, the bridge deck’s load-bearing capacity will be increased from the original 10 tons to 20 tons.

During the bridge maintenance period, only tourist and trade vehicles will be allowed to pass from Monday to Wednesday, while the road section will be closed from Thursday to Sunday. Railway transport will remain unaffected.

With the completion of the bridge and the resumption of tourism to North Korea, to meet the needs of tourists, the Dandong Municipal Government and Dandong Border Inspection Station applied for and received approval to allow tourists to walk across the bridge into North Korean territory.

Approval states: Walking tours across the bridge are permitted, but the safety of tourists and the bridge must be ensured. It is also stipulated that tourists are not allowed to take photos on the bridge and must walk in single file.