Aerial view of the tri-border area at Fangchuan

　　Fangchuan, located 75 kilometers south of Hunchun city, is a border region where China, North Korea, and Russia meet. Covering an area of 20 square kilometers, it borders a river and the sea, nestled against mountains and water. Since ancient times, it has been known as “where the crowing of a rooster can be heard across three countries, and the barking of a dog startles all three borders.”

　　To the east of Fangchuan lies the small Russian border railway station of Baudogornaya, while to the southwest, across the Tumen River, is the North Korean town of Dumangang. These two cities are connected by a railway bridge over the Tumen River, forming the only land trade link between Russia and North Korea. Traveling 15 kilometers down the Tumen River from Fangchuan leads to the Sea of Japan, potentially making it a “Maritime Silk Road” for trade between China, Russia, Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and even other Northeast Asian regions. From Fangchuan, it’s just 16 kilometers by water to the Russian port of Posyet and 180 kilometers to Vladivostok.

　　Jingxin Fangchuan Village is situated at the foot of Zhanggufeng Mountain. Just a few kilometers further lies the “T” border marker, erected in 1886 under the supervision of Qing Dynasty imperial commissioner Wu Dacheng and Russian representative Balonov. From here, it’s only 15 kilometers to the mouth of the Tumen River, with a distant view of the Sea of Japan. Climbing the watchtower on a nearby hill, you can gaze at the misty Sea of Japan blending into the horizon; closer by, the landscapes of China, North Korea, and Russia stretch out before your eyes—with the Soviet border town of Baudogornaya to the left, and across the river, North Korea’s Dumangang to the right. The military and residents of Fangchuan proudly say that this is where you can “see the mountain and river scenery of three borders, and hear the crowing and barking of dogs from three countries.”