Rason Special City in North Korea is the first city in the country to allow self-drive tours (independent road trips) by Chinese tourists. In a country where daily necessities such as food are extremely scarce, Chinese visitors here enjoy meals with meat and alcohol at every turn. One of the most popular spots among tourists is the Emperor Casino in Rason City.

According to Ta Kung Pao, giant portraits of North Korea’s successive leaders and their families, lapel pins of the leaders worn by locals, colorful political propaganda paintings, and grand slogans can be seen everywhere in Rason. Aside from these, there aren’t many brightly colored clothes—residents mostly stroll the streets dressed in black, white, gray, and earthy yellow.

Travelers must wait for customs clearance at the North Korean Yuanjingri Port, and there are numerous restrictions, such as a ban on bringing telescopes, tape recorders, professional cameras, mobile phones, and other electronic devices. Photography is limited to designated scenic spots, and group entry and exit rules must also be followed.

The Emperor Entertainment Hotel (which houses the Emperor Casino), built by the seaside, is a landmark building in Rason City. All the gamblers here are Chinese tourists, including those from Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin, as well as from Shenyang, Changchun, and Harbin in Northeast China. By simply exchanging 20,000 RMB worth of chips, all other expenses including food and accommodation are covered by the hotel, making it the most popular destination for travelers from Northeast China.

The North Korean Tourism Bureau arranges children’s choir performances at the theater in Rason City. Reports indicate that these North Korean children, who firmly believe that “socialism is good,” are considered the happiest people in the country. While singing and dancing, they always wear smiles, and even pose for photos with their best expressions. After the performance, the children place the small gifts given by tourists neatly on the stage and dare not take any for themselves.

North Korea is making significant efforts to promote tourism, targeting not only Chinese citizens but also having previously promoted itself in Taiwan. Currently, there are travel agencies in Taiwan that specialize in North Korean tourism. According to statistics from the Tourism Bureau, a total of 1,200 Taiwanese tourists visited North Korea in 2012, although the tour costs are quite high—a 3-night, 4-day trip to North Korea requires at least NT$48,000.

Mini Guide

Rason Special City

Rason Special City is located in the lower reaches of the Tumen River in northern North Korea. To the southeast, it borders the Tumen River, across which lie China and Russia. The area covers 746 square kilometers and is fully enclosed, separated from non-open zones, following a management model similar to that of Shatoujiao on the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border in China.

Opened to tourism in June 2011, it became the first city in North Korea to allow self-drive tours. The Rason Free Economic and Trade Zone is the only free economic and trade zone in North Korea directly governed by the central government and open to the outside world. It is also the only area in North Korea where third-country nationals can visit without a visa. (Weng Luyi)