Along the Yalu River, Jilin Province, PRC
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 103.51 mi
- Elevation gain
- 7,129 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 6,004 ft
- Max elevation
- 2,367 ft
- TrailRank
- 59
- Min elevation
- 1,177 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Moving time
- 3 hours 16 minutes
- Time
- 4 hours 8 minutes
- Coordinates
- 10179
- Uploaded
- October 9, 2019
- Recorded
- October 2019
near Xitou, Jilin (China)
Viewed 1100 times, downloaded 1 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
The border between PRC and North Korea runs along the Yalu River. Security checkpoints may be expected on any roads near the border area, where delays may occur for foreigners. For this reason it is suggested that foreigners should travel with supportive Mandarin speaking China Nationals. Track recording in the area can utilize the free Wikiloc Jilin Province Map download.
Recorded on October 4, 2019.
Waypoints
River
1,244 ft
start track recording here
The small city of Baishan is convenient as an overnight stop before driving to the Yalu River Road.The first part of the journey from Baishan is omitted from this track. the track starts a short distance after turning north on the Yalu River Highway.
River
1,189 ft
Yalu River 01
The road follows close along the PRC side of the winding Yalu River. The opposite side appears to be more remote from major infrastructure and has more agriculture. There is tight security along the border areas.
River
1,223 ft
Yalu River 03
In early October the autumn colours were at their prime on the steep hillsides above the highway (Oct 4, 2019).
Provisioning
1,352 ft
Tobacco Farms and market 1
Enter a small village with market stalls set up along the highway. It is possible to sample the local tobacco in hand made cigarettes. There are four grades on offer plus whole leaf packages. Simple street food can be found. Also local honey, various types of tree fungus, and other exotic items.
River
1,427 ft
Yalu River 05
Beautiful white horses graze along the riverside on the far shore (definitely not work horses).
River
1,597 ft
Yalu River 07
No cars, roads or powerlines evident in remote farm villages across River, no mechanical equipment seen in small fields at harvest time.
Panorama
Photo
1,973 ft
rock slide areas
The highway gains elevation to pass through rock slide areas. Tunnels and rock sheds.
Photo
1,926 ft
Village
Pass another small village. Caution: congestion from unlicensed farm vehicles during harvest. They frequently are unable or unwilling to stop and look when entering highway.
Intersection
1,982 ft
Turn off towards Wàng Tiān'é (Hope Swan) Park
The track leaves the river here and continues NW to one of the major attractions of the area, the turning of autumn leaves at Wàng Tiān'é. A petrol station is located along the river shortly before the turn off.
Car park
2,353 ft
Wàng Tiān'é (Hope Swan), Jilin Province, PRC
Wàng Tiān'é (Hope Swan) Park, Main Parking Lot. There is a separate Wikiloc track for the park, which is renowned for the red maple leaves of the lower canopy and also for geological features, such as columnar basalt flows.
Comments (4)
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Hi there, Thanks for posting. I'm hoping to cycle from Changbaizhen to Linjiang this summer, but I'm worried about the security checkpoints. Do you think they would be a problem for a laowai on a bike? I did this trip by car many years ago without problems, but I guess things always change. Thanks for any advice
Things change fast in China, and it has certainly become more risky for Canadians in countryside areas of Dongbei. I'm no reliable guide, but if going along (or near) the border it is probably a good idea to arrange supportive, connected Chinese nationals to accompany you, and take every other precaution you can think of. Mandarin skill is mandatory. For example, I was accompanied by Chinese relatives - Senior Department heads at a prominent University in Jilin Province, who had solid Province-level contacts going back to their time spent in the Jilin countryside during the "10 year Revolution" ('66-76), and even earlier than that. This probably helped this foreign passport holder pass two police and one military security stop without undue scrutiny. When stopped, your social profile from e-devices, etc. will probably be checked before passport is retuned, so keep all of that clean. Countryside scrutiny and city scrutiny might be different - "the Dragon in the Sky cannot see the Snake on the Ground".
Thanks for your reply. Sadly, we’re cancelling the trip. It was too hard to find out anything official. One police check might be worth risking, but not multiple, with military…too many unknowns for such a long remote trip.
Back to the drawing board. Still plenty of beautiful rides around Jilin. Maybe next summer. Thanks again for your post.
The coastal route east of Dalian (Kaifaqu) is also popular, no police stops, a lot more small towns, paved rural roads off the main highway, a lot more local bicycle touring groups, and there are offshore islands accessible by ferry.