Your guide - Ken White - goes north to Dalian and the Korean border.

Was that Max Gillies, they saw?

Dalian in Liaoning province is one of China's recent success stories. Situated just across the water from South Korea it is known as the Pearl of the North and by some as the Hong Kong of the North. Dalian has all the trappings of a modern Asian city.

The city of Dalian.

Designated by the central government as an open trade city, it has a large ship building industry a free trade development zone and is the richest city per capita in China. It has every kind of department store, foreign supermarkets, international schools and more than its share of Taiwanese Japanese and Korean business ventures. It even has its own international fashion show, hosted a couple of years ago by our own Bob Hawke.

It is a city of beautiful parks the most famous being Xing hai or starry sea situated right on the beach. Here you can enjoy a quite sail around the harbour go para-sailing, fly a ultra light, experience scuba diving or just enjoy a cold beer. For a price you can even buy one of the new apartments complete with jetty overlooking the Yellow Sea. While my wife Xiao Yan and I live in Dalian, its delight for me is as a jumping off place to enjoy the North East of China a place often overlooked by foreign travellers.

China's version of the Orient Express

So it was earlier this year (2002) with my intrepid companion Northern suburbs mate Brian Sanaghan, I set off for Dandong on the China - Nth Korean border. The overnight train from Dalian meanders its way up the Dalian peninsular zig zagging through the former Manchu capital of Shenyang to the North Korean border. A bus journey of five hours is more like 12 on the train. But with a couple of bottles of French Red, purchased at Dalian's French supermarket and a feed of Chinese duck the journey can be most relaxing.

The war museum in Dandong.

Dandong is a border town and while cross border traffic is slow it is brisk enough and set to boom with the announcement that the once reclusive Stalinist state is about to set up a huge special economic zone right on the banks of the Yalu river opposite Dandong. Dandong was the place in the Korean War where the Chinese people's volunteers crossed the Yalu in what is known here as the war to resist US imperialism and aid Korea in the early 1950s.

It is said that when Stalin refused air support the Chinese central committee debated at length whether they should continue with what was a rather risky venture. Old Mao sat there silent while various people questioned the wisdom of the idea. After a few hours they thought it was about time for the old boy to state his opinion.

'Bit of a waste of time', he replied, 'before this meeting began I wired General Peng (Marshall Peng Dehai, cooling his heals in Dandong) and told him to take the Peoples volunteers across the Yalu'. The old Machiavellian had done it again. That of course is history.

Ken White on the bridge that once crossed the Yalu linking north east China with the Peoples' Republic of North Korea.

Cruising down the Yalu.

A cruise along the Yalu River is a must. You can get to about wading distance from the North Korean side and take happy snaps of North Korean soldiers. All along the fore shore is a sense of history. The old bridged bombed by the Americans is still there, and for a dollar you can wander around the foreshore viewing various war paraphernalia including a few MIG jets. The foreshore boasts many Korean restaurants and if you don't like dog well try the wild pig.

The military museum is a collection of stone buildings built in the Russian style, which house various exhibitions of the Korean War. While it is impressive enough the fact that all the captions are in Chinese is a disappointment. There are old Fighters, trucks tanks etc. in the grounds, but the staff took a dim view when Brian assured them that as an old Comrade he presumed he had a right to try and drive one.

The great highlight of Dandling is Phoenix Mountain about 50 Kms from Dandong. The mountain is sacred to both Taoism and Buddhism and has a history of over 1,500 years. It is still home to monks and nuns of both faiths and we were lucky enough to observe a Taoist ceremony. A real one not for the tourists.

Phoenix Mountain.

One could wander for days around these cliffs and crags that have given rise to myths and legends from as far back as the Tang dynasty. However, Brian and I decided to take the chair lift to the top of the mountain, where on a clear day if you can't exactly see forever you can at least see North Korea. While a trip to Dandong is an experience in itself, if you have the time for a 22 hour train ride further north into Jilin province you won't be disappointed. For here is Chang bai Shan, (long white mountain) one of the most isolated yet beautiful sights in China.

For most of the year Chang baishan is inaccessible covered with ice and snow but in the brief spring and summer it is covered by lakes and wildflowers and one of the most spectacular waterfalls in China cascading over a thousand meters into the crevices below.

Climb a mountain or swim in a lake!

The most amazing scenery is the volcanic lake that straddles China and Nth Korea. An arduous climb but well worth it. The lake is said to hold many secrets not the least being its own monster. It has passed into legend in North Korea as the base where former President Kim II Song led his band of irregulars in the war against the Japanese.

Yes, the North East of China is certainly worth a visit. From the base of Chang Bai shan you can grab a bus to the rail head and head for Jilin city capital of Jilin province about 20 hours away. Passing through ethnic Korean areas along the way. Jilin city has many fine sites, not least being the old Catholic church built in the 19th century by German missionaries. When we were there we were lucky enough to take part in a typical Catholic wedding complete with a choir of nuns. Do yourself a favour head north.

Ken White