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Our Stressful Arrival at the China–North Korea Border 🇨🇳
Dandong Arrival: Stressful Entry to China-North Korea Border City
We traveled to China’s largest border city with North Korea – Dandong – but our arrival didn’t go as planned. What should have been a simple stop quickly turned stressful as we faced unexpected challenges trying to settle in at the border city.
September 2025 | Vlog 542 | Dandong ,China
13/34...
We traveled to China’s largest border city with North Korea – Dandong – but our arrival didn’t go as planned. What should have been a simple stop quickly turned stressful as we faced unexpected challenges trying to settle in at the border city.
September 2025 | Vlog 542 | Dandong ,China
13/34 Province
When we finally started our adventure
Embark on a journey to Dandong, China's largest border city with North Korea. Experience the unexpected challenges and stress of arrival in this unique frontier town. This travelogue captures the raw reality of settling in at the border, offering a glimpse into the less-traveled paths of China.
We traveled to China’s largest border city with North Korea – Dandong – but our arrival didn’t go as planned. What should have been a simple stop quickly turned stressful as we faced unexpected challenges trying to settle in at the border city.
September 2025 | Vlog 542 | Dandong ,China
13/34 Province
When we finally started our adventure
The video follows travel couple Ben and Rian as they take a bullet train from Dalian to Dandong, China's largest border city with North Korea. The journey itself is smooth and efficient, highlighting how comfortable and easy train travel is in China. Rian marvels at the modern infrastructure, explaining how even older bullet trains offer first-class comfort with two-by-two seating and hot water for making tea or coffee on board. The real drama begins upon arrival. Their first hotel refuses them because they lack Chinese ID cards, a security regulation that requires hotels to send foreign passports to the local police. A kind hotel employee leads them to another hotel, which also rejects them. After a tense hour of failed bookings and refund complications, they finally secure a room at a Holiday Inn through Trip.com. Exhausted and relieved, they settle into their clean, modern room, order food via the hotel robot, and Rian makes a solo nighttime walk to buy beer and yogurt, noting how safe China feels. The video ends with immense excitement for the next day's exploration of the North Korean border.
A stressful arrival in Dandong, China's border city with North Korea, turned into an unexpected adventure when multiple hotels refused to accept foreign guests without Chinese ID. After a chaotic scramble through unfamiliar booking systems and kind hotel staff who helped translate, this travel couple finally secured a room at a Holiday Inn. Their relief was palpable as they settled in, ordered cheap local food via the hotel robot, and prepared for what promises to be an incredible exploration of the North Korea border tomorrow.
A stressful arrival in Dandong, China's border city with North Korea, leads to hotel chaos, kind locals, and a hard-won Holiday Inn room before exploring the DM
Dandong China North Korea Border Arrival Stressful Hotel Chaos
2:10 Leave early for Chinese train stations even if nearby, as boarding often starts 15 minutes before departure.
5:31 Use Trip.com to book hotels in smaller Chinese cities; WeChat booking may not work for foreigners without local ID.
9:46 Always take free hotel tea and coffee with you; you can use the hot water on trains to make instant noodles and drinks.
14:10 Press the three-dot button on WeChat to translate Chinese text into English for easier navigation and booking.
24:50 Hotels without facial recognition capability cannot accept foreigners; choose larger international chains for hassle-free stays.
30:22 China is very safe for solo night walks; even in an unfamiliar city, you can walk to a shop for drinks without fear.
2:10 Leave early for Chinese train stations even if nearby, as boarding often starts 15 minutes before departure.
5:31 Use Trip.com to book hotels in smaller Chinese cities; WeChat booking may not work for foreigners without local ID.
9:46 Always take free hotel tea and coffee with you; you can use the hot water on trains to make instant noodles and drinks.
14:10 Press the three-dot button on WeChat to translate Chinese text into English for easier navigation and booking.
24:50 Hotels without facial recognition capability cannot accept foreigners; choose larger international chains for hassle-free stays.
30:22 China is very safe for solo night walks; even in an unfamiliar city, you can walk to a shop for drinks without fear.
0:00 Train travel in China begins
1:01 Excitement for North Korea border
5:26 Boarding the bullet train
12:18 Arriving in Dandong station
15:38 First hotel rejects foreigners
18:19 Searching for a new hotel
24:30 Finally checking into Holiday Inn
27:28 Ordering dinner via robot
29:55 Night walk for beer in Dandong
32:48 Excitement for tomorrow's exploration
0:00 Train travel in China begins
1:01 Excitement for North Korea border
5:26 Boarding the bullet train
12:18 Arriving in Dandong station
15:38 First hotel rejects foreigners
18:19 Searching for a new hotel
24:30 Finally checking into Holiday Inn
27:28 Ordering dinner via robot
29:55 Night walk for beer in Dandong
32:48 Excitement for tomorrow's exploration
on tour with dridgers#otwdChinaviajar a Chinanorth koreanorth korea traveltravel to north koreatravel in chinachina north korea bordernorth korea from china中国旅游旅行外国人在中国的外国人丹东dandongGran Muralla China中国的长城china tourchina tripchina golden weekWhat happened when you tried to check into the first hotel in Dandong?
They couldn't accommodate foreign guests without a Chinese ID card. It's a public security regulation.
How did you finally find a hotel that would take you?
A kind hotel employee recommended another hotel, but that one also rejected us. Eventually, we booked a Holiday Inn through Trip.com and it worked.
What was the best thing about traveling by bullet train in China?
The first-class seats are 2 by 2, super comfortable, and you can get hot water for tea and noodles on board. It's so easy compared to other countries.
Was Dandong safe to walk around at night?
Yes, very safe. I walked alone to buy beer and yogurt, no problem at all. China feels much safer than the US or UK for night walks.
