Pyongan
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Pyongan (Korean: 평안도) is one of the historic provinces of Korea, now broken up into North Pyŏngan, South P'yŏngan and the separately administered capital city Pyongyang.
Cities
- — national capital with much Stalinist architecture
- - known for Waudo Pleasure Ground, Kangso Mineral Springs, Lake Taesang and a complex of Koguryo Tombs
- – an important city for scientific research in the country, supposedly the "Silicon Valley" of North Korea
- — border city with a railway connection to China, next to the Chinese city of Dandong
Understand
Pyongan is one of eight historic provinces of Korea, formed during the Joseon Dynasty in the 15th century. The name is derived from the then two principal cities of the region; Pyongyang and Anju. It runs along Korea Bay in the Yellow Sea, from the North Korean capital in the south, to the Chinese border in the north. The eastern border for a large part runs along the Rangrim mountain range.
Get in
As it is in North Korea you can only enter via tour, see North Korea#Get In
See
You can see the city of Sinuiju from across the river in Dandong, China, and it is connected to it by the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge. If you're coming by train from China, Sinuiju is likely the first city you'll see. It is possible to get to around one hundred metres near to Sinuiju by boat from Dandong. Various tour boat operators along the Yalu River surrounding the Friendship Bridge charge ¥20-50. In wintertime, the river freezes over and locals on both sides trek across the border to trade (or defect). However, the North Korean army regularly patrols the border, and any foreigners caught on the wrong side can expect to be detained and accused of spying.