This article totals 3689 words, 17 figures
Poetic and distant, always very desirable. During the trip, it is often the farther you go, the more you can see different scenery. If you don't go abroad, the farthest place you can reach is the national border.
China's land border stretches at 22,800 kilometers, twice the distance from Beijing to New York. People often have their own imaginations about distant frontiers.
Some common impressions of the border:
1. The border is deserted and far from the city.
2. The scenery on both sides of the border will be very different.
3. There is not much to play near the border.
4. Traffic near the border is not convenient.
5. The borders are heavily guarded.
6. Without a passport, you cannot travel abroad across the border.
7. The barbed wire is the border.
8. At the border, you can buy foreign specialties.
So, what is the real situation? Today, curry orange will talk about whether people's impressions of the border are consistent with the facts, let's take a look!
Impression 1: The border is uninhabited, far from the city
Compared with the large cities in china with tens of millions of people, the population of the border areas is indeed much smaller, but it is not uninhabited.
For example, Dandong on the Border between China and North Korea has a population of 2.18 million, similar to the city of Paris; the Heihe River on the Border between China and Russia has a population of 1.28 million, similar to Munich. If it is a place with more difficult climatic conditions, such as Erenhot on the edge of the Gobi, the population is only about 80,000.
Thus, not all border areas are inaccessible.
So are the borders far from the city?
In fact, this is not the case, the above-mentioned Dandong, Heihe, and Erlianhot are all "zero distance" from the border line. On a tall building, or by a river, you don't need a telescope to clearly see the country opposite.
There are many similar examples of building cities along the border line, such as Tacheng in Xinjiang, Ji'an in Jilin, and Pingxiang in Guangxi.
The uninhabited places on the border are mainly some desert Gobi, primeval forests, plateau snowy mountains and so on. If a place is suitable for survival, even at the border, there will be a large number of people living there, thus forming a border city.
Impression two: the scenery on both sides of the border will be very different
The border often sounds like a "completely separated" feeling, as if the two sides are completely different worlds, a clearly demarcated graben.
In fact, national borders are political, not a product of nature. In nature, the transition of vegetation, the undulations of the terrain, and the change of climate are always gradual and slow.
Many times, if there is no logo written in different languages, or exotic humanistic architecture, it is impossible to distinguish which country the scenery on the border belongs to.
For example, the "Tumen River" in the above figure shows North Korea on the left and China on the right, and the scenery of the two countries is very similar.
Stretching inland from the river, the scenery is all sandy beaches, soothing plains and gradually rising mountains, even the trees on both sides of the river are of the same species.
If it weren't for the continuous iron nets on the shore, it would be hard to guess that such a harmonious landscape would belong to two different countries.
Look at the China-Pakistan border in the picture below, try it, can you guess whether the snowy mountains behind the national gate belong to China or Pakistan?
The answer is China. This is a photograph of China taken from the Pakistani side.
The snow-capped mountains behind the national gate are very similar to those on the Pakistani side. The border line is near the barbed wire fence on the left side of the figure, and without its assistance, ordinary people simply cannot find clear boundaries.
Impression three: there is not much to play near the border
Most of the famous domestic attractions that we are familiar with, such as Zhangjiajie, Jiuzhaigou, Guilin Yangshuo and Qinghai Lake, are not in the border areas.
Due to the long distance, many people do not go specifically to the border line when they travel. It can be said that for a long time, border tourism has been in a state of neglect.
While the attractions of the border area are not as famous, they often have unique features.
For example, Black Blind Island in Fuyuan City, located at the easternmost tip of China, is the first place on the mainland to usher in the sunrise. If you go in the middle of June every year, you will experience the unique scene of "midnight daylight" at 2:00 a.m. and sunrise at 3:00 a.m.
In Manchuria, in northern Inner Mongolia, the entire city is filled with European-style architecture. Gothic, Renaissance, and classicist designs can be found. Walking on the streets is like coming to a fairy tale world, and it is the best place to "experience exotic scenery without going abroad".
In the "one village, two countries" scenic spot on the border between China and Myanmar, a golden pagoda with strong ethnic customs was built and a Buddhist temple was built with red bricks. Looking around, it is quite similar to the ancient city of Bagan in Myanmar.
Of course, in recent years, due to the impact of the epidemic, some border tourist attractions have not been opened normally. Before you leave, be sure to check the business status of the scenic spot first, so as not to empty it.
Impression 4: Traffic near the border is not convenient
Border areas are mostly remote, so it's easy to give the impression of "inaccessibility".
But today, with frequent international exchanges, many border cities have played the role of "transportation hubs". They are not only the farthest places in the country, but also the closest places to foreign countries.
For example, Alashankou City in northwest Xinjiang is more than 2,800 kilometers away from Beijing and 3,700 kilometers away from Guangzhou, which can be said to be a frontier without compromise.
However, the city is only 2,100 kilometers away from the Ural River, the "dividing line between Asia and Europe." Because of this, the railway transportation here is particularly developed, and the "China-Europe Express" used in Sino-European trade leaves Alashankou.
The railway connects Europe to the west and to the east through Urumqi. The so-called inconvenience of transportation has long become a thing of the past.
Not only Alashankou, but also border cities such as Erenhot, Dandong, Pingxiang, and Suifenhe also have trains to foreign countries, which undertake the hub function of domestic and foreign cargo and personnel transportation.
The train from Xishuangbanna to Laos is the first cross-border high-speed railway on the mainland, and it takes only 3 hours to reach Vientiane, the capital of Laos.
Even border crossings without railways have highly maintained and renovated roads. For example, the "Karakoram Highway" connecting Pakistan through Tashkurgan, and the "KaiHe Expressway" that goes directly to Estuary County and reaches Vietnam.
From this point of view, the border area is not only not closed, but the transportation is convenient, the road is accessible, and the traffic is busy.
Impression 5: The borders are heavily guarded
Friends who have traveled abroad many times must be impressed by the heavily guarded entry and exit management at the airport, such as the uniform inspection counters, the staff who strictly check documents, and the large number of security personnel.
Many people naturally think that the border line is also like this, five steps and one post, ten steps and one sentry, tight and watertight.
However, if you leave the port of entry and exit, the most common thing you see is the scene in the picture below.
Don't say it's so tight that not even a patrolman can be seen. Does this mean that you can come and go as you please, and no one cares?
Of course not! In many places, although there are no managers on the surface, there are hidden cameras and dark sentries. Law-abiding citizens naturally do not feel their presence, but those who want to sneak through are bound to be discovered.
The same is true in some places abroad. For example, the outpost on the Russian side is often empty, making people feel negligent and have room to drill.
But the Russian patrols are actually hidden not far away, constantly monitoring every move on the border.
Therefore, although the borders in many places are not heavily guarded, it does not mean that they are not fortified.
Impression 6: Without a passport, you cannot travel abroad across the border
Going abroad requires a passport, which is common sense in the hearts of many people. However, it is surprising that in some border cities, even without a passport, it is legal to cross the border and travel abroad.
This is the "border day trip" that was more popular before the epidemic. Because only an ID card is required, visitors without a passport can travel smoothly. But the disadvantage is that you must follow the group and cannot travel freely.
What does such a tour itinerary look like? Take the "Mong Cai Day Tour" on the Border between China and Vietnam as an example, at 8:00 a.m., first go to the relevant agencies to apply for a special "entry and exit certificate" for border tourism. During peak season, the process takes a long time, usually taking 1-2 hours.
After completing the documents, you can go to the border with the group, exit from the "Dong Xing Port" on the Chinese side, and then enter from the "Mong Cai Port" on the Vietnamese side.
When I entered Vietnam, it was already noon. This time, savor an authentic Vietnamese meal, try the steaming pho with mango rice, and then stroll through the traditional alleys.
In Mong Cai, you can see many French-style buildings, you can swim on the beach by the sea, and you can also eat a variety of fresh tropical fruits.
In the evening, I left for China at about five o'clock, and the condensed version of the "outbound day trip" ended.
Before the epidemic, in addition to Vietnam, you can also use the same way to go to Mujie, Myanmar, Sinuiju, North Korea, and other places to take a trip abroad.
Impression 7: The barbed wire fence is the national border
When you travel to the border areas, you can often see large sections of barbed wire. These barbed wire mesh can be described as "no beginning and no end", neither finding its beginning nor where it ends.
The endless barbed wire fence that blocks the smuggling of personnel seems to be China's national border itself. But in fact, the real borders are in the outermost places.
As an important basis for the border between countries, the line formed by the connection of boundary monuments is the real national border. These boundary stones are printed with information such as the name of the country, the year of the monument and the number, and are the furthest point of the country.
Generally speaking, boundary monuments are a few meters to tens of meters outside the barbed wire fence. These territories from the barbed wire to the boundary monument naturally belong to the mainland.
Why not fix the barbed wire on the borders?
First of all, from an engineering point of view, the construction of the border wall needs to reserve a certain amount of space for the smooth installation and maintenance. If you are too close to the border, in case of problems, you cannot go to the other side of the barbed wire to repair.
Secondly, it is also for the convenience of the relevant staff patrols. If the barbed wire is the border, there is no way to patrol outside the barbed wire. The barbed wire fence that seriously affects the field of vision will make it difficult for the border patrol to observe the distance.
Impression 8: You can buy foreign specialties at the border
Yes, in the border areas, it is indeed easier to buy foreign specialties. With the continuous progress of the "Belt and Road", cross-border trade has become more and more frequent in recent years, and the import of commodity goods has gradually increased. Shopping malls have been set up in many border areas to sell imported goods.
The specialties that can be purchased in the border area are related to neighboring countries and have a local character.
In Dongxing City, Guangxi Province, you can buy Vietnamese specialties such as durian cakes, dried tropical fruits, and instant coffee; in Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang, you can find Russian specialties such as smoked salmon, sour cucumbers, beef intestines; on the border between China and North Korea, it is not difficult to find North Korean specialties such as Datong River beer and ginseng; in Khorgos City, Xinjiang, there are also Central Asian specialties such as sheep oil, honey, and saffron.
In some border areas where trade is more developed, duty-free cities will even be established to sell goods from all over the world. The variety of goods sold here is usually more abundant, and it is not limited to the countries bordering it.
From food to bags, watches to tobacco and alcohol, from health care products to skin care products, as long as it is found in airport duty-free shops, border duty free cities also have everything.
However, due to the special period, for the sake of epidemic prevention, many import shops are not open. It is believed that after the epidemic, the trading of imported goods will return to prosperity.
brief summary
This article tells you what the border area really looks like. In the future, Curry Orange will also use an article to introduce the different scenery of the Chinese border line that has been visited.
Welcome to pay attention to the "Coffee Orange Tour the World" public account, and forward and share this article with your friends and family!