In the Hushan tourist attraction in the city of Dandong, Ms. Liu strikes a pose and takes a selfie.
"This is the place closest to the waters of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and you can go into the territory of the DPRK by just one step," Liu said. "Here I can not only appreciate the beauty of the DPRK but also see how local people live and work."
Dandong is located in the southeastern part of the northeastern Liaoning Province and is separated from the DPRK by the Yalu River. The unique location of Dandong has made it a popular tourist attraction among tourists from around China, who often swarm to Dandong to feel the beauty on both banks of the river while enjoying the unique culture there.
In the first quarter of this year, Dandong received more than 12 million domestic tourists and 31,000 visitors from abroad, generating tourism revenue of 11.5 billion yuan (1.67 billion U.S. dollars), up 13.9 percent year on year.
In Dandong's Hekou tourist attraction, an ethnic village on an islet in the border river covers 66,000 square meters, presenting more than 20 tourists spots with distinctive features of China's Korean ethnic group. The attraction offers exquisite delicacies of the ethnic group, as well as their unique traditions.
Tourists can also take a cruise and appreciate the scenery along the river.
Another spot in the Hekou tourist attraction is the Yalu River Broken Bridge, a symbol of the China-DPRK friendship.
Many tourists come to the bridge wearing traditional Korean clothing to take pictures.
"Besides domestic tourists, many foreign visitors also come to the bridge," said Sun Ying, general manager of a local tourism company managing the tourist spot. "We receive more than 300 foreign tourists every day on average."
Last year, the bridge saw close to 1 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 12 percent, which generated a revenue of 26.8 million yuan.
