As of late, China has become quite the tourist magnet among Singaporeans, with hordes flocking to cities like Chongqing and Chengdu for an affordable getaway. While it might be tempting to book a flight bound for the more popular cities, opting to explore the lesser known destinations could make for an eye-opening trip too. Case in point: Yanji.
It’s a border city in Northeastern China that’s in proximity to North Korea so you’ll find traces of both Chinese and Korean influences on its culture and architecture. Here’s all you need to know about Yanji’s quirks, from signs written in both Mandarin and Korean to its Internet-famous “Bullet Comment Wall”.
The current exchange rate is RMB10 = ~S$1.79 as of 17th April 2025.
Yanji’s not the most accessible city to get to if you’re flying in from Singapore, as there are no direct flights to the city. Nonetheless, getting there shouldn’t be too difficult. One way to get to Yanji is to take a flight from Singapore to Shanghai via China Eastern, and after a layover of about 2.5 hours, fly into Yanji from the Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Return flights start from $581, and you’re looking at a total travel time of 10 hours and 45 minutes.
Image credit: China Discovery
Another way to reach Yanji is to take a flight from Singapore to Shenyang via Scoot (from $352) and then board a train to Yanji from the Shenyang North Railway Station (from $46.63). This will cost you a total of $445.26, and this way of getting to Yanji will take you around 11 hours and 20 minutes.
Yanji is a city in the East of the Jilin province of China, and located near the China-North Korea border. In fact, you can get a clear view of North Korea as you look across the Tumen River from Yanji. It’s also the capital of the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, which was granted its status as an autonomous prefecture due the large number of Koreans living in the area.
Historically, Korean immigrants hopped the border en masse to China in the late 19th century, as they were faced with economic hardships on their home soil. Today, it is estimated that the Korean population in Yanji is between one-third to more than half of the city’s total population.
An example of bilingual street signs in Yanji.
Image credit: Graeme Nicol via Flickr
As such, both Chinese and Korean are considered to be the official language of Yanji, as evident by the bilingual signs peppered throughout the city. It’s also not uncommon to spot other hints of Korean culture in Yanji, such as the many restaurants serving Korean cuisine, and cultural practices like donning traditional Korean costumes AKA hanbok.
Undoubtedly, the main draw of Yanji is its unique mishmash of Korean and Chinese cultures. You’ll notice this the moment you touch down at the Yanji Chaoyangchuan International Airport; the city’s name is written in both Mandarin and Korean, and sits proudly above the building.
When you make your way further into the city, rows of houses bearing distinct Korean architecture fill the streets. You might also spot a couple of buildings reminiscent of those you’d find in Russia in the vicinity too. After all, the Russian border isn’t too far away.
Image adapted from: 小喵喵😻 via RED
Foodies wanting to eat like the locals do must make a stop at the Dongfang Water Market. You’ll want to set your alarm for this, as the market opens at 5am and closes at 9am, but the produce and street food here is as fresh as it gets. Some dishes to get your mouth watering include different varieties of kimchi, bowls of Korean cold noodles, and sweet strawberries when they’re in season.
For even more photo ops, pay a visit to the Korean Folk Village. Admission costs ¥30 for adults and ¥20 for children, and it’s a small park that’s adorned with various Korean-styled structures like gates, pagodas, and huts.
As such, this place serves as a perfect spot for those looking to snap pics while dressed in hanbok. There are many shops in the vicinity that’ll rent you the costumes, doll you up with makeup, and take professional photos of you for around ¥200. There’ll also be dance performances happening throughout the day, Korean fare like rice cakes and rice wine, as well as traditional musical instruments for you to fiddle with.
Image credit: 出逃旅行的煎饼 via RED
One spot you cannot miss on your visit is the Yanji Wanghong Wall. It’s not quite a wall, but an 8-storey building that sports many eye-catching electronic billboards and signs on its facade. The reason it’s also dubbed the “Bullet Comment Wall” is because the moving text and images on these billboards resemble comments you’d find on videos on Chinese video streaming sites.
The best time to catch the Yanji Wanghong Wall in all its glory is in the evening, where the building will shine brightly in a kaleidoscope of neon under the cover of dusk. Again, you’ll get to see signs written in both Mandarin and Korean, as they illuminate the night.
Finally, another intriguing place to put on your Yanji itinerary is Tumen Port. Like its name suggests, it’s a small port by the Tumen River that separates China and North Korea. Take a stroll towards the train tracks leading to the border gates here; this is probably as close as you can get to the hermit kingdom without actually going into the country.
Right across the train tracks lie the North Korean city of Nanyang. Not-so-fun fact: the orange-roofed buildings are actually residential complexes built by the Chinese government for the North Koreans, and they don’t come with windows. Winters here can go way under freezing temperatures, and the only thing keeping residents warm are plastic films covering their windows.
If you’re looking for an alternative to the usual mega metropolises in China, consider planning a trip to Yanji. You essentially get to experience 2 different countries’ cultures, and one thing’s for sure; you’re definitely not going to bump into another Singaporean here.
For more things to do in China:
Cover image adapted from: 小兔可可儿 & 小喵喵😻 via RED
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