Yalu River Broken Bridge 鸭绿江断桥

About Yalu River Broken Bridge

Its steel structure and surviving piers make the interruption in the bridge physically clear. The original bridge included a rotating section to let tall vessels pass, adding an engineering story to the wartime one. From the permitted deck and riverbank, visitors can compare the remains with the Friendship Bridge beside it; this is a memorial visit, not a border crossing.

Construction began in May 1909 under Japan's colonial railway authority in Korea, and the crossing opened to traffic in October 1910, linking Sinuiju in Korea's North Pyongan province with Andong (now Dandong); it was the first bridge over the Yalu River. In April 1943 Japan completed a second railway bridge about 100 meters upstream, now called the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge (中朝友谊桥), and this bridge was converted into a road bridge. Because it carried supplies to the Korean front, American bombers attacked it repeatedly from 8 to 14 November 1950, breaking the bridge, dropping the Korean-side steel spans into the river and destroying three piers.

Afterward the Korean side removed its remaining six spans, along with two more on the Chinese side, leaving only piers; the surviving four spans on the Chinese side were kept and are commonly known as the Broken Bridge, though the name was changed to Duan Qiao (端桥) in 1992 before reverting after 2000. Dandong repaired the bridge in 1993, built a viewing platform at the former swing and break point, painted the structure pale blue, and opened it in June 1993 as a tourist site and patriotic-education base; the name plaque was written by Chi Haotian (迟浩田), and the site is run by the Shenyang Railway Culture and Tourism Group (沈阳铁道文旅集团).

What to look for

• The surviving steel spans and the visible break in the former crossing.
• The rotating-span engineering context and the view towards the neighbouring Friendship Bridge.

The surrounding area

Eastern border-city base for Yalu riverfront history and a different coastal-border food repertoire.

Location & getting there

Getting to Yalu River Broken Bridge

Approach the Chinese-side visitor entrance on Jiang'an Road in Dandong's Zhenxing District. Follow the current deck barriers; the final damaged section may not be accessible.