evidence: Last December, photographer Elijah Hurwitz journeyed to the Chinese border with North Korea by way of the Yalu River. He found the boundary surprisingly porous, especially outside the major cities, aside from the occasional odd security camera. Dandong is a Chinese city and the locus for trade, both legal and illicit, across the countries. It’s also a place for family members to meet, and exchange goods and remittances, especially at times when the border is less monitored. Centuries ago it was arguably part of the Korean Koryo dynasty. At the end of the dynasty in the 14 century, the Yalu River became the Chinese and Korean border. As such, many ethnic Koreans (joseon-jok) have lived there for generations and speak the local language. [...] "The Yalu River is one of two rivers that form the border between North Korea and China. The Yalu is wider than Tumen, which is north and east," explained Tim Peters, a Christian activist whose work includes evacuating North Korean defectors from northeast China. "In a way, in particular in the winter, it is a no man’s land, giving the opportunity [to those] who wish to make an exodus [into China]."