Tumen River
Encyclopedia
The Tumen River is a 521 km-long river that serves as part of the boundary between China
, North Korea
, and Russia
, rising in Mount Baekdu
and flowing into the Sea of Japan
.
The river flows in northeast Asia
, on the border between China and North Korea in its upper reaches, and between North Korea and Russia in its last 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) before entering the Sea of Japan. The river forms much of the southern border of Jilin Province in Northeast China
and the northern borders of North Korea's North Hamgyong and Yanggang provinces. Baekdu Mountain
on the Chinese-North Korean border is the source of the river, as well as of the Yalu River
(which forms the western portion of the border of North Korea and China).
The name of the river comes from the Mongolian
word tümen
, meaning "ten thousand" or a myriad
. This river is badly polluted by the nearby factories of North Korea and China; however, it still remains a major tourist attraction in the area. In Tumen, Jilin
, China, a riverfront promenade has restaurants where patrons can gaze across the river into North Korea. Russian name of the river is Tumannaya, literally meaning fog
gy.
In 1995, the People's Republic of China, Mongolia
, Russia, and South Korea
, signed three agreements to create the Tumen River Economic Development Area.
Important cities on the river are Hoeryong
, Namyang
and Onsong
in North Korea, Tumen
and Nanping in China.
crossed over the Tumen River, and most recent refugees have also used it.
Although the Tumen is heavily patrolled by armed guards of North Korea, the river is considered the preferred way to cross into China because, unlike the swift and deep Yalu River
which runs along most of the border between the two countries, the Tumen is shallow and narrow. "It is easily crossed in spots on foot or by swimming," according to a 2006 article in The New York Times
.
Defectors who wish to cross the Tumen often ignore its pollutants and dangerous border patrol, and spend weeks if not months or years waiting for the perfect opportunity to cross.
Refugees seldom cross the Tumen into Russia as its government patrols its short stretch of the river more actively than China does its, and the refugees have no large ethnic Korean community in which to hide (see also North Koreans in Russia
).
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, rising in Mount Baekdu
Baekdu Mountain
Baekdu Mountain, also known in China as Changbai Mountain and Baitou Mountain , is a volcanic mountain on the border between North Korea and China, located at...
and flowing into the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
.
The river flows in northeast Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, on the border between China and North Korea in its upper reaches, and between North Korea and Russia in its last 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) before entering the Sea of Japan. The river forms much of the southern border of Jilin Province in Northeast China
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
and the northern borders of North Korea's North Hamgyong and Yanggang provinces. Baekdu Mountain
Baekdu Mountain
Baekdu Mountain, also known in China as Changbai Mountain and Baitou Mountain , is a volcanic mountain on the border between North Korea and China, located at...
on the Chinese-North Korean border is the source of the river, as well as of the Yalu River
Yalu River
The Yalu River or the Amnok River is a river on the border between North Korea and the People's Republic of China....
(which forms the western portion of the border of North Korea and China).
The name of the river comes from the Mongolian
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...
word tümen
Tumen
Tumen or Tümen was a part of the decimal system used by Turkic and Mongol peoples to organize their armies. Tumen is an army unit of 10,000 soldiers...
, meaning "ten thousand" or a myriad
Myriad
Myriad , "numberlesscountless, infinite", is a classical Greek word for the number 10,000. In modern English, the word refers to an unspecified large quantity.-History and usage:...
. This river is badly polluted by the nearby factories of North Korea and China; however, it still remains a major tourist attraction in the area. In Tumen, Jilin
Tumen, Jilin
Tumen is a county-level city in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, eastern Jilin province, Northeast China. Of its 136,000 inhabitants, approximately 78,000 are of Korean descent. The two official languages are Chinese and Korean. Tumen is separated from Namyang of North Hamgyong province of...
, China, a riverfront promenade has restaurants where patrons can gaze across the river into North Korea. Russian name of the river is Tumannaya, literally meaning fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
gy.
In 1995, the People's Republic of China, Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, Russia, and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, signed three agreements to create the Tumen River Economic Development Area.
Important cities on the river are Hoeryong
Hoeryong
Hoeryŏng is a city in North Hamgyŏng Province, North Korea. It is opposite Jilin Province, China, with the Tumen River in between. Sanhe , in Longjing prefecture, is the closest Chinese town across the river. Hoeryŏng is said to be the birthplace of Kim Il Sung's first wife and Kim Jong Il's...
, Namyang
Namyang
Namyang is a city in northern part of North Korea, and northern portion of the North Hamgyong Province. It lies on the Tumen River and opposite to the city of Tumen that stands in the Chinese bank of the river....
and Onsong
Onsong
Onsŏng is a county in North Hamgyong Province, North Korea, located near the border with China. The administrative center is the town of Onsong...
in North Korea, Tumen
Tumen, Jilin
Tumen is a county-level city in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, eastern Jilin province, Northeast China. Of its 136,000 inhabitants, approximately 78,000 are of Korean descent. The two official languages are Chinese and Korean. Tumen is separated from Namyang of North Hamgyong province of...
and Nanping in China.
Refugee crossing
The Tumen has been used for years by North Korean refugees defecting across the Chinese border. Most refugees from North Korea during the 1990s famineNorth Korean famine
'The North Korean famine was a famine in North Korea which began in the early 1990s...
crossed over the Tumen River, and most recent refugees have also used it.
Although the Tumen is heavily patrolled by armed guards of North Korea, the river is considered the preferred way to cross into China because, unlike the swift and deep Yalu River
Yalu River
The Yalu River or the Amnok River is a river on the border between North Korea and the People's Republic of China....
which runs along most of the border between the two countries, the Tumen is shallow and narrow. "It is easily crossed in spots on foot or by swimming," according to a 2006 article in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.
Defectors who wish to cross the Tumen often ignore its pollutants and dangerous border patrol, and spend weeks if not months or years waiting for the perfect opportunity to cross.
- "Long, desolate stretches of the Chinese-North Korean border are not patrolled at all," according to a New York Times article.
Refugees seldom cross the Tumen into Russia as its government patrols its short stretch of the river more actively than China does its, and the refugees have no large ethnic Korean community in which to hide (see also North Koreans in Russia
North Koreans in Russia
North Koreans in Russia consist mainly of three groups: international students, guest workers, and defectors and refugees. A 2006 study by Kyung Hee University estimated their total population at roughly 10,000....
).