China as seen by North Koreans

Going to North Korea for holidays has become fairly popular in China these days. I guess for many Chinese, it’s a bit like visiting a cousin in prison who you were really close with but at one point winded up on the wrong path in life: You kinda wanna know how he is doing and really feel sorry for him, but by the time you leave you think “Thank God it’s not me”. A friend of mine who is a reporter for AP recently joined a Chinese tour group on a five days bus trip to Pyongyang. The most memorable moment, he says, happened when the group crossed the border back to China. Everyone started to wave the Chinese flag and began to sing praises on their own Communist Party – for them not ending up as bad as the North Koreans, feeling superior, thankful and proud of all the autobahns and skyscrapers the party has build.

What’s even more bizarre though is how North Koreans perceive China. These communist high-tech disneyland posters by propaganda painters from Pyongyang have recently gone viral on the Chinese internet. The series is called “The Beautiful Future”, and the painters have never been to China and any of these landmarks and karaoke bars in Beijing, well, obviously. At least they didn’t forget the heavy factory smoke.