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Voykit pocket guide · China
Tumen
图们
Spend half a day in Tumen to see the border river views and markets; no overnight stay needed unless you want to explore Yanbian further.
Tumen is a small border town in Yanbian, China, offering river‑front views of North Korea, a few markets and a museum. Most sights are within walking distance from the railway station, so a half‑day visit is enough for most travellers.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 图们
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (cold, below -10°C (14°F))Dec–Feb (cold, below 14°F (-10°C))
- Stay
- 0.5 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥30–50 CNY excl. bed (check) · Mid ¥50–80 CNY excl. bed (check) · High ¥80+ CNY excl. bed (check) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Bus 9 ride | ¥2 |
| Taxi from station to river area | ¥20 flat |
| Tumen River Bridge entry | ¥25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YJX · Yanji Chaoyang Airport
- About 30 km (19 mi) south, bus or taxi to Tumen town (≈1 h).About 19 mi (30 km) south, bus or taxi to Tumen town (≈1 h).
Typical fares
- Bus 9 from Tumen North Railway Station
- ¥2, syncs with train arrivals
- Taxi station → river area
- ¥20 flat
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Bus 9 from Tumen North Railway Station costs ¥2 (WeChat Pay or cash) and stops at Shuiyuan Square, the river area and border markers. Taxis charge a flat ¥20 from the station to the river; short rides in town are about ¥5.
See and do
Known for
- Tumen River Bridge view of North Korea
- 86th and 87th border markers
- Riguang Mountain Forest Park
- local food markets
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Yanji | Bus from Tumen North Railway Station, about 45 min; or taxi ≈¥80 | ≈1 h |
Sleep
- No central hotels
- Most visitors stay in Yanji (30 km (19 mi) away) or use day‑trip accommodation; check local listings for guesthouses.Most visitors stay in Yanji (19 mi (30 km) away) or use day‑trip accommodation; check local listings for guesthouses.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the border marker? | 边境标志在哪里？biānjìng biāozhì zài nǎlǐ? |
| Can I take a photo here? | 我可以在这里拍照吗？wǒ kěyǐ zài zhèlǐ pāizhào ma? |
| How much is the taxi? | 出租车多少钱？chūzū chē duōshǎo qián? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Police checkpoints near the border may ask for passport photos; have a translation app ready.
- Certain river‑promenade sections (86th‑87th markers) are restricted to Chinese citizens; access is paid.
- Kou'an Street bridge closed for construction (Aug 2025), lengthening the walk to the port area.
Border checkpoints may stop you for passport photos; keep translation app handy and stay polite.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tumen yet. Suggested stay: 0.5 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Tumen River Bridge view of North Korea
- 86th and 87th border markers
- Riguang Mountain Forest Park
- local food markets
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Tumen, revision 5201042 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5201042
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/tumen). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.