March 2026 marks a major turning point in cross-border travel between China and North Korea. International passenger trains between Beijing, Dandong, and Pyongyang resumed on March 12, followed by the official restart of Air China’s passenger flights on March 30, fully restoring road, rail, and air links between the two countries. Meanwhile, North Korea has recently completed several new tourism facilities, including coastal parks and hot spring resorts in Wonsan-Kalma and Kyongsong County. Some Chinese travel agencies have already begun pre-selling group tour packages, though ordinary tourist visas remain unavailable. Industry insiders caution that the full reopening of North Korea tourism still awaits official confirmation.
Keywords: China-North Korea routes, North Korea tourism, international train, Wonsan-Kalma
01 Air and Land Routes Fully Restored
At 10:40 AM on March 30, 2026, Air China flight CA121 departed Beijing Capital International Airport for Pyongyang’s Sunan International Airport—a symbolic moment marking the official resumption of passenger flights between the two capitals.
Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Wang Yajun was present to greet passengers, calling the resumed air link an important step in China-DPRK aviation cooperation. He noted that the flight restoration would serve as a bridge to enhance friendly exchanges and people-to-people connections between the two countries. With this, road, rail, and air links between China and North Korea have now been fully restored.
Two weeks earlier, land routes had already reopened. As of March 12, 2026, international passenger trains resumed operations between Beijing, Dandong, and Pyongyang. Under the new schedule, trains from Beijing to Pyongyang run four times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday), while trains between Dandong and Pyongyang operate daily in both directions. Passengers can board at Beijing, Tianjin, Shanhaiguan, Shenyang, and Dandong stations on the Chinese side, as well as Pyongyang and Sinuiju stations in North Korea.
Passengers on the first flights described a smooth and comfortable journey, expressing optimism that the restored route would bring greater convenience and more options for travel between the two countries.
02 New Tourism Infrastructure Along North Korea’s Coast
Alongside the resumption of transport links, North Korea has been steadily expanding its tourism infrastructure. In July 2025, the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone in Kangwon Province held its completion ceremony, attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The large-scale resort features hotels and guesthouses capable of accommodating nearly 20,000 visitors, along with beach facilities, sports and entertainment venues, and commercial areas.
Speaking at the ceremony, Kim described the resort as “the first step” in the country’s push to develop cultural tourism. He added that the project’s success would inform plans to build multiple large-scale tourist zones—a key initiative expected to be finalized at the 9th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea next year.
In January 2026, new projects continued to open along the east coast. On January 21, the Saltbun Beach Park in Kyongsong County, North Hamgyong Province, held its opening ceremony. The park includes an oceanfront hotel, cinema, shops, arcade, water park, and high-quality beach facilities. The day before, the Onpo Workers’ Rest Home, also in Kyongsong County, was inaugurated. As the largest hot spring resort in North Korea, Kim instructed that it begin operations in February.
03 Tourism Signals Multiply—But Official Reopening Still Pending
With transport links fully restored, anticipation for the return of North Korea tourism has grown. Several travel agencies have already begun offering tour packages. On March 11, Ctrip’s “Yifei Tour” launched seven- and eight-day itineraries priced at RMB 6,680 and RMB 7,380 respectively, covering popular destinations such as Pyongyang, Myohyangsan, Kaesong, Panmunjom, Wonsan, and Mount Kumgang. Chongqing News Travel also introduced “China-North Korea International Train” group tours in seven- and eight-day formats, now open for pre-booking.
However, industry insiders caution that tourist visas remain unavailable. Current passengers on trains and flights are primarily those traveling on business, official, or family visit visas. Regular tourist visas have not yet been issued.
Yao Yan, a longtime observer of North Korea who runs the “IN朝鲜” WeChat account, noted that the resumption of train and air services is currently aimed at facilitating basic exchanges and mobility, and should not be interpreted as an imminent tourism reopening. “Whether North Korea resumes tourism depends on top-level decisions, not on tourism operators alone.”
Wei Shengnan, who works at the Dandong China International Travel Service’s North Korea tour desk, echoed this view: “The reopening of train routes does not mean tourism has reopened. Everything must follow official notification at the national level.”
04 Data Reflects a Quiet Recovery: Trade and Travel Are Rising
Behind the resumption of transport links lies a steady improvement in bilateral economic ties. According to the latest figures from China’s General Administration of Customs, trade between China and North Korea reached approximately RMB 2.94 billion in the first two months of 2026, a 19.6% increase year-on-year—the highest level for the period since 2017.
In 2025, trade through border ports totaled US$2.735 billion, up 25.5% from the previous year. The Bank of Korea also reported that North Korea’s GDP grew 3.7% in 2024, its fastest pace since 2016, driven largely by expansion in construction and industrial sectors.
These figures point to a broader trend: cross-border movement and economic cooperation between China and North Korea are steadily returning to normal. As Ambassador Wang Yajun noted, the resumption of Air China flights will inject new momentum into people-to-people exchanges, trade, and cultural engagement between the two countries.
From the restart of international trains on March 12 to the return of Air China flights on March 30—alongside the completion of new tourist zones in North Korea—connectivity between China and North Korea is expanding beyond transport infrastructure into tourism, trade, and cultural exchange. For travelers eager to visit the country, official approval for tourism is still pending. But the restoration of these long-dormant routes is, in itself, an encouraging signal.