He recalled his initial visit to the CPV Martyrs' Cemetery in Kangdong County, east of Pyongyang, during the Tomb Sweeping Day last year, which left a profound impression on him.

Inside the cemetery, four joint burial tombs hold the remains of 1,383 CPV martyrs who bravely laid down their lives in the war.

"It was only when I was there that I truly felt the indomitable fighting spirit of the CPV, who fought valiantly in the heat of battle," Zhao said. "It made me realize that the friendship between the Chinese and DPRK people is a bond forged in blood."

A native of Dandong, Zhao described life in the DPRK as very familiar and comforting to him, emphasizing the strong similarities between the two places in terms of cuisine and daily habits.

"Flowing between China and the DPRK, the Yalu River has long served as a shared lifeline for communities on both sides," he said. "Beyond its natural role, it has borne witness to pivotal moments in history while nurturing sustained cultural, economic and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries."

Spanning the river are not only physical bridges, but individuals like Zhao — living links who connect the two countries.

In September 2007, professors Huang Li and her husband Lei Huisheng, both from the College of International Education at Liaodong University, departed from Dandong by train, crossed the China-DPRK Friendship Bridge, and arrived in Pyongyang.

"We worked there for a year," Huang recalled. "We returned in 2010; Lei stayed for two years, and I stayed for three. Our third stint began in 2014 and lasted until January 2020. During that period, Lei worked there for over five years, while I was there from March 2017 to January 2020."

Huang, who is also director of the Chinese Language Center at Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies, said that in daily communications with DPRK students, the questions they ask most often center on contemporary China, reflecting their strong curiosity about the country's rapid development.