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Crime
People & CultureTrending in China

Tourists flock to lake hut that was hideaway for North Korean fugitive who staged dramatic escape

  • Zhu Xianjian stayed in the hut when he was on the run from authorities for 41 days
  • The fugitive is due to be extradited to North Korea in 2023

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Zhu Xianjian [left] yells as he is being detained by police last November. Now his temporary home has become a tourist attraction [right]. Photo: Handout
Mandy Zuo

A hut in northeastern China that an escaped North Korean prisoner transformed into a hideaway has become a popular tourist attraction and created another draw to the already famous Songhua Lake.

The fugitive, known by his Chinese name Zhu Xianjian, captured the imagination of the nation when he made a daring escape from a jail in Jilin province in October last year.
Zhu broke out of the jail by scaling a shed and vaulting the outer wall. He managed to remain at large for 41 days.
Zhu captured China’s imagination when he staged a daring prison break. Photo: Handout
Zhu captured China’s imagination when he staged a daring prison break. Photo: Handout

According to videos widely shared on social media, it has become a must-visit spot for visitors to Jilin city, Jilin province. On Douyin and Kuaishou, China’s most popular video-sharing platforms, many users have shared their visits to the place since late November last year, when Zhu was caught.

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“It is a beautiful and secluded place, where a ‘celebrity’ once lived,” one Douyin user commented, referring to Zhu.

“Xiao Zhu has made Jilin famous and brought us visitors,” another person wrote, referring to the man using affectionate Chinese characters.

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