The great divide

The Amur River is the 10th longest river in the world. It rises in the mountains of Mongolia, near Genghis Khan’s birthplace, and flows into Siberia before meandering south-east towards the Pacific, forming the border between Russia and China, before twisting northwards, creating a delta of river channels as it empties into the Sea of Okhotsk.

Following it is a difficult trek complete with steep peaks, swamps and tetchy border guards.

Until recently, the Amur has hardly been a travel writer’s destination. But five years ago, Dominic Ziegler, the ’s Asia editor, made the journey and wrote after he was captivated by the silver flash of the river on a flight to Tokyo.