A Cultural Exchange Program Connecting Chinese and American Youth Through Shared Experiences

Zhang Jiayuan, a high school student from Shijiazhuang Foreign Language School in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, recently returned from an exchange visit to the U.S., where she spent the winter holiday in Iowa. Reflecting on her experience, she recalled meeting a friend named Alia.

"I gave her a Chinese knot I brought, and she loved it. She gave me a Chinese blessing card, which she wrote herself," Zhang said.

She was among over 30 teachers and students from her school who celebrated Spring Festival in Muscatine, Iowa, during the exchange visit.

"This trip to the U.S. has enabled me to profoundly appreciate the deep friendship between the Chinese and American people, along with their warmth and enthusiasm," Zhang added, expressing her desire to cultivate these international bonds further.

Fulfilling Zhang's wish, the Shijiazhuang school will host 102 teachers and students from five high schools in Iowa later this month as part of the Friendship Inheritance Study Program.

The group will explore historical and scenic spots in Shijiazhuang, Beijing, and Shanghai during the tour.

Pei Hongxia, principal of Shijiazhuang Foreign Language School, shared that various activities await them, such as climbing the Great Wall and exploring the Forbidden City.

"This time, we have added a visit to Tsinghua University to help U.S. students better understand Chinese universities," said Pei, a deputy to the National People's Congress and currently in Beijing attending the ongoing two sessions.

Pei noted that many visiting U.S. students have expressed a strong interest in studying in China in recent years.

"I've observed that American teenagers highly value the opportunity to study and exchange in China. They also hope to visit more cities within their limited time and experience the unique features of different regions and cities," she said.

With this in mind, Pei suggested that provinces and cities across China strengthen coordination in the reception work for U.S. teenagers, integrate a range of resources, and design diverse activity itineraries to elevate and enrich the exchange experience.

According to Pei, her school has been conducting long-term and frequent reciprocal visits and exchanges with sister schools in Iowa since 1997.

In 2023, on the 40th anniversary of establishing the sister state-province relationship between Hebei and Iowa, the school launched the Friendship Inheritance Study Program for Chinese and U.S. teenagers.

Every year, teachers and students from the school are dispatched to Iowa for exchanges, while teachers and students from sister schools in Iowa are invited to visit China to continue the tale of China-U.S. friendship.

"We should also conduct in-depth exchanges around topics of common interest to Chinese and U.S. students, which is more conducive to students making friends and learning from each other," Pei said.