BEIJING, China Mar 18 \u2013 From indulging in Chinese cuisine and delving into the country\u2019s rich history and culture, to forging friendships and memories that may last a lifetime, a group of students from the United States are preparing to explore a whole new world as they set off for a journey to China.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really want to see how an average Chinese girl or boy lives their life. I also want to see architecture and historical buildings, because China has a rich culture and a long, significant history,\u201d said Montserrat Romero-Rocha, a 12th-grade student at Lincoln High School in the state of Washington.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s also eager to understand everyday life in China, like trying Chinese food, shopping and finding out the differences between life in the US and China.<\/p>\n
But what she\u2019s looking forward to the most, she said, is being able to interact with Chinese peers and observe how Chinese schools are run, compared with those in the US.<\/p>\n
In September 2015, President Xi Jinping visited Lincoln High School, which is in Tacoma, Washington, during his first state visit to the US as president, and he invited young people from the US to visit China.<\/p>\n
Romero-Rocha is one of 10 Lincoln High School students who will visit China. Along with 14 students from Steilacoom High School in Washington, they left for China from San Francisco on Saturday. The visit will take them to Beijing and to Hubei and Guangdong provinces before they return to the US on March 27.<\/p>\n
Their itinerary promises an exciting chance for exploration across China\u2019s diverse landscape. The students will get a taste of both historical and contemporary China, visiting iconic landmarks like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City in Beijing and Wudang Mountain in Hubei, and engaging in academic exchanges at prestigious institutions like Peking University.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to experience more about the culture and people, and how everything is different and similar to the US,\u201d said Luke Kelly, an 11th-grade student at Steilacoom High School.<\/p>\n
For Kelly, who has never traveled outside of the US, this tour means \u201ca once in a lifetime opportunity\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m excited about being able to go and explore architecture. I\u2019m excited about the Great Wall and Forbidden City,\u201d he said. Building connections with students in China is also a big reason he is excited about the journey.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope we can bring back the relations and \u2026 carry on and encourage other people to go and do the same,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Song Guoxuan, China\u2019s deputy consul general in San Francisco, who saw the students off at San Francisco International Airport, expressed his hope that they will embrace the experience with open minds.<\/p>\n
\u201cTaste Chinese cuisine, make Chinese friends, and see a real China,\u201d Song encouraged them. He also emphasized the importance of sharing their experiences back home, fostering a spirit of friendship between the two nations.<\/p>\n
This tour is part of a larger initiative. In November, President Xi and US President Joe Biden envisioned prioritizing cultural and people-to-people exchanges, particularly among young people. Xi said that China is going to invite 50,000 young people from the US to visit China on exchange and study programs over the next five years.<\/p>\n
Lynn Eisenhauer, an arts facilitator who has led previous student trips to China, highlighted the transformative power of these exchanges.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery trip is different,\u201d she said, recounting how past student exchanges changed students\u2019 perspective and fostered deeper understanding.<\/p>\n
One student was surprised to learn that his Chinese counterpart focused mostly on studying outside of school, and he came home with a changed perspective about his work ethic and became grateful for education.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of them have never traveled out of the United States,\u201d Eisen\u00adhauer said of the students. \u201cThey are going to feel all sorts of different things on this trip, and what I\u2019m excited for is that the things will last a lifetime for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Romero-Rocha echoed that sentiment. \u201cThe tour is going to change me fundamentally as a person, because I\u2019m going to an entirely new place and will experience an entirely new culture,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s going to stick with me for the rest of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n