Heart-to-heart | The strong "New Year flavor" in the small town of Muscatine, Iowa, USA | High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China | Muscatine
On the eve of the Lunar New Year, Muscatine, a small town in Iowa, USA, was immersed in the rich Chinese "New Year flavor" and friendly atmosphere all day long. From cordial exchanges to lively "Spring Festival Gala", new and old friends from China and the United States celebrated the Year of the Dragon together. Among them are Ms. Sara Landy, who has had decades of friendship with President Xi Jinping; there are also Muscatine high school students who were invited to visit China for exchanges not long ago; there are Chinese teenagers who make friends through art; there are also people who are supporting the elderly and children to watch performances of local people.
"I wish you all a happy Chinese New Year!" Randy said New Year's greetings to Chinese friends in an exclusive interview with reporters. The silver-haired old man said that she was very happy to see Chinese friends bringing the "Taste of the New Year" to Muscatine and gathering with the American people.
On February 9, in Muscatine, Iowa, the United States, the art troupe of the High School Affiliated to Renmin University performed martial arts.
On the morning of the 9th local time, the art troupe of the Middle School Affiliated to Renmin University of China from Beijing started exchanges in Muscatine and felt the enthusiasm of trans-Pacific friendship. In the Muscatine High School auditorium, the school band welcomed new friends from afar with symphony and jazz music. Local students waved as the Chinese students walked by. In front of the famous "China-US Friendship House" in Muscatine, young faces took photos there.
On February 9, in Muscatine, Iowa, the United States, the art troupe of the High School Affiliated to Renmin University took a group photo in front of the "China-US Friendship House".
2023 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of sister province-state relations between Hebei Province and Iowa. Zhao Jian, Chinese Consul General in Chicago, said that over the past 40 years, the friendly exchanges and cooperation between the two sides in various fields such as economy, trade, and people-to-people exchanges have achieved remarkable results, benefiting the people of both places and setting a model for friendly local exchanges between China and the United States.
Muscatine, a small town on the Mississippi River, continues to write stories of friendship with China. Xi Jinping visited Iowa twice, in 1985 and 2012, and forged a profound friendship with Randy and other friends. In November 2023, at the joint welcome banquet of American friendship groups held in San Francisco, President Xi Jinping once again recalled in his speech the unforgettable experience of his first face-to-face contact with the American people, and expressed his expectation that the people of the two countries "jointly continue to write a new era for the two peoples." Friendly Stories”. In his speech, President Xi Jinping also announced that China is willing to invite 50,000 American teenagers to come to China for exchange and study in the next five years.
Randy was sitting in the audience listening to the speech. She later wrote to President Xi Jinping, hoping that Muscatine High School would also participate in this plan. President Xi Jinping responded to the letter expressing welcome.
On February 9, in Muscatine, Iowa, the United States, new and old friends from China and the United States celebrated the New Year in the Year of the Dragon.
On the afternoon of the 9th, at the event to celebrate the Spring Festival, Muscatine High School principal Ryan Castle told reporters that the school had organized 24 students to go to China for exchanges in late January and visited Beijing, Shanghai and Hebei Province. He himself is preparing to lead 50 students to China for exchange in April.
On February 9, Chinese and American teenagers held exchanges in Muscatine, Iowa, USA.
Muscatine High School student Leo Reganite was one of the students who participated in an exchange trip to China in January. He told reporters that before he went to China, he never imagined that China was so vast. “The trip to China was great!” he said. “This is a life-changing trip.”
Regenite recalled that they had exchanges and interactions with three Chinese middle schools, including the High School Affiliated to Renmin University, and they formed "partners" with Chinese peers and chatted about each other's lives with great interest. This was very valuable during his trip to China. experience. "China is so big. I really want to go there again and explore more places."
On January 29, Muscatine students participated in a dragon dance experience in Shanghai.
The just-concluded exchange trip to China was student Sienna Stoneking’s only trip abroad. "We went to a lot of 'cool' places and experienced such beautiful culture." Stone King told reporters that her favorite activity is face-to-face communication with Chinese teenagers, listening to each other introduce their daily lives and chatting. Chinese New Year customs, especially Chinese food. "I also learned how to make Chinese knots!" she said excitedly.
Stoneking was particularly impressed by the diligence of his Chinese peers. After this trip, she wanted to spend more time learning Chinese and even considered going to college in China. "The future lies with young people. Young people need to experience different cultures in order to better understand each other and establish lifelong friendships," she said.
On January 28, students from the Second Affiliated School of Fudan University introduced Chinese knots to Muscatine students.
On New Year's Eve, the Muscatine High School auditorium, which accommodates more than 600 people, was packed. Elegant and refreshing folk dances, Chinese martial arts with flying golden dragons, and energetic aerobics... The "Spring Festival Gala" performance presented by the Art Troupe of the High School Affiliated to the Renmin University of China won bursts of applause, and cheers rose one after another at the scene. The audience in the audience included not only teachers and students of Muscatine High School, but also many local citizens, many of whom were families of all ages.
After the performance, many local residents enthusiastically communicated with Chinese teenagers. Ma Mayue, a Chinese high school student in the second year of high school, told reporters that local residents warmly invited them to their homes. “They are so enthusiastic!”
This is the first time that Ding Xingyue, a freshman in high school, has left home for the Chinese New Year and the first time to come to the United States. She can't help but feel nervous. However, she can experience the local customs and customs here with her teachers and classmates, and communicate enthusiastically with American friends, which makes her feel special. Different "flavors of the year".
Qiu Xinguangyao, a sophomore in high school, also became a good friend with an American student. "He has studied Chinese for five or six years, and we can communicate fluently in Chinese." He said, "This is a very precious opportunity, and we will continue this friendship."
Chinese people often say: Read thousands of books and travel thousands of miles. We look forward to the two-way journey of young people from China and the United States to build more bridges of mutual understanding and love between the two peoples.
