"All that comes to mind is happiness," some people say. "Whenever I think of China, teenagers from 11 countries come to Shanghai, China | cable car | Shanghai."

"We took a plane, a high-speed rail, a bus, and a ship all the way, and now we're taking a cable car. It's a really amazing experience!" On the cable car at the Tiantangzhai Scenic Area in Anhui, American teacher Eastman changed her angle and took a video. She excitedly said, "This is my first time taking a cable car. Although climbing the steps is tiring, it's worth it. The scenery in the air is really amazing."

For Eastman, this July's trip to China was another fantastic journey. In 2019, she brought her students to China to participate in the 15th Shanghai International Youth Interactive Friendship Camp. That summer, she had an unforgettable and wonderful time. This year, the 17th Friendship Camp arrived as scheduled, and Eastman actively signed up and once again brought students to China.

This summer treaty belonging to Shanghai, with the theme of "peace, friendship, and the future", has built a bridge of interaction and exchange for young people from various countries. This year's invited friends include 57 teenagers and team leaders from countries such as Australia, Bolivia, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Nepal, New Zealand, South Korea, San Marino, and the United States. After the opening of the camp on July 7th, everyone officially began a 10 day exploration journey.

Learn culture and inherit friendship

Hungarian girl Roz á lia R é ka has a lively personality and can speak fluent Chinese. "My Chinese name is Rose because 'rose' sounds very similar to my name." This is Rose's second time in China. "Last time, I went to Beijing and Shanghai and played many places. I also learned a word called 'do as the Romans do when in Rome'. When you come to China, you must eat Chinese food. I especially like dumplings and buns, and when you come to China, you must eat more."

Rose comes from the Hungarian Chinese Bilingual School, which is the only public full-time school in Central and Eastern Europe that teaches in both Chinese and the language of the host country. The school has set up courses on Chinese history, and students usually do Chinese reading and copying questions. Rose said, "Chinese has opened a brand new window for me, giving me the opportunity to deeply understand Chinese culture. I am interested in China's long history and curious about the rapidly developing China today."

"Both China and Hungary have a long history and splendid culture. The two peoples are traditionally friendly and have increasingly close cultural exchanges." At the beginning of this year, President Xi Jinping wrote to the students of the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school, encouraging them to study in China after Senior high school graduation. He also hoped that more and more Hungarian teenagers would like to learn Chinese and learn Chinese, and have the opportunity to take a walk and take a look in China. Learn more about today's China and China's history and culture, and strive to be an emissary for the inheritance and development of China-Hungary friendship. The reply letter was framed and displayed in the school corridor, which could be seen by students and teachers. There was also a group photo of President Xi Jinping when he visited the school.

"I really like Chinese culture and I really want to come to China to study at university," said Hungarian girl Loli. She carried the big white rabbit canvas bag she bought in Shanghai and used a folding fan in Chinese style. "My family is also very supportive of me coming to China to study. In their opinion, mastering Chinese has won me opportunities for future development."

"The two girls who wrote letters have been studying at our school since grades 1-12, and their Chinese is very good. They should be going to university in Beijing," said Anna, the team leader. Anna can be considered a "China expert". This is her 11th visit to China, and her footprints have spread throughout most of China. Anna recorded in the memo the Chinese cities she had visited, and Jinzhai was already the 26th.

Song and tea fragrance deepen understanding

As the high-speed train approached Jinzhai Station, the carriage became excited. "Look! 40.6 ℃!" The display screen scrolled to announce the outdoor temperature, allowing everyone to take a deep breath. But for teenagers, curiosity quickly overshadows worries about the weather. From the moment they leave the station, no one cares about the weather anymore, but instead keeps discussing and taking photos.

"Jinzhai is known as the 'hometown of the Red Army' and the 'cradle of generals'. More than 600 senior generals have emerged from the Jinzhai Red Army..." In the Jinzhai County Revolutionary Museum, volunteer Ni Zhewei narrates this history in fluent English. Bolivian team leader Nicolas greeted the students for a group photo and exclaimed, "This exhibition is great, it records an amazing history!"

Jinzhai has a profound history and charming natural scenery. Tiantangzhai is known as the "last primitive forest in East China". It is surrounded by clouds and mist all year round, with graceful waterfalls, and is a natural oxygen bar. Listening to the rumbling sound of water and seeing the splashing water, the children couldn't help but take more photos and said, "I really like these waterfalls. The water is cool and there are several rainbows to see."

Having seen good mountains and rivers, one should also see the people behind them. "Previously, we used to say 'Dawan has beautiful scenery, and going out is like a ridge. It's either a stumbling stone or a straw cutting the neck.' But now, Dawan Village has undergone earth shaking changes," said He Jiazhi, Secretary of the Dawan Village Party Branch in Jinzhai County.

"The rural areas of China are very different from Hungary. The buildings in Hungary are not high, the walls are short, and they are very ancient. The rural areas of China have very new buildings and a good environment," said Rose. Italian student Philippe said, "Visiting the Biodiversity Center in the morning, I learned a lot. The people here make full use of natural resources to become rich, and I think it's amazing."

The tea industry is one of the key projects for poverty alleviation in Dawan Village. Wearing bamboo hats and carrying tea baskets, the students also experienced the entire process from picking tea to stir frying tea, and then drinking their own handmade tea leaves. "It's interesting to know the steps of tea picking today." San Marino student Lorenzo found that tea was so hard won that he specially bought two cans of Lu'an Gua Pian to take home.

Planting seeds and reaping true feelings

Upon learning that friends from five continents were coming to visit their hometown, Qu Zhenkai, a volunteer from Jinzhai No.1 Middle School, started his homework early on. He made a table of the national flags and customs of 10 countries and took it out to memorize at any time. This 17-year-old boy has just finished his college entrance examination and is about to become a new student at Southeast University. Aya, a Nepalese girl of the same age as him, is also preparing for the SAT exam for college. Aya was deeply impressed by this serious Chinese boy. "As soon as we met, he took the initiative to greet me and asked if I was Nepalese, which surprised me and made me feel very friendly."

In the friendship camp, there is not only the acquaintance of new friends, but also the reunion of old friends. Ni Zhewei, a Shanghai girl born in the 2000s, is the most trusted "Little Ni Sister" among her classmates. She is a master's student majoring in Chinese as a Foreign Language at the University of Hong Kong. With her excellent oral skills, she has undertaken multiple tasks such as translation, training, organization, and logistics support. Ni Zhewei has been associated with the Friendship Camp for a long time. She participated as a camper in 2017 and returned to volunteer in 2019. This year, she reunited with her South Korean friend Zheng Ranqi and Shanghai partner Li Kunyang at the Friendship Camp, and all three of them took the initiative to shoulder heavier responsibilities. Ni Zhewei said, "From teenagers to adults, we have grown together with Friendship Camp, becoming more stable, reliable, and responsible."

A few days ago, a Bolivian girl named Galnica found Ni Zhewei. This was her first time traveling long distances away from her parents at the age of 16, and she felt a bit nervous. "Because it was my first time coming to China, I spent several weeks learning about various aspects of China, but I still had no confidence in my heart." Hearing Galnica's concerns, Ni Zhewei mentioned that she was also very scared when she first went to study in Hong Kong and encouraged her that everything will have a first time. "With the first time, there will be a second time, and you will become more and more brave!"

Many students in the friendship camp, like Galnica, are traveling alone for the first time. This event is hosted by the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Shanghai Youth Federation, and organized by the Shanghai Youth Activity Center. Since its establishment in 2005, more than 1500 foreign teenagers have come to Shanghai to experience Shanghai.

A few days later, Galnika slowly opened up herself in communication. She said, "I received warm hospitality in Shanghai and became more interested in Chinese people and culture. Whenever I think of China in the future, happiness will come to my mind."