To earnestly implement President Xi Jinping’s major initiative of inviting 50,000 American teenagers to China for exchange and study over the next five years, a total of 214 students and teachers from California, Utah, North Carolina, and New Jersey visited Jiangsu in batches from March 29 to April 18. They participated in the 2025 “Discover Jiangsu – American Youth Exchange Program” and gained a deep appreciation of traditional Chinese culture and Jiangsu’s modern development through academic exchanges, cultural experiences, and enterprise visits.

Zhonghua High School of Nanjing: Traditional Chinese dance

No.1 High School of Nanjing: Painting on fans

No.9 High School of Nanjing: American countryside songs performance by Chinese folk music

No.13 High School of Nanjing: Paper-cutting

Ninghai High School: Ink painting

No.5 High School of Nanjing: Singing together

Visit to Memorial for Anti-Japanese Aviation Martyrs

At Qishuyan Senior High School, traditional games like pitch-pot, hoop rolling, and bamboo pole dancing captured American teachers and students’ interests. A lecture at Changzhou University under the title of “Study in Jiangsu” kindled enthusiasm for future academic exchange. Cultural experiences focused on local life: morning Tai Chi, calligraphy, and a climb at Wenbi Tower in Hongmei Park revealed the urban life; at the LiXiang Auto intelligent manufacturing base, an autonomous vehicle workshop showcased China’s smart manufacturing.

Changzhou University: “Study in Jiangsu” lecture

Qishuyan Senior High School: Bamboo pole dance

Visit to LiXiang Auto Intelligent Manufacturing Base

A basketball friendship match at Suzhou North America High School echoed with cheers, while a tea ceremony lesson at Suzhou Tourism and Finance Vocational College offered a tranquil experience—American students learned the “Phoenix Three Nods” ritual over fragrant green tea. In the winding corridors of the Humble Administrator’s Garden, students explored the beauty of oriental aesthetics. At the Cold Spring Harbor Asia DNA Learning Center, students from both countries collaborated on DNA experiments to decode genetic secrets.

Suzhou North America High School: Basketball friendship match

Asia DNA Learning Center of Cold Spring Harbor: DNA exploration

At Xin Hai Senior High School’s music gala, traditional Chinese music and Western guitar harmonized joyfully. At Lianyungang Vocational Technical College, American students crafted “Monkey King” figurines with traditional dough modeling techniques, sparking a photo craze. At Huaguo Mountain, students donned AR glasses to experience mythological scenes such as the Havoc in Heaven, gaining insights into China’s most iconic mythical figures through modern technology.

Lianyungang Vocational Technical College: Dough modeling

Tour of Huaguo mountain

At Huaiyin High School, American students piloted virtual aircraft in aerospace training simulators and sang “You Raise Me Up” with the school symphony orchestra. At the Canal Museum, holographic projections brought the grandeur of historic grain depots to life. In Hexia Ancient Town, students tasted tea snacks and crab soup dumplings, learning the intricate process behind Huaiyang cuisine—famous for its state banquet quality.

Huaiyin High School: Flight simulation

Huaiyin High School: Talent show

At Xinhua High School's lacquer fan workshop, American teachers and students, created galaxy-patterned designs through a delicate dyeing technique, under the guidance of Chinese peers. At Yangzhou University, Kunqu opera interactive teaching makes wormwood sachets sway gently with the singing; by Slender West Lake, AI-powered boats carry teachers and students through the moonlit night of the Twenty-Four Bridges.

Yangzhou University: Learning Kunqu

Xinhua High School: Making lacquer fans

The themed event of "Seven Jiangnan" at Jiangnan School became a standout highlight - from traditional sugar figurine crafting to Hanfu dress-up photo ops, from drone programming workshops to 3-on-3 basketball tournaments, from scholarly study room experiences to lacquer fan making, culminating in a satisfying finale where students enjoyed self-made dumplings. During their visit to Pearl S. Buck's former residence, through multimedia exhibits, teachers and students gained profound insights into the Nobel laureate's lifelong dedication to building "bridges of understanding".

Jiangnan School: Sugar painting

Visit to Pearl Buck's former residence

Jingjiang Senior High School of Jiangsu Province: Mud puppy crafting

Walking in rapeseed fields

The “Discover Jiangsu –American Youth Exchange Program” is a flagship international education exchange initiative in Jiangsu. Over the past decade, more than 2,000 American teenagers have participated in the program. Between May and July this year, over 200 additional teachers and students from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Florida, and Alabama will visit Jiangsu and join in the “Discover Jiangsu –American Youth Exchange Program”