Reflecting on my journey through the heart of China during the 2024 Deep Dive Cultural Exchange Trip, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and awe. From the serene beauty of Hangzhou's West Lake to the pulsating energy of Shanghai's Bund, and finally, the historical grandeur of Beijing, every moment has been a testament to the rich tapestry of Chinese culture and the warmth of its people.

Partnering with Peking University has been instrumental in deepening my understanding of China's history, traditions, and modern aspirations. The insightful lectures, vibrant discussions, and hands-on experiences have broadened our perspectives and fostered lasting friendships across borders.

Exploring Hangzhou, we marveled at the harmonious blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage, symbolized by the legendary West Lake along with the beauty of the bustling night market. In Shanghai, the city that never sleeps, we immersed ourselves in its fast-paced dynamism, from the futuristic skyline to the bustling markets and delicious cuisine.

And in Beijing, standing before the imposing Forbidden City and walking along the Great Wall (though I'll have to experience that in the second route), I felt the weight of centuries of history shaping the present. Each site spoke volumes about China's resilience, innovation, and enduring cultural identity.

But beyond the sights and lectures, it was the personal connections forged that truly defined our journey. Conversations over meals, shared moments of wonder, and mutual curiosity bridged gaps and built bridges between our cultures.

I hope to carry forward the lessons learned, the memories cherished, and the friendships nurtured, continuing to be an ambassador of cultural understanding and advocate for global harmony. 谢谢 (Xièxiè)!

——JEFFERSON,SIERRA NICOLE, University of Rochester

If I were to choose a city to live in, I would definitely choose Hangzhou. I think Hangzhou is great. I am very impressed by the industry here. Places which have been visited so far are nothing like what in America. So I am thankful for this exchange event and I will bring my ideas from this back to America when I return.

I also visited Wuling Night Market. There is a lot of fun. My favorite food there is Longjing ice cream. Finally I had so many opportunities to speak Chinese with Chinese people. Thank you Hangzhou, thank you for your hospitality.

Actually, I like sports and I think Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center is awesome. I will keep working hard and hope to be invited here to play as a leader one day.

Besides, visiting the Zeekr factory was undoubtedly an amazing experience. It was super cool to see how the whole manufacturing process was being completed in such an efficient manner through the combined use of labor and robotic systems. If I was a resident here, I'd actually consider purchasing their latest model!

——CAMPANELLI,JESSE JAMES-EDMUND, University of Rochester

When we visited the Red Army's Westward Expedition Memorial Hall in Ningxia, I expected the museum guide to teach us about key military battles, notable soldiers, or a broader history of the army's expedition in the region. I did not expect to learn about a fellow American, Edgar Snow. Edgar Snow not only played a vital role as a journalist and historian but also likely influenced American policy regarding China, including supporting China in its war against Japanese aggression. I was surprised that the Red Army's Westward Expedition Memorial Hall dedicated so much museum space and tour time to Edgar Snow. It was quite ironic that I traveled halfway around the world to learn more about an American. This feeling was magnified by our later visit to the Flying Tigers exhibit at the Jianchaun Museum Cluster, where I learned more about American pilots who assisted China in the war against Japan. I learned from these two museum visits that educating the public about important examples of friendship between our two countries is being taken seriously in China, whether the example is an individual who educated the world about events in China or a military unit that formed to combat a threat facing both countries. The United States should consider emulating the work being done by these museums as an avenue to break through political polarization as it relates to China in order to enable more cooperation on pressing global issues.

——Abigail Tucker, Georgetown University

While in Ningxia, we visited the Zhongwei Large-Scale Photovoltaic Base and the Shapotou Nature Reserve, where we learned how the expanding Tengger Desert is being transformed from an arid wilderness into an impressive source of clean energy. The photovoltaic base not only produces upwards of ten megawatts a day by using solar panels which rotate to follow the path of the sun, it also provides a notable cooling effect that encourages plants and animals to live underneath the panels, which are held one meter above the ground for this very reason. At the Shapotou Nature Reserve, we got to see how desertification is being combated naturally with afforestation techniques—saplings are planted surrounded by a square perimeter of straw wedged into the sand, which helps prevent erosion and increases the survival rate of the plants. Because of its comparatively hostile terrain, Western China faces a unique set of challenges, but projects like the ones we saw in Ningxia show how such circumstances can be turned into advantages. This strategy of working with the environmental conditions appeared also in the ways that industries were arranged so as to suit their specific regions; touring the Zhihui Yuanshi Winery, we learned that the Yinchuan region was especially suitable for producing wine—even more so than France. Similarly, in Zhongning County, we had the chance to pick our own goji berries, sample goji juice and snacks, and learn about how the hot climate with high sun and low humidity made the region uniquely equipped for growing goji berries. This kind of affinity between place and product is not entirely unusual, but these partnerships between region and industry were deliberately cultivated by the government. In this way, smaller cities with characteristic industries are concentrated, like satellites, around Western China's major cities, in order to restore their economies without exploiting mineral resources or relying on polluting manufacturing.

——Katherine Chritton, University of Notre Dame

Finally, apart from China's most famous landmarks, the parts of this tour that touched me the most as an American were two: the Red Army's Westward Expedition Memorial Hall, and the Flying Tigers Exhibition Hall in the Jianchuan Museum Cluster. The topic that is the current tense political landscape between the United States and China is unavoidable; as an American-born Chinese, despite my loyalty to the country I was born and my commitment to its ideals, China is, after all, my mother country, and the place where, in all likelihood, most of my ancestors have lived for thousands upon thousands of years. As a child, ignorant to political matters, I was raised with a deep love for both countries. However, in the last decade, the relations between the two countries have soured, and I, alongside other Chinese-Americans, have been forced into an awkward spot. Sinophobia, from blatant fearmongering to subtle but intentional ignorance, is growing more and more rampant in America, and even in China, when people realize through my flailing Chinese that I am not Chinese-born and raised, I have received passive-aggressive comments about being American. Even if my political views and affiliations as an ABC conflict with the systems of my mother country of China, when I went to the Red Army's Westward Expedition Memorial Hall, I was truly touched by one sentence the tour guide said, which had been along the lines of: “We owe the most complete recording of this piece of Chairman Mao and China's history to our friend, Edgar Snow, from the United States of America.” Similarly, during our visit to the Flying Tigers Exhibition Hall, when I saw the hundreds of portraits of foreign soldiers that came to fight alongside China, I felt touched by the camaraderie shown by these Chinese museums towards those whom they described as its foreign friends, who came to China's assistance in its time of need. Seeing statues of soldiers hardly even my age that died during the war made me deeply respect them and feel the weight of fighting and dying for an allied land.

——Merry Chen, Carnegie Mellon University

The village was full of vitality, equipped with cutting-edge technology, green energy sources, an abundance of social services, and smart healthcare facilities. In addition, there were several spaces for recreation, including a community library complete with study materials and audiobook listening booths to accommodate the needs of school children, elderly, and visually-impaired people. The usage of digital governance technology was also exceptionally impressive. With the implementation of advanced technology, Meilin village's economic activity, resident health, environmental sustainability, energy consumption, etc. are monitored digitally, allowing local officials to be informed on the overall quality of life of villagers through these different indicators. Digital channels to report problems or conflicts villagers encounter in their daily lives are also implemented, ensuring that people are satisfied.

I remember reading a slogan at the village, “The people's wish for a beautiful life is our goal”. I was moved by the simplicity of it, because behind the decades-long, herculean development efforts across the country, the advanced digital technologies implemented, and the complex logistical tasks being undertaken, the underlying goal could be summarized so simply, with such a commendable aspiration. The trip to Meilin Village allowed me to see with my own eyes what equitable development looks like, and how a government maintaining close ties to the people and their needs succeeds.

——Whitted Heath, University of California, Berkeley