American Youth Visit Fuzhou Kuliang

Walk into Gardner Exhibition Hall, Fujia Villa and Universal Public Welfare Society to understand the origin of Kuliang story; Visit King Cryptomeria Park, Kuliang Old Street, Chinese and foreign ancient wells and Kuliang Post Office to find the historical imprint of harmonious coexistence between China and foreign countries in this land ... On December 27, more than a dozen American youths who came to China to participate in “Understanding China, Meeting in Fujian- Fujian Tour for American Youth Cultural Exchange on Martial Arts” came to Kuliang, Fuzhou, to start their cultural exchange tour. This is the first American youth exchange group that Kuliang received after being awarded the “China-US Youth Exchange Camp”.

Members of the exchange group posed for a group photo in front of the bronze statue of Kuliang.

Photographed by Zhang Xiulan

At the first stop, the American youth delegation walked into the Gardner Exhibition Hall, and learned about Gardner’s homesickness. In the scene of Gardner’s life in Kuliang, the time seemed to go back to a hundred years ago.

Fujia Villa (Kuliang Mountain Living Museum) displays more than 100 pieces of old Kuliang objects, photos in photo frames, marbles, rising monkeys, porcelain dolls and butterfly specimens in the window, attracting American youth to watch carefully and feel the life of Kuliang Mountain Living for a hundred years.

Going to the Millennium King Cryptomeria, the members of the delegation listened to the endless “Kuliang Story” and the exchanges and friendship of people all over the world, and posed for a group photo in front of the bronze statue of Chinese and foreign children playing. Along Kuliang Old Street, the members also visited the Centennial Swimming Pool.

The visiting American youths have different professional backgrounds, but they all have Chinese learning experience and have a strong interest in Asian culture, especially China Wushu culture. In front of the square of the Universal Public Welfare Society, they exchanged the Taichi method with Xiao Yi and Zheng Zhichao of Fujian Martial Arts Sports Management Center.

After the exchange activities, the members carefully wrote postcards at Kuliang Post Office and sent them to their families and friends. Over the past century, this post office has become a bridge for communication between China and foreign countries, and it also bears the profound friendship between the Chinese and American people.

“Today, we walked into Kuliang, Fuzhou, and felt the endless charm of Kuliang story in the place where ‘Bond with Kuliang’ started. I like Chinese very much and I like Taichi.” Mariella Brayton, an American youth, not only speaks Chinese, but also has a Chinese name “Ma Canling”. She said that Kuliang is a beautiful place. Although it is the first time to hear the Kuliang Story, it has been deeply moved. “Thank you very much for this opportunity, so that American youth can meet Fujian and understand China through Fujian. I hope that in Kuliang, which witnessed the centuries-old history of friendly exchanges between Chinese and American people, the young people of the two countries can strengthen mutual communication, plant the seeds of friendship, and continue to grow.”

(Fuzhou Daily reporter Zhu Rong and correspondent Zhang Xiulan)