Young Americans share firsthand impressions of China through videos highlighting culture, history and people-to-people exchanges, Gui Qian reports.

Editor's note: From exploring the depth of Chinese history at the Great Wall to discovering the flavors of Cantonese cuisine in Guangdong province, young Americans have captured their impressions of China through their own eyes. These moments are part of the second "My Trip to China" Short Video Contest, hosted by the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco. The contest attracted more than 400 teachers and students from schools across the United States, with over 50 videos submitted. The five stories featured here offer a glimpse into young Americans' firsthand observations, personal connections and the growing influence of China-US youth exchanges.

A book comes alive

For Sarah Golovey, her journey to China began not only with a plane ticket, but also with a book.

Her video opens with a volume about China, filled with pictures and descriptions of famous landmarks and cultural landscapes. But the story soon moves beyond the printed page and into real life: Golovey, an Asian studies major, travels to China herself and sees what she had previously only learned from textbooks.

"To study a place and to know it intimately are two different things," she said in the video. She explained that people are often warned not to meet the things they have long admired, for fear that reality may disappoint them. But for her, China proved the opposite.

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Her video presents China through a lens that is both academic and emotional. She visits a hanfu shop, enjoys a guzheng performance, walks through the high-rise streets of Beijing's CBD and climbs the Great Wall. She also takes in mountains, rivers and a multi-arch stone bridge that reflects the elegance of classical Chinese bridge-building.

After experiencing what she describes as "magic" moments in China, Golovey concludes her video by saying the country exceeded her expectations. The more China revealed itself, she said, the more she felt that seeing it in person had deepened rather than diminished her admiration.

Between worlds, finding home

Samantha Tsang was invited to China through a youth exchange program inspired by the legacy of the Flying Tigers.

During World War II, the Flying Tigers, formally known as the American Volunteer Group, became a powerful symbol of China-US cooperation in the face of shared adversity. Today, youth programs seek to carry that spirit forward through people-to-people exchanges.

Tsang's video traces an emotional journey. As a first-generation Chinese American, she used the two-week trip to explore what it means to live "between worlds". Her reflection centers on identity, capturing both the excitement and nostalgia of encountering a country that felt at once familiar and unfamiliar.

For her, China was not just a destination but also a mirror. From traditional folk dances to an advanced suspended monorail, she saw how "the past, present and future can coexist in a single moment".

"In a reality that often feels intangible and ever-changing, people-to-people exchanges rooted in our shared humanity matter more than ever," she said in the video.

A city full of surprises

For Liam Wilcox, Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, was once little more than a mysterious name. But after spending a summer there, the young American was surprised to discover what he described as "an indispensable metropolis" — and a place he would "never forget".

Wilcox joined an international exchange program at South China University of Technology in Guangzhou. In his video, he recounts his trip in fluent Chinese, making the language itself one of the most impressive parts of his story.

Reflecting on Guangzhou's history, he highlights the city's location along the Pearl River and its long-standing role as a center of trade. He also learned that many Cantonese people migrated to the US during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), helping shape the Chinese cuisine that many Americans know today.

"I had not expected Guangzhou to be so deeply connected with my own country," Wilcox said in the video.

Food became one of the strongest threads running through his memories of the city — from hot soy milk in the morning to afternoon tea with friends and late-night snacks.

"Guangzhou is full of surprises around every corner," he said.

Reading China through motion

While many travelers remember a trip through food, sightseeing or shopping, Joshua Saul found himself recording China through movement. Rather than treating exercise as separate from travel, he used walking, stretching and brief pauses for reflection as a way to feel the rhythm of each city.

In Suzhou, Jiangsu province, for example, he moved slowly through classical gardens and along slightly wet stone-paved paths. At quiet moments during the visit, he added simple movements such as push-ups and stretching, using them less as a workout than as a way to stay present in the setting.

In Shanghai, he chose to meditate near the Oriental Pearl Tower by the Huangpu River, closing his eyes amid skyscrapers and the energy of the modern city.

"This trip to China made me understand fitness isn't limited to the gym," Saul said.

For him, every step became part of the journey, helping him remember "the temperature of each city, its heights and its story". He came to see that movement could be another way of reading a place — through its landscapes, history and everyday pace.

Winter deepens cultural roots

At the end of 2024, Jonah Tan took part in a camp program at Tsinghua University that combined academic study with travel. Looking back on the experience, Tan described the trip as "nothing short of amazing".

The program gave him a close look at academic life at one of China's top universities. At Tsinghua, he attended a dozen lectures on subjects ranging from artificial intelligence to psychology. He also had the chance to speak with senior Tsinghua students, who shared advice on future plans and academic paths — guidance that proved valuable to him.

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The experience extended far beyond the classroom. Tan traveled to Northeast China and visited Changbai Mountain in Jilin province, where the winter scenery left a deep impression. In his video, the snowy landscape is paired with a poetic lyric: "After drinking from the Songhua River and witnessing the beauty of rime ice, I long for that dazzling world of pure white."

Tan also spent Christmas in Beijing, celebrating with local friends, a moment that made the trip feel even more personal.

As someone who is half-Chinese, he said the journey deepened his connection to Chinese culture "in ways he had never imagined".

Contact the writer at guiqian@i21st.cn