A group of young Americans gained firsthand insights in China's development and traditional culture through the Bridge of the Future China-US youth exchange program from June 23 to 26 in East China's Shandong Province.

Youths from China and US play table tennis together. (Photo: China Central Television)

On June 23, members of a US youth delegation visited a table tennis school in Qingdao, where they engaged in hands-on practice and in-depth discussion with Chinese student players.

Carter Theodore Keightley, a member of the US delegation, noted that sports are a good avenue for cultures to interact.

Jason Wallace, highlighting the power of sports, said that they learned about the spirit of sports and the art of diplomacy.

These young Americans also learned to make kites after visiting the Weifang International Kite Museum.

At the Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Jinan, the US group experienced how Eight Pieces of Brocade (Baduanjin), a traditional Chinese exercise, nourishes body and soul.

At the Shandong Museum of Chinese Medicine, the young Americans learned how to identify commonly used herbal decoctions and their medicinal effects and the crafting of Chinese scented sachets and bracelets.  They also enjoyed medicinal cuisine, followed by hands-on trials of acupuncture and massage, learning about the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine in health preservation and rehabilitation.