The delegation group photo at the Guangzhou Urban Planning Exhibition Center on Jan 11, 2025. (Photo: GDToday)
On their last stop in China, a delegation of young students from Iowa State in the United States visited Guangdong Province for four days from January 8 to 11. Prior to that, the delegation had visited the provinces of Jilin and Hebei as well as Beijing since December 31 of last year.
Studying from liberal arts to natural sciences, the 21 students in the delegation come from five universities and colleges in Iowa State: the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, Cornell College, Coe College, and Scattergood Friends Boarding School.
The whole delegation was invited by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, organized by the US-China Green Institute, and supported by the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development.
US students are eager to learn about Guangdong during the whole tour
The group photo of the delegation at the Sun Yat-sen University History Museum in Guangzhou on Jan 10, 2025. (Photo: GDToday)
In their three-day tour in Guangdong Province, the students in the delegation visited enterprises, universities, travel sites, and exhibition centers to learn about this bustling and promising place in China as much as they could.
For his first time ever being out of the United States, Brody Hawtrey, an undergraduate student at Cornell College majoring in exercise science, told GDToday his feelings about Guangdong.
He felt uneasy at first as it was his first trip overseas. "Nonetheless, the more and more I stayed and talked to all of our speakers, our tour guides, and the other students from China, it made me feel more and more at home," he noted.
Being astonished by everything during the tour, Brody was especially impressed with many of the museums. The artifacts had been preserved from many years ago, and modern art museums showcased the newer technology and devices. He admitted that the utilities used by the museums compared to what they had in America were completely different.
Brody Hawtrey in the hall of the Guangzhou Urban Planning Exhibition Center on Jan 11, 2025. (Photo: GDToday)
Notably, at dinner hosted by Guangdong People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries on Saturday, Brody and his peers performed the Church Clap dance, which ignited the atmosphere. He later told GDToday that he was originally really nervous because people seemed reluctant to join. He stood up and said, "Let's do it." "Because it's our last couple of days here in China, we should make the most of it, and enough happens. I had a couple of other people join me."
When asked to use three words to describe his time in Guangdong, Brody selected welcoming, beautiful, and, after pondering for a while, he said "heartwarming."
"Because it really warmed my heart with how well you guys' hospitality and how well we've been treated, and there's nothing more than just thanks I can give to every one of you for that."
Also, Lucas Ralston, a freshman at the University of Iowa studying Economics, Music, and International Relations, shared his thoughts on his first time visiting China. Despite its tight schedule, Lucas told GDToday that the trip has been excellent and something most people could not have at any point in their lives.
Lucas Ralston at the stairs of the Sun Yat-sen University History Museum in Guangzhou on Jan 10, 2025. (Photo: GDToday)
Aspired to be the president of a university in the US in the future, Lucas loves to visit many universities in China to gain first-hand experience, particularly at Sun Yat-sen University, their fifth stop on the trip. "My dream is to work in higher education administration. So it's very nice to learn about how they operate around the world," he said.
As for his major at the University of Iowa, he told GDToday that economics will help him achieve his goal from an academic point of view. However, he added international relations as a major owing to one of his role models—Amy Gutmann, former president of the University of Pennsylvania and also former US ambassador to Germany. "She combined international relations into her job as president. She was a very valuable asset to the university at that point," Lucas noted.
The boy who always puts a pencil behind his ear told GDToday that the best experiences were the personal connections that he has made at multiple universities so far. "That has been my favorite part. Through personal connections, I've learned the most about China."
US students dressed in Cantonese opera costumes galvanize the tour
The students in the delegation show their Cantonese opera costumes along the sidewalk in Guangzhou on Jan 11, 2025. (Photo: GDToday)
On their last day in China, they visited the Cantonese Opera Art Museum. After seeing the live Cantonese opera and learning the rudiments of this local art, some of the delegation members got the chance to try on the Cantonese opera costumes.
Upon dressing in intricately different costumes of generals, emperors, princesses, literati, and judges, they soon became hot spots in the crowds. Travelers, pedestrians, and opera actors and actresses scrambled for selfies and photos with them.
Wearing a traditional general's costume, Hunter Holt, a junior student of Political Science at Cornell College, felt incredible. "I don't know; I've never worn something extravagant before, but I like knowing the history behind it, like the meaning. I even got the shoes that make me a little bit taller than that big headdress in peace feels commanding," he said.
Decorated as an ancient emperor, Yonis Said, a junior student of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Cornell College, told a GDToday reporter that it felt as if he was wearing thousands of years of royalty, nobility, power, and heritage.
"I may be dressed as the advisor," noted Joseph Canales, project manager of Global Student Diplomacy with a Vision, who selected a set of clothing of traditional Chinese literati, "but everyone knows that I'm the one who pulls the strings behind the scenes. I make the smart decisions so that he knows what the right thing to do is. The emperor needs me," he joked about his peer.
Jaden Fuqua, a senior student of psychology at Coe College, definitely felt like a princess or a fairy in her flowing and colorful clothing. "It's definitely very showy, which is cool. It has the makeup and the bright colors. I just really enjoyed being able to see that part of history and how that opera has come to be and how specific clothing is for specific characters," she said after visiting the entire museum.
Head of delegation introduces the symbol of honeybee decorated in the badge
Bill Aossey, head of the delegation and the founder of Midamar Corporation, at the Cantonese Opera Art Museum in Guangzhou on Jan. 11, 2025. (Photo: GDToday)
As the head of the delegation and founder of Midamar Corporation, Bill Aossey told GDToday that in 2023, the Chinese government announced that the country wants to invite 50,000 students from the US in the next five years.
"We brought 25 students plus staff from five colleges and universities. Some of them are on their first trip ever to China and have never been on an airplane. We told them that they are the best students in their class on campus, but they have to gain experience and knowledge from outside of the classroom," noted Mr. Aossey.
He then introduced the badge for each member involved in the tour. The left side features the state of Iowa, and the right side features the flag of China. In the middle is a honeybee.
According to Mr. Bill, a honeybee is one of the most important creatures on Earth. First of all, they spread good by pollinating all the trees, so people can have fruit. But equally important, the honeybee will fly from flower to flower every day to collect pollen, which we cannot see, to make honey.
"Knowledge is like pollen," noted Mr. Bill. "It is something you cannot see. You have to gain it and search for it." He listed the Silk Road, going back over 1,500 years in Chinese history, and the current Belt and Road as examples.
The badge of the delegation on Jan 11, 2025. (Photo: GDToday)
"That is why it is important for us to bring them here to seek knowledge and cultural exchanges. The most important thing is that our students have come here for new knowledge above and beyond what they get on the school campus," he added.
Having been to China many times, Mr. Bill has seen tremendous changes in the organization of cities—the cleanliness of the streets, the discipline of the people, and no horn honking on the avenues.
Being embraced with goodwill and hospitality, Mr. Bill noted that it is critical to see how the students take this experience and knowledge back home.
"They will take a treasure from this trip back not only to their fellow students in their classrooms, but also what we have asked them to do is to meet with presidents of their colleges, to meet with senators and congressmen, the people that shape the media, and explain to them the welcoming that they've had in China, and the barriers that they crossed over to come here for knowledge and experience."
After all, there is a badge with a honeybee on each of their chests.
Reporter: Zhang Ruijun, Liang Yinghui (Intern)
Photo: Zhang Ruijun, Liang Yinghui (Intern)
Editor: Yuan Zixiang, James, Shen He
