A group of students from North Springs Charter High School in Sandy Springs, US, recently visited Mingde High School in Taicang, Jiangsu province for an exchange activity.

The students spent two weeks in Taicang where they studied and lived alongside local students to experience traditional Chinese culture.

Aside from taking taichi and robot classes, the students enjoyed calligraphy teaching and were curious about writing with brushes. A 17-year-old foreign student who took the Chinese name "He Lina", wrote down her name along with some other Chinese Characters, such as "中国" (China), "我爱太仓" (I love Taicang), and "龙" (Dragon). He said she had visited China three times and it was the second time for her to come to Mingde High School. She was full of praise for Taicang, especially for its pleasant environment, tasty food and hospitable residents.

Milan, another foreign student, wrote the phrase, "Though we live apart, our hearts are linked together," in Chinese characters with a brush pen. As her first trip to China, she was touched by the amity of the locals. "They taught me a lot about local featured products and played with me. If I had a chance, I would like to come here again," said Milan.

The exchange program was formed as a result of Taicang and Sandy Springs becoming sister cities. Mingde High School and North Springs Charter High School established a sister-school relationship in 2012.

Edited by Jacob Hooson