China-U.S. friendship: Echoes of harmony(3)

New Chapter 

In recent years, Elyn Maclnnis has been a staunch advocate for fostering mutual respect and understanding between China and the U.S., particularly among the youth. Her advocacy underscores the crucial role of cultural exchange and dialogue in bridging cultural differences between nations. 

She explained that in China, reactions to embarrassment can be different from what one might expect. These cultural nuances, she added, can lead to misunderstandings that one must navigate and understand. 

Jake Pinnick, an American kung fu coach and participant in the Kuliang event, was born in 1991 and grew up in a small town on the plains of Illinois, a fan of kung fu movies. In 2010, without a word of Chinese, he went alone to Wudang Mountain to and learn martial arts, staying for five years. 

Pinnick has since integrated into this land. He speaks fluent Chinese and teaches martial arts and tai chi to people from all around the world, and he posts about his daily life on social media. 

“I have been advancing on the path of promoting traditional Chinese culture,” Jake told NewsChina. Pinnick admits that while he came to Wudang Mountain to learn martial arts, he stayed because of the culture. 

During the exchange week, Pinnick heard many discussions about China-U.S. relations. He believes there is continuous mutual goodwill and friendship between the two peoples. “So many Americans are interested in Chinese culture and are willing to come to China to learn, and Chinese people feel the same about the U.S.. What should we do in the future? I think the most important thing is to strengthen communication.” 

Today in Kuliang, it is easy to discern the imprints left by the international community. 

Local efforts are promoting the protection and restoration of historic buildings. They have identified and verified 36 buildings or sites, gradually completing the restoration and enhancement of nearly 20 of them, including Yixia Villa, Kuliang Church, the Swimming Pool, the Old Kuliang Summer Post Office and Cypress King Park. 

On June 24, Chinese and American youth came together to plant 186 trees in  Kuliang. Pinnick was accompanied by his daughter Cao Linna. 

The 10-year-old girl wrote a message in Chinese: “Friendship between China and the U.S., may everything go well.” When asked by our reporter what she hoped to express with this sentence, she replied, “It represents happiness and also luck.”