A group of 80 students and teachers from the U.S. state of Washington wrapped up a four-day visit to southwest China's Guizhou Province on Wednesday, with the activity-packed trip helping deepen their understanding of Chinese culture and promoting cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between the two sides.
During their visit to Taijiang County on Tuesday, the American students learned about a traditional reed-pipe wind instrument called the 'Lusheng', which features predominantly in the music of the Miao people and the wooden drum dance, a folk dance popular among the ethnic group. They also enjoyed a bite of the tasty Guizhou sour fish soup, local rice wine and experienced other diverse intangible cultural heritage from the area.
"It (Lusheng) is a very interesting instrument. I never knew about it until I came here and learned about it. And I really like it because it's pretty simple. It's like pretty easy to learn and I love the sound of it. It's really amazing," said Cryan McKee, a student from Tri-Cities High School.
"The most impressive for me, I would say that being able to gather here today and being able to experience [real culture] with the cooking, and I believe it was the sour soup that we learned to cook as well as joining in the drum dancing as well. That was something that was extremely special," said Rowan Hinds, a student from the Science and Math Institute in Tacoma.
Later on Tuesday evening, two basketball matches between local residents and the U.S. students gathered many tourists and neighboring villagers around the court to enjoy the fun international face-off amid a friendly atmosphere.
In addition, the young students also visited another picturesque village in the rural heart of Guizhou's Leishan County to experience the charm of local food and the ethnic Miao culture.
Organizers say the group are enjoying a comprehensive tour of China, helping to build bridges and friendships between the two peoples which they hope will have a lasting impact on these young participants.
"This time they would visit places, like Guizhou, Sichuan, Shandong, Beijing. The trip may allow them to plant a seed of Sino-US friendship from a young age and then gradually nurture them into strong pillars that will actively contribute to the robust and stable development of Sino-U.S. relation," said Shen Xin, vice president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
US students sample local ethnic culture in tour of southwest China's Guizhou
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
