A group of Chinese and U.S. students visited Hebi City in central China’s Henan Province from Thursday to Saturday as part of the "2026 U.S. Youth Pickleball Cultural Exchange Trip to China," a program aimed at fostering cultural connections and mutual understanding beyond the pickleball court.
Running from February 15 to 24, the trip involves over 190 youth participants from both countries engaging in inter-school exchanges, pickleball matches, and cultural visits in four locations, Shenzhen in Guangdong Province, Shangyou in Jiangxi Province, Hebi in Henan Province, and Beijing.
During their stay in Hebi's Xunxian County on Friday, one of China’s oldest walled cities, students participated in traditional activities such as stilt walking and lion dance to celebrate the Spring Festival, gaining firsthand experience of the region's vibrant culture.
"How, you know, we're in a big crowd, we're hootin' and hollerin', and then we step through this gate and it's peace. It's so amazing. It's a sudden change that I've never experienced anywhere else, and for that, it's beautiful," said Ryan Corkery, a U.S. student.
In workshops led by local artisans, participants explored Spring Festival calligraphy and traditional clay sculpture -- intangible cultural heritage crafts passed down through generations in the region.
"Today in Hebi, wow, that’s all I can say. From the grand entrance to seeing the city, to coming and engaging in arts and crafts, having a lunch literally in town and enjoying the local cuisine. It just really allows us to understand the open-up and learn culture," said Dr. Jeffrey Sullivan, director of Systemwide Athletics at Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland.
A pickleball match took place on Saturday at a local sports center in Hebi, fostering mutual respect between Chinese and U.S. students through friendly competition.
US, Chinese students connect through pickleball cultural exchange in central China city
Wildfires have continued to ravage Spain, particularly its central regions, in recent days, as rescue operations have entered full swing.
The Madrid region, and provinces of Avila and Toledo in central Spain have been the hardest-hit areas, with nearly 100,000 people evacuated or ordered to remain indoors across 46 municipalities.
The blaze in Avila became the largest on record in the country's history after burning around 50,000 hectares, according to the Spanish news agency EFE on Sunday.
Because multiple fire points were close to one another, the blazes quickly merged under persistent high temperatures and shifting winds, forming a massive fireground spanning Madrid, Avila and Toledo.
More than a dozen municipalities in Madrid were forced to undergo full evacuations.
"My daughter, my husband and I spent the night in the car. We thought we could go home in the morning, but we're still being told the roads are blocked and we can't get through," said Soraya, an affected resident.
At a temporary shelter set up at a local basketball court, staff said rapid fire spread forced them to hurriedly complete preparations while simultaneously settling residents, leaving traumatized evacuees in urgent need of professional psychological counseling.
"Almost everyone who arrives here is emotionally overwhelmed because they have no idea about the condition of their homes, their belongings or their livestock. We can only do our best to comfort them," said Cristina, the shelter's manager.
Thousands of firefighters, supported by Spain's Military Emergency Unit (UME), firefighting aircraft and helicopters, continued battling the blazes on Sunday.
Weather conditions eased to some extent on Sunday. According to a spokesperson for Guardia Civil, air humidity increased and a temporary improvement in wind direction offered a valuable window for firefighting efforts.
However, the battle against the blaze still faces severe challenges, as the overall fire situation remains unstable.
"The fire situation is gradually improving. As conditions get better, we will adjust our deployment and allow residents to return home in phases. But this process must be carried out in an orderly and phased manner. Due to the terrain and extensive forest vegetation, fully extinguishing the fires remains extremely difficult," said Mercedes, a spokesperson for Guardia Civil.
According to Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition, wildfires had burned a total of 172,453 hectares nationwide as of Friday.
Wildfires rage across Spain, rescue, evacuation operations underway
