From July 10 to July 25, 2013, nine high school students and one teacher from Arkansas came to China to participate in the 2013 “Chinese Bridge Summer Camp for U.S. High School Students” held by the Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing and Tianjin. The Confucius Institute at the University of Central Arkansas (UCACI) has made great efforts to promote this summer camp with pre-preparations in Arkansas, and offered the campers a pre-departure orientation in the Confucius Institute at UCA on May 25.

During the first week of the summer camp, students came to Tianjin Normal University to learn Chinese language and experienced cultural events, namely Chinese painting, paper cutting and more. They tried various language practice and cultural tours to places of interest in Tianjin as well, such as the Wudadao District, the Ancient Culture Street, and Tianjin Museum, and they also enjoyed a Chinese Opera show and tasted snacks in Tianjin. In their spare time, nine campers learned a minority folk dance and prepared to show it during the group show at the end of the summer camp.

In the following week, campers went to Beijing to visit the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. The long Chinese history, splendid architecture, and profound Chinese culture impressed these students a lot. Kimberly Rowan, the teacher from Bentonville High School in Arkansas, said that this trip was memorable in life, and activities like this could arouse students’ interest in learning Chinese language in Arkansas and encourage them to take part in activities offered by the Confucius Institute, and they would probably come to China to study and work in the future.

Nine students wrote in their travel notes that they have improved their Chinese language competence by learning in an immersive environment, experienced the profound Chinese culture and the beauty of both ancient and modern times of China. In addition, students were also impressed by the rapid development of China and the hospitality of Chinese people. They all said they would share their experiences and feelings with their families, friends, and classmates, and would work harder on Chinese language, hoping that one day they could visit China again.