LA students celebrate Lantern Festival

The scent of dumplings filled the air, the soft glow of lanterns illuminated excited faces, and laughter echoed through the halls of the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Nearly 100 US young people gathered to celebrate Lantern Festival at an event titled "Experiencing China", immersing themselves in Chinese culture through activities like calligraphy, crafting lanterns and savoring yuanxiao, or sweet glutinous rice balls, which symbolize togetherness and reunion.

Cameron McCarthy, a student from Geffen Academy at UCLA, confidently named all 12 Chinese zodiac animals in a Q&A session. Her quick response earned praise and a gift from Chinese Consul General Guo Shaochun and his wife Wang Wei.

The couple, hosting the event, engaged with students to deepen their understanding of the history, customs, and cultural significance of the Spring Festival.

McCarthy, whose name in Mandarin is "Marui", said she has been studying the Chinese language for four years now, which allows her to communicate effectively with people from Chinese backgrounds.

"Learning about Chinese culture has been an incredible experience for me," McCarthy told China Daily. "I am excited to explore Chinese history and society as well. I hope to travel to China someday, and I really want to study (about) China when I go to college."

The event also served as a platform for deeper cross-cultural exchanges.

Caleb Miller, a teacher from St. Paul High School in Santa Fe Springs, California, shared his experiences from a trip to China last year, which included basketball games, historical and cultural visits, and interactions with Chinese students.

"This was an unforgettable journey that opened our eyes to the depth and richness of Chinese culture," Miller said.

Morell Jones, dean of students and school culture at Geffen Academy at UCLA, expressed enthusiasm about expanding the school's Chinese program. "We are really looking forward to growing our program — maybe even having our students travel to China and experience the culture firsthand," he told China Daily.

According to Consul General Guo, cultural exchanges between US and Chinese students are growing. Thousands of US young people have joined the Young Envoys Scholarship program, or YES, to visit China.

The consulate provides assistance, including issuing five-year visas with multiple entries for applicants with exclusive YES invitations and waiving visa-processing fees, Guo said.