US students explore Chinese culture and sustainability in Tianjin

The students experienced tie-dyeing, fan painting, and other crafts under the guidance of teachers from the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts.

In a calligraphy class, Phillips learned to write "I love Tianjin" in Chinese characters.

The US teenager, who has been taking Chinese classes since high school, said: "Chinese characters are beautiful. They're hard to learn, so every improvement gives me a sense of achievement."

Zang Yifan contributed to this story.