Eighty-five years after the Flying Tigers forged one of the most enduring symbols of friendship between China and the United States, a group of young Americans traveled to Guangdong province to carry that legacy forward through dialogue, discovery and friendship.

From June 19 to 27, nearly 60 members of the American Flying Tigers Friendship Association youth delegation visited Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Kaiping, exploring China's technological innovation, experiencing local Lingnan culture and retracing the legacy of the Flying Tigers, the American volunteer pilots who fought alongside the Chinese people during World War II.

The delegation, made up of students from 21 U.S. universities and young science and technology professionals, found a China that many said differed from the one they had imagined.

"I thought China was technologically advanced before coming here," said Leslie Lopez of the University of California, San Diego. "But I didn't expect this level of advancement."

Members of the American Flying Tigers Friendship Association youth delegation pose for a group photo at Shenzhen DAS Intellitech Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, June 25, 2026. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

Visits to smart manufacturing companies, AI enterprises and the Haixinsha Omni-space Intelligent Experience Center gave the delegation a look at technologies ranging from autonomous window-cleaning robots and eVTOL aircraft to intelligent urban management systems.

What impressed Lopez most was not the sophistication of the technologies, but the problems they were designed to solve.

"They're creating machines that save people from dangerous work," she said. "Technology here is being used as a tool to benefit people's lives."

Amanda Ong, a Microsoft staff member who completed her master's degree in computer science at the University of Washington, was equally struck by how deeply technology has been woven into everyday life in China.

"I saw elderly people paying with their phones, EV chargers everywhere, even in rural areas," she said. "It's clear that the technology is not being used to override the past, but to augment it."

But technology was only part of the story. In Guangzhou, the delegation experienced one of the best-known local traditions by taking part in a dragon boat race on Haizhu Lake. Paddling in unison under the summer sun, many participants found that the centuries-old sport was as much about teamwork as strength.

Members of the American Flying Tigers Friendship Association youth delegation take part in a dragon boat race on Haizhu Lake, Guangzhou, June 20, 2026. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

For Vincent Torres, of Cal Poly Pomona, it became one of the highlights of the trip. "It was unlike anything I had ever done before," he said. "Working together with my friends showed me what teamwork really feels like. It was harder than I expected, but also a great way to cool off on a hot day."

In Kaiping, home to the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Kaiping Diaolou and Villages, students explored villages whose distinctive architecture reflects generations of cultural exchange, blending Chinese and Western styles.

For Lily Yang, also of Cal Poly Pomona, Kaiping's architecture offered an unexpected metaphor for China-U.S. relations.

"The unique blend of Western and Chinese architecture represents how our two cultures can come together to create something beautiful," she said. "When we collaborate and bridge our worlds, we can build something truly beautiful together."

History was woven throughout the itinerary. At the former site of the Huangpu (Whampoa) Military Academy, participants reflected on the wartime ties that first brought the Flying Tigers to China. At the Yuan Longping Good Seed Spirit Inheritance Hall, they learned how the late agricultural scientist spent his life developing crops to feed millions.

Members of the American Flying Tigers Friendship Association youth delegation pose for a group photo at the Former Site of the Huangpu (Whampoa) Military Academy, Guangzhou, June 22, 2026. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

For Ann Chen, a medical student at Creighton University School of Medicine, the visit underscored values that transcend generations. "The Flying Tigers demonstrated that service and compassion can transcend national boundaries," she said. "As a future physician, I hope to carry that same spirit of service into patient care."

The most lasting impressions, however, often came through conversations rather than sightseeing. At Guangdong University of Foreign Studies and Sun Yat-sen University, American and Chinese students exchanged ideas on artificial intelligence, career aspirations, campus life, favorite foods and social media. Long after the official programs ended, many kept talking, discovering how much they had in common despite growing up on opposite sides of the Pacific.

The conversations left a particularly strong impression on Torres. He said one of the biggest surprises was how familiar life felt when talking with Chinese students.

"It surprised me to see how similar their lives and struggles are to my own," he said. "We need to work together not as separate nations, but as one human race."

For Milo Popp IV, who has studied Chinese since kindergarten, finally experiencing China firsthand turned years of classroom learning into lived experience. "You can't understand a country simply by hearing about it from far away," he said. "You have to come here, talk with people and experience it yourself."

Jayson Shinn, whose family traces its roots to Guangdong, said the trip had reshaped many participants' understanding of China. "Guangzhou is beautiful," he said. "Not only Chinese Americans like me, but all of our American friends now have a much deeper understanding of China."

The American Flying Tigers Friendship Association led the delegation. The group has brought nearly 300 American young people to China over the past six months. Association president Charlie Xu said this year's program carries special significance as 2026 marks the 85th anniversary of the Flying Tigers.

For Xu, the program's purpose extends beyond commemorating history. "Eighty-five years ago, young Americans came to China to stand with the Chinese people," he said. "Today, we bring young people here to continue that spirit of friendship."

As the delegation prepared to return home, many participants said what they would remember most was not any single technology demonstration or historic landmark, but the people they had met and the conversations they had shared.

Their suitcases carried souvenirs from Guangdong. Their memories carried something harder to pack: stories of discovery, friendship and a legacy still finding new meaning 85 years on.