The Bond with Kuliang: 2026 China-U.S. Youth Baseball Exhibition Games and Sports Festival recently wrapped up in Fuzhou, capital of East China's Fujian province — bringing together some 400 young people from both nations for sports, cultural activities and people-to-people exchanges.
Participants pose for a group picture at the newly inaugurated China-U.S. Youth Friendship Park in Kuliang.
One of the highlights of this year's program was the largest reunion of the "Kuliang Friends", a group that represents the offspring of expats and their friends, whose parents and grandparents built holiday homes and had idyllic holidays in the area last century and who still retain a close affinity with it.
Attending the reunion were descendants of the Donald MacInnis, Lydia Trimble, Harold Brewster and Hemenway families who traveled from across the Pacific to reconnect with old friends, share family stories and to celebrate the century-old ties that began in Kuliang.
Joined by scholars and researchers, they took part in storytelling sessions, book launches, exhibitions and musical performances that brought the history of Kuliang to life for a new generation.
The event also saw the release of two new books documenting the experiences of foreign families in Fujian, while an original music video inspired by the story of Mrs Gardner, premiered.
Visitors explored the newly upgraded Kuliang·Life on the Mountain Museum, where immersive exhibits recreate the daily life of Kuliang's historic international community and preserve the memories of those who once made the mountain their summer home.
Sports remained at the heart of the exchange. Four youth baseball teams from the United States competed alongside teams from Fujian, Hong Kong, Xi'an, and Sichuan at Pingtan Baseball Park.
Beyond the competition, players exchanged team pins, shared training experiences and quickly struck up friendships. One memorable moment came when a Fujian coach-player rushed to help an injured American athlete during a game, a simple act of sportsmanship that was warmly appreciated by both teams.
The exchange extended well beyond the baseball field. Athletes and students from U.S. Flying Tigers Friendship Schools visited universities and high schools across Fuzhou — taking part in campus exchanges, sports activities and cultural experiences.
From basketball and pickleball to drone soccer, tai chi and traditional Chinese games, the program gave participants plenty of opportunities to learn from one another through shared interests.
The festival also featured a Kuliang gala, where Chinese and American participants celebrated birthdays together, staged performances and joined in singing We Are the World.
Visits to Kuliang, the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys Historic District, and the Yantaishan Historic District, offered the young visitors a closer look at Fuzhou's history, its cultural heritage and the unique blend of Chinese and Western influences there.
From the baseball diamond to school campuses and historic streets, the exchange fostered new friendships and deeper mutual understanding between young people from China and the United States.
Overall, the Kuliang legacy continues to bring people together, as a new generation builds friendship and mutual understanding through shared experiences and meaningful exchanges.
