Hebi City, Henan Province, central China - Feb 21, 2026 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of pickleball match between Chinese, U.S. students

Xunxian County, Hebi City, Henan Province, central China - Feb 20, 2026 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
2. Various of lion dance; Chinese and U.S. students touching lion head for blessing; dance performance
3. Various of stilt walking, students interacting with performers
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ryan Corkery, U.S. student (starting with shot 3/ending with shot 5):
"How, you know, we're in a big crowd, we're hootin' and hollerin', and then we step through this gate and it's peace. It's so amazing. It's a sudden change that I've never experienced anywhere else, and for that, it's beautiful."
5. Students, performers posing for group photo
6. Various of students practicing Spring Festival calligraphy
7. Various of students creating clay sculpture
8. Various of students interacting with performers, learning martial arts
9. Various of students participating in simulated ancient wedding ceremony
10. Student learning to beat drum
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Jeffrey Sullivan, director, Systemwide Athletics, Montgomery County Public Schools (partially overlaid with shots 12-14):
"Today in Hebi, wow, that’s all I can say. From the grand entrance to seeing the city, to coming and engaging in arts and crafts, having a lunch literally in town and enjoying the local cuisine. It just really allows us to understand the open-up and learn culture."
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
12. Sullivan learning to beat drum
13. Various of students enjoying stilts walking, folk performance
14. Aerial shot of street, visitors
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
15. Various of students enjoying iron flower performance at night, posing for photo
16. Aerial shot of illuminated cityscape

A group of Chinese and U.S. students visited Hebi City in central China’s Henan Province from Thursday to Saturday as part of the "2026 U.S. Youth Pickleball Cultural Exchange Trip to China," a program aimed at fostering cultural connections and mutual understanding beyond the pickleball court.

Running from February 15 to 24, the trip involves over 190 youth participants from both countries engaging in inter-school exchanges, pickleball matches, and cultural visits in four locations, Shenzhen in Guangdong Province, Shangyou in Jiangxi Province, Hebi in Henan Province, and Beijing.

During their stay in Hebi's Xunxian County on Friday, one of China’s oldest walled cities, students participated in traditional activities such as stilt walking and lion dance to celebrate the Spring Festival, gaining firsthand experience of the region's vibrant culture.

"How, you know, we're in a big crowd, we're hootin' and hollerin', and then we step through this gate and it's peace. It's so amazing. It's a sudden change that I've never experienced anywhere else, and for that, it's beautiful," said Ryan Corkery, a U.S. student.

In workshops led by local artisans, participants explored Spring Festival calligraphy and traditional clay sculpture -- intangible cultural heritage crafts passed down through generations in the region.

"Today in Hebi, wow, that’s all I can say. From the grand entrance to seeing the city, to coming and engaging in arts and crafts, having a lunch literally in town and enjoying the local cuisine. It just really allows us to understand the open-up and learn culture," said Dr. Jeffrey Sullivan, director of Systemwide Athletics at Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland.

A pickleball match took place on Saturday at a local sports center in Hebi, fostering mutual respect between Chinese and U.S. students through friendly competition.