RDFZ Official Website News — From February 10 to 24, 2026, the RDFZ Arts Ensemble, led by Mi Qi, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of RDFZ and Its Affiliated Schools Headquarters, Principal of RDFZ, and Executive Vice-Principal of the RDFZ Affiliated Schools Headquarters, traveled to cities including Chicago, Muscatine, New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. for friendly exchange performances. Through beautiful choral performances, professional-grade symphony orchestra playing, and highly skilled wushu (martial arts) and aerobics performances, the Arts Ensemble showcased the outstanding traditional culture of China to American society, strengthened interactive exchanges between young people of both countries, and brought New Year blessings to the local American public.
During this tour, the Arts Ensemble visited and performed at several secondary schools, including the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, Whitney Young High School, William Jones College Preparatory High School, Muscatine High School, and the BB&N School, as well as universities including the Manhattan School of Music and St. John's College. In addition, the Arts Ensemble participated in the Lunar New Year Family Day event at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., co-organized by the Chinese Embassy in the United States, the Chinese New Year celebrations organized by the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago and the Chinese Consulate General in New York, and Sino-American youth exchange activities.
Chinese Consul General in Chicago Wang Baodong stated that China is willing to strengthen dialogue and communication with the American side, expand local and youth exchanges, and promote the stable and far-reaching development of Sino-American relations on the basis of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.
Chinese Consul General in New York Chen Li said that over the past year, Sino-American relations have pressed forward through waves despite challenges. Regardless of how the situation changes, the desire of the Chinese and American peoples to exchange and cooperate will not change. Using vivid examples such as IShowSpeed, Labubu, Hollywood films and Chinese new-style tea drinks breaking through to both sides of the Pacific, he illustrated the cross-ocean connections between young people of both countries, and encouraged young people to understand the world with a broader perspective. Chen Li noted that the Year of the Horse symbolizes vitality, courage, and perseverance, and expressed hope that young people would cherish the friendship forged during this gathering and let cultures blend through shared experiences.
During their time in the United States, the Arts Ensemble delivered 11 wonderful performances and participated in exchanges of diverse forms, showcasing the excellent spirit and bearing of Chinese youth, telling China's story well and spreading China's voice well. Principal Mi Qi noted that Chinese and American students sharing the festive spirit, appreciating each other's culture, and making dumplings together would leave warm memories for both sides, and expressed hope that Sino-American youth friendship would endure, that both sides would grow together, and that they would jointly create a beautiful future.
[Muscatine] A Chinese New Year by the Banks of the Mississippi
On February 14 (local time), the small town of Muscatine, Iowa, USA, welcomed a special New Year gathering. More than 60 local residents were invited to attend the Chinese New Year reception hosted by the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago, jointly celebrating the arrival of the Chinese Lunar New Year.
The Arts Ensemble performed symphony, choral, wushu, and aerobics programs at the reception, earning enthusiastic applause. After the performance, the Chinese and American students naturally gravitated toward each other — their languages were different, yet their smiles were the same. Local students introduced the history and culture of Muscatine to the RDFZ students, who listened attentively and asked questions from time to time. The sound of camera shutters rang out one after another, capturing the precious friendships these young people found in a foreign land.
John Dabeet, Vice Chairperson of the Muscatine Community School District, remarked at the celebration: "Today, we celebrate the arrival of the Lunar New Year, and at the same time commemorate the historic 40-year journey of people-to-people diplomacy [between Muscatine and China]. It is people who truly build bridges between each other."
[New York] A Youthful Rendezvous at the Consulate General
On February 19 (local time), the Chinese Consulate General in New York was filled with laughter and youthful energy. A Sino-American youth exchange event themed "The Harmony of Dumplings, Galloping into Spring on Horseback" was unfolding warmly. The Arts Ensemble and approximately 260 teachers and students from Souderton Area High School and the Manhattan School of Music gathered together for this youthful rendezvous spanning the Pacific Ocean.
During the performance segment, Chinese and American young people took the stage together, each showcasing their talents, as the venue transformed into an artistic ocean where Eastern and Western cultures blended. The RDFZ wushu team performed "Dragon Leaping, Tiger Soaring," vigorous and nimble, fully displaying the spirit and essence of Chinese martial arts. The aerobics team presented "Building Dreams in Aerospace," full of energy and radiating youthful vitality. The break-dance number "Rhythmic Beats," specially rehearsed by Arts Ensemble students for this US exchange tour, had modern rhythms colliding with the passion of Chinese youth, instantly electrifying the entire venue. The Souderton Area High School Choir sang with full feeling the Chinese and Western classics including "Jasmine Flower," with melodious and lingering tones. The chamber orchestra beautifully performed "Chinese Folk Song Suite," "Over the Rainbow," and other Chinese and international melodies, pleasing to the ear. Manhattan School of Music students played "Love Song from the Yao Mountains," with distant and profound artistic conception. The entire performance was a vibrant blend of East and West, with applause and cheers resounding without end.
(Photo credit: Official WeChat account of the Chinese Consulate General in New York)
As the performances concluded, the dumpling-making session and the intangible cultural heritage experience were simultaneously launched. Chinese and American students worked together in a division of labor, making dumplings of all shapes together, with laughter and joy filling the Consulate General. The calligraphy, paper-cutting, and hanfu (traditional Chinese dress) experience booths were extremely popular, as students put on hanfu for commemorative photos and immersed themselves in experiencing the charm of China's traditional culture.
(Photo credit: Official WeChat account of the Chinese Consulate General in New York)
Vice President and Provost Griggs of the Manhattan School of Music said with emotion: "Music and culture can unite people. True connection comes from sincere friendship and dialogue." Teacher Yardley of Souderton Area High School stated: "The connections between people are of the utmost importance. I hope this exchange will help the children form cross-cultural friendships, and bring unity, peace, and a more beautiful future to the world."
As the event drew to a close, the Chinese and American young friends exchanged contact information and pledged to stay in touch often, hoping to extend their cross-ocean friendship with the energy of youth and inject new vitality into the development of Sino-American relations.
[Washington, D.C.] "Happy Spring Festival" at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art
On February 21 (local time), the "Happy Spring Festival" cultural interactive experience event, co-organized by the Chinese Embassy in the United States and the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, brought the rich atmosphere of the Chinese New Year to the US capital, attracting nearly 10,000 American visitors.
Our school's Arts Ensemble delivered a dedicated performance program of chamber music, choral, wushu, and aerobics, which was enthusiastically received by the audience on-site, bringing the atmosphere of New Year celebration to a climax.
Arts Ensemble student Li Zixiao, in an interview with Xinhua News Agency, said that she and her fellow students not only attended classes together with local students in American classrooms, but also performed "Spring Festival Overture" in a joint rehearsal with American students at a school in Chicago. "This piece represents the reunion of the Chinese people during the Spring Festival. When the American students gradually became familiar with this melody and finally completed the collaborative performance, I felt that the distance between us was instantly bridged."
From Chicago to Muscatine, from New York and Boston to Washington, D.C., the Arts Ensemble's teachers and students spanned mountains and seas, using their youth, talents, and confidence to let Chinese culture shine brilliantly on the other side of the ocean, and to let the seeds of friendship among Chinese young people take root and flourish on the world stage. With art and sincerity, they wrote one warm story after another about friendship on American soil, and with the power of youth, they together injected new life and vitality into Sino-American friendship.
