WUHAN, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) — As Max Rasilla wheeled his suitcase by way of the bustling halls of Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in central China earlier this week, the Alfred University scholar felt a reluctant tug on the considered ending his two-week journey in China.
“I don’t want to leave China,” Rasilla mentioned. “I have a 10-year visa, so I’ll be able to come back, and next year when I come back, I’ll be a little bit more fluent [with my Chinese],” mentioned Rasilla, 22.
Rasilla fell in love with pandas since his childhood and as soon as dreamed of changing into a panda keeper. That harmless fascination sparked his curiosity in studying Chinese, a journey that has since grown into one thing much more enduring. Now, as somebody majoring in ceramics artwork, Rasilla feels Chinese philosophy and tradition are very inspirational for his artworks.
He was amongst almost 100 contributors — largely U.S. college students together with a number of entrepreneurs — who traveled throughout China from July 17 to 30 to honor the legacy of the Flying Tigers, the American volunteer pilots who fought alongside Chinese forces in opposition to Japanese invaders throughout World War II.
As this 12 months marks the eightieth anniversary of the victory within the Chinese People’s War of Resistance in opposition to Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, led the delegation to retrace the footsteps of the Flying Tigers by way of Beijing, Xinjiang, Shaanxi and Hubei.
The contributors, hailing from over 10 U.S. excessive colleges and universities, not solely revisited a pivotal chapter within the Sino-American historical past but in addition started forging new people-to-people bonds.
“During the war, the Flying Tigers came to China and fought bravely alongside the Chinese people,” mentioned Catherine Greene, Jeffrey’s spouse, in fluent Mandarin. “Now, as U.S.-China relations face many challenges, we, the younger generation, must be the new Flying Tigers of our time and contribute positively to bilateral relations.”
HONORING FLYING TIGERS LEGACY
“I didn’t know about the Flying Tigers before I came here,” mentioned Rasilla. “Now I think their mission is really important. The connection between the Chinese and American people is so important. For our generation, as we grow older and take on leadership roles, maintaining a good relationship is essential.”
The Flying Tigers, formally generally known as the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, was shaped in 1941 by U.S. General Claire Lee Chennault to assist China in its combat in opposition to invading Japanese forces.
The story of Glen Beneda left a deep impression on many contributors. In 1943, Beneda, then aged 19, was dispatched to China as a fighter pilot within the 14th U.S. Air Force. During an assault on a big Japanese military base in central China’s Hankou the next 12 months, the tail of Beneda’s aircraft was hit and the plane crashed into Xiafeng Lake in Jianli County, Hubei Province. Beneda survived by parachuting into a close-by rice paddy, however he was severely wounded and will barely transfer.
Realizing he was an American soldier, farmers and troopers risked their lives to switch him on a stretcher throughout Japanese-controlled areas underneath the duvet of evening.
After 23 grueling days, Beneda lastly arrived on the Fifth Division of China’s New Fourth Army led by Li Xiannian, who later served as Chinese president from 1983 to 1988. There, the U.S. pilot progressively recovered and shaped deep friendships with Chinese troopers, even sharing video games of ping pong with them.
The veteran later returned to China a number of instances together with his household. “I owe a debt to the Chinese people who have been so good to me,” he mentioned in a documentary. When he handed away in 2010, a part of his ashes had been buried within the memorial park of the previous residence of Li Xiannian in Hubei’s Hong’an County.
The sacrifices of the Flying Tigers had been profound. A complete of two,193 members of the Flying Tigers misplaced their lives whereas supporting China and Myanmar throughout World War II. During battles, greater than 200 downed pilots had been rescued by Chinese civilians, and hundreds of Chinese folks died aiding them.
While visiting Hong’an, the coed delegation laid chrysanthemums on the memorial web site. Some had been moved to tears whereas watching “Touching the Tigers,” a documentary about Beneda’s story.
Among the scholars was Lili Li, visiting China for the primary time along with her mom Anna Li, who’s the daughter of Lieutenant Kuo Ching Li, the one Chinese-American Flying Tiger.
“I feel that the bond between the United States and China has been so strong these past decades,” Lili Li mentioned. “For me, being able to carry that connection forward, especially in today’s world, is one of the most important things.”
During their go to to northwestern China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the delegation discovered concerning the heroic “Hump Route” over the Himalayas, which was used to ship very important provides to Chinese troops combating Japanese invaders.
“We learned all about how they supported China and how the Chinese supported the Americans during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression,” mentioned Giacomo Weil, a scholar from the Central High School in Philadelphia.
“The Chinese made a ton of sacrifices and gave up their food so that the Flying Tigers could fly and make missions against the Japanese. It was really awesome to see that beautiful link between China and the United States,” mentioned Weil, 18.
FORGING NEW BOND
While paying tribute to wartime heroes, the members of the delegation additionally immersed themselves in wealthy and various cultures, experiencing a unique aspect of the U.S.-China relationship, one outlined by youth dialogue, shared pursuits and mutual curiosity.
In Beijing, the scholars visited the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall. In Turpan, Xinjiang, they explored the Jiaohe Ruins, one of many world’s best-preserved, longest-lasting and largest clay-built metropolis relics, in addition to the Karez wells, witnessing the resilience and ingenuity of historic Chinese civilization.
“Very eye-opening. I didn’t know that China had a wild west, too. We don’t learn much about Xinjiang or any of those western regions of China, which was very interesting to me,” mentioned Sarah Destiny Golovey, a junior scholar at California State University, Sacramento.
They additionally visited Yan’an, a traditionally important metropolis in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province. “It was really cool, really beautiful,” Weil mentioned. “China is so vast. In contrast to the desert in Xinjiang, Yan’an has green hills, and we saw the Yellow River. I even got to visit the Hukou Waterfall. But in every city I visited, the hospitality has been absolutely amazing.”
In Wuhan, cultural exchanges got here alive on the scholars’ first night throughout a welcome cruise, the place native college college students carried out conventional dances, performed the guzheng (Chinese zither), and sang English pop songs.
For Vrishab Kaushik, Weil’s schoolmate, the shock got here when he first downloaded WeChat. “I didn’t expect it to handle payments, travel arrangements, and almost everything in one app. Pretty cool,” Kaushik mentioned.
Rasilla mentioned the journey is only the start. “My goal is to pass the Chinese proficiency test level five and come back to pursue a master’s degree in Jingdezhen next year,” he mentioned. “And probably I’ll go back to America to teach Chinese language and culture to more American students.”