Youth camp explores Flying Tigers' history

A unique summer camp program launched in Beijing this week aims to foster cultural exchange and historical understanding between youth from the United States and China.

The Chinese Bridge Flying Tigers Summer Camp is welcoming 70 students and teachers from the US for a two-week exploration of China's history and its wartime partnership with the US.

The camp centers around the story of the Flying Tigers, a group of US volunteer pilots who fought alongside Chinese forces during World War II.

The pilots, officially known as the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, played a critical role in defending China against Japanese aggression from 1941 to 1942. Their bravery and expertise earned them the iconic nickname "Flying Tigers" from the Chinese people.

The summer camp, organized by the Ministry of Education's Center for Language Education and Cooperation, opened on Monday and is scheduled to close on July 7.

Participants will embark on cultural and historical tours in Beijing and Southwest China's Yunnan province for two weeks, visiting scenic spots and museums to learn about the real China and Sino-American military and civilian cooperation during World War II.

Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, encouraged the US students to share their experiences and their feelings for Chinese people with their friends when they return to the US.

"While they are here, they will learn the history of Flying Tigers and how important the story is for Chinese people," he said when delivering a speech at the summer camp's opening ceremony.

Lesly Ibarra, a student at the University of Texas at Austin and a member of the summer camp, said she applied for the program because she had never been to a country that is so far from home and is interested in Chinese culture.

"We know a lot about Flying Tigers because they united with the Chinese Army to help during World War II. I think it's really important to keep the friendship, and we are here to represent that and keep the connection," she said.

Marco Yerena, a student from Rivera Early College High School in Texas, said he was amazed by the story of Flying Tigers told by Greene during the speech because their curriculum did not cover that part of the history, which is significant for both China and the US.

"After hearing the brief history of the Flying Tigers, I was amazed about how Chinese people really hold on to the spirit and carry it," Yerena said.

Before the opening ceremony, participants in the summer camp experienced traditional Chinese culture such as paper cutting and playing chess with Chinese counterparts from Beijing Bayi School.

The US students are the first group to visit China under the Chinese Bridge Flying Tigers summer camp program, Greene said.

Jointly organized by the center, the foundation and Yunnan Normal University, the summer camps are expected to invite 100 American students to China each year over the next five years.