As the sun set over Mingsha Mountain 🌄 in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, the desert came alive with dazzling lights and electrifying beats. Over 40 young leaders from China and Latin America gathered under a sky sprinkled with stars ✨ to experience an unforgettable open-air concert.
\"This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Sitting in the desert, soaking up the music and vibes—it's beyond just a concert, it's a cultural fusion 🎶,\" exclaimed Santiago Acosta, a participant from Chile, eyes shining with excitement after his first desert concert.
This epic night was part of the 2024 \"Bridge of the Future\" China-Latin American Young Leaders Training Campus, organized by the All-China Youth Federation. For four days, young representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean journeyed across mountains, seas, and time zones to reconnect with the ancient Silk Road 🏜️, dive into millennia-old civilizations, explore Chinese culture, and build bridges through cultural exchanges.
Since kicking off in 2015, the \"Bridge of the Future\" program has hosted eight sessions, crafting a platform where Chinese and Latin American youth can spark friendships and collaborations.
In September 2024, the China-LAC Youth Development Forum lit up Dunhuang. Nearly 70 dynamic youths from Latin American and Caribbean countries, Chinese scholars, and entrepreneurs came together to chat about cultural heritage protection, education, and fresh ideas for youth innovation and employment.
Leaders from China, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Venezuela, and more swapped stories and visions. Hu Baijing, vice president of the All-China Youth Federation, nailed it in his speech: \"Though China and Latin American countries are miles apart, our history of cultural exchanges and friendship spans centuries. Youth, with their ambition and open minds, are the most kickin' drivers of civilizational dialogue.\"
Hu encouraged young people everywhere to champion the diversity of world cultures, uphold shared human values, and rock the next decade of building a shared future for China and Latin America 🌏🤝.
A rep from Peru echoed the vibe, highlighting the booming China-Latin America relations in recent years and pointing out the forum's role as a hotspot for dialogue and teamwork. \"The youth on both sides should unleash their creativity, amp up communication, and deepen collaboration to show the world a bright future for China-Latin America development,\" he said.
Reference(s):
Bridging cultures: China, LAC strengthen ties through youth exchange
cgtn.com
