She stayed with an American family whose host mother was herself a history and geography teacher. Their conversations began with teaching and gradually moved into family life, children and everyday concerns.

　　More than two decades later, whenever Qian visits the US, she still makes time to see her former host.

　　For Qian, the year abroad offered more than teaching experience. She saw firsthand that individual people were far more complicated and varied than the national images presented in textbooks or news reports. She also noticed that many American students were interested in Chinese culture but knew relatively little about China. They frequently asked questions about the country.

　　The experience strengthened her belief that educational exchange should work in both directions: young people should be encouraged to come to China and see it for themselves, while more Chinese teachers and students should travel abroad and introduce China to others.

　　After returning to Suzhou No. 1 High School in East China"s Jiangsu Province, she began thinking about how to bring American students to China.

　　From 2013 to 2019, the school hosted the summer camp for six consecutive years, welcoming roughly 20 top-performing American high school students annually.

　　Selected through a nationwide screening process in the US, the students spent 45 days in Suzhou, living with local Chinese families, studying Putonghua and engaging with traditional Chinese culture through school and community activities.

　　Before the students arrived, Qian and her colleagues repeatedly reviewed the curriculum and visited each prospective host family to make sure students would have a safe and comfortable home.