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U.S. Journey FC College Soccer Team Concludes Successful China Tour


  • 2026-08-22 17:05:45
This August, a 20-member college soccer team from Pennsylvania's Journey FC Club, organized and sponsored by Deno International Education, crossed the Pacific for a soccer-centered exchange visit to China. The team traveled to Hainan, Zhejiang, and Shanghai—blending competitive matches, cultural immersion, and tech exploration to foster genuine connections between American and Chinese youth through sweat and smiles.

 

The tour's focal point was Hainan. An opening ceremony was held at Yingya St. Bees School, where Principal Yang Yuli and former Chinese national team player Wei Haiying—now the school's head coach—welcomed the American delegation, all first-time visitors to China and first-time overseas competitors for Journey FC. Over several days, the team played three friendly matches in Haikou, Qiongzhong, and Wuzhishan against local sides. The Qiongzhong match, watched by thousands, ended with jersey swaps, badge exchanges, and heartfelt gestures—language barriers overcome by smiles and cameras. Li ethnic minority spectators added a memorable touch with their folk songs.

 

Beyond soccer, players immersed themselves in local culture: practicing Baduanjin, painting Qiong-opera masks, harvesting tea on a farm, and trying their hands at Li pottery and brocade weaving in a national park. Visits to the Hainan Chronicles Museum, Holiday Beach, and Haikou's Qilou Old Street showcased the island's vibrant development and rich heritage. At the closing ceremony, the song "Long Time No See" echoed as a bittersweet farewell and a promise of future exchange.

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Departing Hainan, the group headed to Zhejiang for a tech and trade-focused leg. At Zhejiang Vocational University of Mechanical & Electrical Technology, they experienced cutting-edge courses and innovation displays, gaining insight into "Intelligent Manufacturing in China." A visit to Yiwu International Trade City's bustling markets let them see the vibrancy of Chinese commerce firsthand.

 

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The tour wrapped up with city sightseeing in Zhejiang and Shanghai, offering a gentle finale amid modern urban landscapes.

 

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From Hainan's pitches and ethnic crafts to Zhejiang's innovation and trade, and on to Shanghai's cityscapes, Deno International Education aimed to build a tangible bridge for Sino-American youth dialogue. Sport transcends language—it fosters mutual respect on the field and deeper understanding through shared experience, replacing stereotypes with real encounters and lasting friendships. Deno looks forward to more young people crossing oceans to meet, connect, and write new chapters of people-to-people exchange.