Garcia and Alston are among the members of the "Exploring China& Creating a Shared Future — China (Shanxi) — US Youth Cultural Exchange Camp", jointly organized by the Shanxi Provincial Youth Federation and the Shanxi Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Shanxi province, China, and the US state of Idaho. Since the establishment of this bond in 1985, the two sides have maintained close cooperation in areas such as agriculture, education and trade.

From June 11 to 17, the US youths visited key cultural landmarks in Taiyuan, Datong and Jinzhong, including cultural sites such as the Yungang Grottoes and the Hanging Temple. They also explored the UNESCO World Heritage site Ancient City of Pingyao and tried their hand at traditional crafts such as calligraphy, paper-cutting and lacquer art in Taiyuan.