For young people from the US state of Idaho, Shanxi was once an unfamiliar name, known only as a "sister province" on the other side of the world in official documents. This summer, that distant name became a vivid reality as they set foot on this ancient land in North China.

In Datong, a city in Shanxi province, they strolled along ancient city walls with local residents, feeling the vibrations of history beneath their feet and taking in the sight of Chinese youth dressed in traditional hanfu. In Pingyao, they wandered through stone streets dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), captivated by the cultural goods and street food on display in small shops — a firsthand encounter with the richness of Chinese history and culture.