MUSCATINE, United States, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Around 60 residents in Muscatine, a town on the Mississippi River in Iowa, gathered in the ballroom of the Merrill Hotel on Saturday to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year -- the Year of the Horse.

Inside the ballroom, Chinese spring couplets adorned the door frames, intricate paper cuttings decorated the windows, and tables were filled with Chinese candies. Displayed near the entrance were additional festive items, including more paper cuttings, red envelopes, pony dolls, and auspicious "Happy Chinese New Year" souvenirs, alongside books detailing Spring Festival customs.

"This is my first experience with the Chinese New Year. My wife has been to China twice as a teacher, visiting with her students and exploring the country, and my daughter, who studied Chinese for four years here in Muscatine, has also had an opportunity to visit," Casey Edkin told Xinhua. "I love to travel, and I would love to go to China anytime. It seems like a very diverse country."

Jesse Garcia is a teacher and has been to China with his students. "It's bringing new blessings, bringing new ideas, a new start, and continuing the good things that are happening," he told Xinhua about his knowledge of the Chinese New Year.

Chinese Consul General in Chicago Wang Baodong extended his New Year greetings to local people in Muscatine and across Iowa at the gathering. He wished both China and the United States prosperity and that China-U.S. relations continue on a steady and forward-looking path.

The Art Troupe of the High School affiliated to Renmin University of China (RDFZ), currently on a "Happy Chinese New Year" tour in the United States, joined the celebrations.

The Chinese students sang in chorus "Spring Festival Overture," performed aerobics "Building Aerospace Dreams," played a string quartet "Spring" and presented a martial arts show "Rising Dragons, Leaping Tigers." Their performance won waves of applause from the enthusiastic audience.

After the performance, Chinese and American students got together to converse, discussing figures like Mark Twain and Michael Jackson. The locals shared insights into the history and culture of Muscatine with the Chinese students. They also took photos together against the scenic backdrop of the Mississippi River.

By participating in "Happy Chinese New Year" events and interacting with U.S. teenagers face to face, the Chinese students not only get to know peers in different countries, but also act as Chinese cultural ambassadors, which helps enhance their sense of responsibility, RDFZ Principal Mi Qi told Xinhua.

Qiu Ziyue practiced martial arts. Martial arts acted like a bond linking her and American students together better than any other kind of discourse, she said.

Another student named Li Zixiao, recounted her experience collaborating with students from Whitney Young High School in Chicago to perform the 'Spring Festival Overture.

When American students gradually got familiar with the melody, "we collaboratively staged the performance, the distance between us instantly shrank," she said.

While there are some differences between U.S. and Chinese students, they have far more in common, Garcia said. "They all have goals, and they all have dreams of what they want to be one day. They work to become a better version of themselves, striving to reach their goals for themselves, their friends and their families."

Addressing the gathering, Muscatine Community School District Vice President John DaBeet extended his Chinese New Year greetings. He also stressed the importance of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, saying that such interactions "build bridges between all of us." ■