Forty-nine Chinese-American teenagers on June 28 arrived in Zhongshan, a city known as the hometown of table tennis world champions, to kick off a 10-day overseas Chinese youth roots-seeking summer camp.

Zhongshan has deep and long-standing ties to table tennis. The city is the birthplace of several world champions, including Rong Guotuan, China's first men's singles table tennis world champion born in Xiangshan (the former name of Zhongshan), Guangdong, and Jiang Jialiang, a six-time world champion.

"I rarely played table tennis before, but the students from Zhongshan Sports School taught us incredibly well. Once we picked up our paddles, we started hitting the ball back and forth, laughing, and becoming friends in no time," said Li Yuemeng.

Chinese-American teens learn to play table tennis.

Over the next few days, participants will take part in Chinese cultural activities and study tours focused on technological development in Zhongshan, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Itinerary highlights include visits to the Museum of Dr Sun Yat-sen, southern Chinese martial arts sessions, dragon boat racing, drone operation, and rosewood culture activities.

Many participants said they were especially excited to sample authentic Cantonese cuisine and were particularly looking forward to the drone-themed activities, as they were eager to get hands-on experience operating drones and viewing Zhongshan from the air.

The 2026 summer camp coincides with the 55th anniversary of Ping-Pong Diplomacy between China and the United States. "Table tennis speaks a universal language," said Yang Liu, the lead teacher from the Chinese School Association in the United States. "It brings young people together across cultures and creates friendships that go far beyond the game."