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Tight hug after 27 years: Reunion across ocean, marking China-US folk friendship_我的网站

A |     研学团在红旗渠青年洞参观学习。    

    American teacher Ronald Sakolsky reunites with desert fighter Yin Yuzhen at an airport in Ordos, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on August 23, 2026. Photo: Xinhua
    
A long-awaited reunion that captured wide public attention unfolded on Sunday evening when American teacher Ronald Sakolsky and Yin Yuzhen, a model worker renowned for planting trees and combating desertification, reunited and embraced tearfully with overwhelming emotion at an airport in Ordos, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, after 27 years of separation across the ocean.
The reunion began with a single act of generosity in 1999. When Sakolsky arrived in China as a participant in a China-US education exchange program, he was moved by Yin and her husband's tireless efforts to curb desertification in the Mu Us Desert in Inner Mongolia. He raised $5,000 to fund their local tree-planting initiative. The young saplings they bought with the donation have since matured into more than 50,000 full-grown trees, transforming the once desolate, sandy wasteland into a thriving green landscape.
This hug, transcending time and distance, marked not only friendship between the two countries, but also showcased the sincerity of Chinese people and a green miracle made possible through continuous joint efforts. 
         Seeds of China-US friendship sown long ago, now stand as towering woods. Illustration: Liu Rui/GT     Hug across 27 years 
At 2:48 am on early Sunday morning, Ronald Sakolsky arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport after over 10 hours of flight. As he stepped into the arrivals hall, he greeted the waiting reporters with earnest Putonghua "Wo hui lai le," meaning "I'm back."
"When I saw the lights in Beijing as we were landing is when I realized that I am back in my second home." 
Asked what he is most looking forward to about this journey, Sakolsky told the Global Times that "I want to see Ms Yin, see the forests, see the students I have not seen for almost 30 years, my colleagues. I want to see the Chinese people." 
He then flew to Ordos for the meeting with his desert reclamation partner. 
Yin waited at the arrival gate at the airport in Ordos very early, murmuring English sentence she particularly learned for this occasion - "Welcome to China, my brother." Her eyes were fixed on the escalator and she wiped away her tears multiple times during the wait, the Global Times reporter observed. 
Sakolsky said in earlier interview with the Global Times that he was looking forward to this reunion and could not hold his tears back when he thought of the moment. He was about to give Yin a hug when they meet. 
When Sakolsky finally appeared in front of Yin, their eyes welled up. Stepping off the elevator, Sakolsky could barely contain his excitement, muttering "Oh my God, oh my God." They hurried toward each other and locked in a tight embrace at last - the long-awaited hug 27 years in the making. 
"This is a dream come true, from a lady who is the hero of the story, not me," Sakolsky told the Global Times at the airport, barely holding his emotion. "She made a promise 27 years ago, and she kept her promise." 
Talking about his donation almost three decades ago, Sakolsky said the purpose was to help her, "because she was beautifying the motherland." 
Now, in response to an invitation to return to China for a trip to see the green planting from his donation and to returning to the city of Luoyang, Central China's Henan Province, where he taught in the exchange program for several years, Sakolsky noted that "China had done so much for me that I wanted to say thank you to China."
A return of kindness 
For this reunion after 27 years, Yin had carefully prepared. Steamed buns, meaning "upward," fresh vegetables and fruits picked in the land transformed from desert.
Yin, never familiar with any foreign language, learned some English phrases, including "welcome to China" she practiced, "my brother" to greet Sakolsky, and "more, more" to persuade the American friend to eat more. 
On Sunday, Yin did her hair and wore a red scarf alongside an outfit with a green shade, which she picked particularly for the reunion, as "green is the color of the Earth," as she told the Global Times.
Yin is not the only old friend that was looking forward to the reunion. 
While Sakolsky was still on his over-10-hour flight from the US to Beijing, Bai Fan was also on the way - driving over 850 kilometers from Luoyang to Inner Mongolia. The journey would take a day and a half. 
Bai was the vice principal of Luoyang Foreign Language School, overseeing international affairs. Sakolsky was an exchange teacher there through a China-US program, and was Bai's "neighbor right across the hall."
Why drive such a distance? Bai had prepared special cultural gifts - peony porcelain and Hanguan Kiln purple clay tea ware, distinctive local handicrafts that proved too bulky and fragile for air travel or high-speed rail. 
Bai recalled Sakolsky's continuous interest in Chinese culture, and sending a replica of Terracotta Warriors to the US at Sakolsky's request. "I hope he can take these Luoyang elements and Chinese symbols to the world," Bai told the Global Times in a phone interview on Sunday. 
Bai is also eager to see Sakolsky at a place that they had traveled together 27 years ago. When Sakolsky came to Luoyang for the exchange program, Bai was his designated liaison. Together, they traveled to the heart of the Mu Us Desert to deliver the $5,000 donation.
Bai still vividly remembers the desolate desert back then, where finger-thin saplings were watered ladle by ladle by Yin. At that time, Sakolsky had constant concerns about whether the tiny saplings could survive in the wasteland, which makes today's sprawling 50,000-tree forest even more miraculous.
The changed and unchanged 
Things have changed over the past 27 years. While waiting for Sakolsky, Yin jokingly said he got less hair, and she would not be able to recognize him if running up to him on street. 
The passage of time has brought far more than personal aging, according to Bai, another witness to the decades-long changes. "Everyone is growing older. Our families have expanded with more children, local communities have grown in population, and the surrounding environment is constantly evolving, just as our cities are undergoing profound transformations." 
On a night tour in Ordos on Sunday, Sakolsky, watching a fountain light show, said that "it is a 21st century city, but it looks like a 22nd century city. In the 2000s, Chinese government made a promise to Chinese people to beatify this country, and they succeeded." 
For Sakolsky, probably the most profound transformation lies in the depth of his human connection forged. 
"27 years ago, we were just friends and acquaintances. We are brother and sister now. So much has happened since then, but the important thing is many people have seen the story and now they can also help to make China beautiful," he told the reporters. 
Through joint efforts of people like Yin, the Mu Us Desert has turned from wasteland into a green oasis. China has contributed about 25 percent of the world's newly added green areas and taken the lead in achieving zero growth in land degradation, per official data. 
Meanwhile, there are things unchanged, including a vintage photo of the three standing in the desert that has decorated Bai's office through all these years - a permanent reminder of their original aspiration. 
This reunion will witness them retake the classic photo and plant new saplings together, expanding their green mission. 
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B | 红旗渠景区供图          游客在河南博物院参观“北上先锋 红心向党—红二十五军长征革命文物联展”。河南博物院供图          尉氏县党员志愿者在焦裕禄事迹展览馆认真聆听焦裕禄在尉氏的动人往事。李新义 摄     □本报全媒体记者 郭歌     红色旅游承载着铭记革命历史、传承红色基因、赓续精神血脉的重大使命，是开展爱国主义教育、革命传统教育和理想信念教育的生动课堂。    今年是中国共产党成立105周年、红军长征胜利90周年，河南各地红色旅游持续升温。

C | 同程旅行日前发布的《2026红色旅游消费趋势洞察报告》显示，今年上半年“红色旅游”相关产品搜索热度同比上涨超130%，其中红色景区门票预订热度同比增长86%，红色旅游线路预订热度同比增长48%。

D |     截至目前，全省共有红色旅游景区（点）205家，其中全国红色旅游经典景区数量为14家，余下191个红色旅游景区（点）中，A级以上红色旅游景区（点）为55家。全省共有革命历史类纪念设施、遗址和爱国主义教育示范基地3000余处，零散烈士纪念设施5000余处；收藏在博物馆的可移动革命文物20000余件，革命博物馆纪念馆150余家。    近年来，河南始终以红色资源为根基，在交旅融合、研学旅游、品牌建设等领域积极探索实践，努力推动红色旅游从“单点参观”向“深度体验”转变、从“资源优势”向“产业优势”跨越。    交旅融合     构建“快进慢游”红色旅游网     交通是连接游客与红色景区的“纽带”，河南以“便捷化、智慧化、体验化”为目标，推动交通与红色旅游深度融合，让游客“进得来、游得畅、留得住”。    7月1日起，红旗渠至信阳直达列车正式开行，为河南红色旅游打开了全新的增长空间。一趟列车，双向奔赴，一头连着太行山下的红旗渠精神高地，一头牵着大别山麓的红色老区。游客向北可以触摸太行绝壁上的奋斗史诗，向南可以探寻大别山中的革命烽火。    同日，郑州至红旗渠的旅游专列也由周末开行升级为每日开行，广大游客可以坐上“红旗渠号”来一场说走就走的“红色之旅”。    “对游客而言，这意味着前一天在鄂豫皖苏区首府体会‘二十八年红旗不倒’的革命奇迹，第二天就能到林州感悟‘自力更生、艰苦创业、团结协作、无私奉献’的红旗渠精神。”安阳市文化广电体育旅游局相关负责人说，对安阳而言，除了聚焦省会郑州，信阳、驻马店、漯河等豫南城市的客源市场也将被彻底激活，过去辗转换乘才能抵达的太行山村，如今一张车票即可直达。    记者从国铁郑州局了解到，7月1日至8月24日，红旗渠站累计发送旅客22811人，较去年同期增长357%。    此外，安阳还配套推出“凭当次列车票享景区门票、酒店住宿折扣”政策，将铁路“流量”快速转化为文旅“留量”，实现“出站即达景区、下车即入乡村”的无缝衔接，让“坐着火车游安阳”从概念变成触手可及的出游体验。

E |     在信阳新县，河南实施“1235”交旅融合示范工程。省文化和旅游厅资源开发处相关负责人介绍，1是打造“新县县城—鄂豫皖苏区首府革命博物馆—田铺大塆”红色旅游主轴，2是贯通县域内环线、鄂豫皖三省跨省环线红色旅游环线，3是建设县城、田铺、沙窝旅游集散中心，5是开通5条红色旅游专线。    在5条红色旅游专线中，连接鄂豫皖苏区首府革命博物馆与田铺大塆研学基地的专线不仅配备红色故事语音导览系统，还安排志愿者沿途讲解革命历史，让15分钟的车程成为“移动红色课堂”。    同时，新县在沿大别山高速公路服务区增设红色旅游咨询台，提供景区预约、研学路线推荐、住宿预订等“一站式”服务，并在县域内建设12个乡村旅游自驾营地，配套充电桩、露营帐篷、红色主题餐厅，满足家庭研学、团队考察的多样化需求。    我省还持续打造智慧交旅场景，提升红色旅游便捷度。兰考积极运用5G、大数据、VR等技术，开发“交旅融合服务平台”，实现“一码通行”“一键预约”，让红色旅游更智能、更高效。“我们推出焦裕禄精神数字地图，通过手机定位即可查询周边红色景点、交通线路，还能‘AR打卡’焦裕禄同志纪念馆、焦桐等标志性地点，有效提升了年轻群体的参与度。”焦裕禄同志纪念馆相关负责人介绍。    创新模式     打造红色教育沉浸式体验     模拟射击、编织草鞋……在八路军驻洛办事处纪念馆，一群小朋友在家长带领下参加“少年军校”夏令营。孩子们穿上军装变身“八路军小战士”，以沉浸式的角色体验，体悟革命岁月，传承红色精神，锤炼坚毅品格。

F |     进入暑期，全省各地红色景区、革命旧址、红色纪念馆迎来参观热潮，人们走进革命老区、红色场馆，重温峥嵘岁月，凝聚奋进精神。    “近期，广大市民、干部职工、少年儿童以及省内外高校学生纷纷走进纪念馆，开展红色研学、暑期社会实践等系列活动。”八路军驻洛办事处纪念馆相关负责人介绍，7月份累计接待游客2.5万余人次。    《旅游强国建设“十五五”规划》提出要实施红色旅游提质升级行动。

G | 河南依托丰富的红色资源，以“让红色基因代代传”为目标，设计多元化研学课程，建设标准化研学基地，推动红色研学旅游从“走马观花”向“深度参与”转变。    在“红色+文化+自然”融合研学领域，兰考推出“焦裕禄精神+生态保护”研学路线，学生们在焦裕禄同志纪念馆学习治沙事迹后，前往张庄“治沙遗址”参与植树活动，在黄河湾风景区开展“黄河生态调研”，通过测量水质、观察鸟类，理解“绿水青山就是金山银山”理念；新县田铺大塆则将红色研学与非遗文化结合，学生们在参观田铺大塆创客小镇后，跟随非遗传承人学习剪纸、竹编技艺，实现红色教育与传统文化传承的有机融合。

H |     从初心始发地到遍布城乡的“红色地图”，从沉浸式的场馆课堂到山水间的长征步道，红色旅游正以思想深度叩击心灵，以参与热度点燃激情，以情感温度温润岁月，成为全民共赴的精神之旅。    为推动研学旅游常态化发展，河南从基地建设、导师培养、安全管理等方面入手，构建完善的配套保障体系。    “河南已建成省级红色研学基地28家，其中国家级研学基地有5家。”省文化和旅游厅资源开发处相关负责人说。    新县“大别红营”研学实践营地占地面积300亩，配备标准化宿舍、食堂、多功能教室、户外拓展场地，可同时容纳2000名学员开展研学活动。

I | 营地内还设有“红色图书馆”，收藏革命历史书籍5000余册，为学员提供丰富的学习资料。    该县教育局“大别红营”服务中心工作人员介绍，每年设立1000万元人才奖励扶持资金，与郑州旅游职业学院、信阳师范大学合作开展“红色研学导师定向培养计划”，邀请历史学者、革命后代、非遗传承人担任兼职导师，定期开展培训。目前，新县已培育专业研学导师320余名，涵盖历史、文化、生态、安全等多个领域。    建设品牌     保持红色旅游生命力     8月5日，由河南、安徽、湖北、陕西、甘肃、宁夏六省（自治区）文物部门联合主办，河南博物院等多家文博机构共同承办的“北上先锋 红心向党——红二十五军长征革命文物联展”在河南博物院启幕。    本次联展汇集200余件珍贵革命文物与500余幅史料图片，通过“抗日救亡 勇赴国难”“奉命转移 挥师北上”“开辟新区 巩固壮大”“勇当先锋 转战西北”“永坪会师 光耀千秋”等五大核心篇章，全景式再现了红二十五军历时十个月、征程近万里的孤军远征之路。    展览相关负责人表示，广大党员群众及青少年走进河南博物院，透过珍贵文物回望烽火岁月，汲取奋进力量，感悟革命先辈们坚定的理想信念与不怕牺牲的革命意志，在可触摸的历史中接受深刻的党性教育与精神洗礼。    推动品牌可持续发展是保持红色旅游生命力的关键。“我们注重红色品牌的长期建设，通过更新展览内容、升级设施、跨界合作，让红色品牌常新常红。

J | ”省文化和旅游厅资源开发处相关负责人告诉记者。    在内容更新方面，各场馆结合主题举办展览、演出——     河南博物院举办“启明中原——李大钊与河南革命的峥嵘岁月”特展，系统梳理李大钊六次赴河南播撒革命火种的革命足迹；新县鄂豫皖苏区首府革命博物馆举办“铁流——红四方面军在大别山的征战历程”专题展，展示红四方面军在大别山的诞生与发展历程；新乡南太行旅游度假区推出大型抗战实景剧《太行山传奇》，以1944年八路军在太行山抗击日军的历史为主题，运用实景布景、烟火特效、真人表演，让观众“身临其境”感受抗战岁月。    在设施升级方面，各场馆引入数字技术提升展览体验——     新县在鄂豫皖苏区首府革命博物馆设置“全息投影剧场”，通过全息技术重现刘邓大军千里跃进大别山的场景；红旗渠景区在青年洞设置“互动屏幕”，游客触摸屏幕即可查看修渠人的事迹、青年洞的修建过程；焦裕禄同志纪念馆开发“VR体验项目”，游客佩戴VR设备即可“走进”焦裕禄同志当年的办公室、治沙现场，增强展览的趣味性与感染力。    在跨界合作方面，多方推动与教育、体育、农业等产业融合——     新县与河南农业大学合作，在田铺大塆建设“红色+农业”研学基地，开展“农耕体验+红色教育”活动；兰考与体育部门合作，举办“焦裕禄精神”马拉松比赛，赛道串联红色景点，让参赛者在运动中感受红色文化；红旗渠景区与高校合作设立“红旗渠精神研究基金”，资助红色文化研究项目，为品牌建设提供智力支持。    省文化和旅游厅资源开发处相关负责人认为，在讲好红色故事的实践中各地已形成成熟路径：精准定位品牌核心价值，深度挖掘红色资源背后的思想内核与时代价值；创新分众表达，实景演出、短视频、VR沉浸多形式并行；培育青少年与基层宣讲队伍，适配青年传播习惯；推动红色文化与乡村振兴、非遗传承、旅游消费融合，让红色故事可感可知、让红色文化入脑入心。    编辑：祝萍返回，查看更多。

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