Tale of two generations: A US family's bridge with China through time and culture

For JongMay Urbonya, hanfu is more than traditional Chinese attire — it's a bridge between cultures and a window into China's rich history. At 30, the American cultural influencer has garnered nearly half a million followers online with her passion for hanfu and love for Chinese traditions.

However, her journey is deeply intertwined with the story of her parents, who first planted seeds of cultural appreciation long before she discovered her connection to China.

Urbonya was born in 1994 in Dalian, a coastal city in Northeast China's Liaoning province, where her parents, originally from Wisconsin, worked as English teachers. They arrived in China in 1987, during the earlier stage of the country's reform and opening-up, motivated by a belief in the power of global understanding.