Seeds of friendship blossom

American students from Iowa and their Chinese counterparts strengthen a long-standing tradition of people-to-people exchanges.

Against the backdrop of blooming cherry blossoms in early spring, the seeds of friendship between a group of Chinese and American students are also flourishing beautifully.

Atop the rolling peaks of the Badaling section of the Great Wall in Beijing, students from Iowa, the United States, and their peers from a school in Shijiazhuang, capital of North China's Hebei province, climbed a nearly 70-degree staircase, overcoming the challenging yet enticing stretch together.

"It's super hard, but we're almost halfway there. We've got this!" said Kenya Lopez, pausing to snap selfies with her friends as she climbed.