Transparency
On April 15th, the 2025 U.S.-China youth health dialogue (hereinafter referred to as the dialogue) under the theme of "Kuliang Spirit" was held at Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Province. Over 130 young doctors and medical students from both countries attended the event. According to reports, more than 2,000 Chinese and American medical students have participated in public health practice through exchange programs over the past five years.
In the 1880s, many expatriates from Western countries, including the United States, settled in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, forging deep bonds with the local residents.
On April 8th, 1992, the People's Daily published an essay titled "Ah, Kuliang!" in its "Overseas Chronicles" series, recounting a touching cross-cultural story that spanned decades. Milton Gardner, professor of physics at the University of California, moved to Fuzhou with his parents in 1901 and returned to the U.S. in 1911. However, Kuliang, the mountain retreat of his childhood, remained etched in his memory. Even on his deathbed, he repeatedly murmured: "Kuliang, Kuliang..." After his passing, his wife, Elizabeth Gardner, visited China several times in search of "Kuliang." With the help of Liu Zhonghan, the essay's author, she discovered postmarks bearing "Kuliang, Fuzhou" in her late husband's letters, confirming that "Kuliang" referred to the mountain village in Fuzhou.
In 1992, Xi Jinping, then the secretary of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) Fuzhou Municipal Committee, was deeply moved after reading "Ah, Kuliang!" in the newspaper. He personally invited Elizabeth Gardner, the widow of Milton Gardner, to visit Kuliang and fulfill her husband's lifelong wish. Since then, the story of Kuliang has become widely known.
In 2023 and 2024, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the People's Government of Fujian Province jointly hosted the "Bond with Kuliang: 2023 China-U.S. People-to-People Friendship Forum" and "Bond with Kuliang: 2024 China-U.S. Youth Festival" in Fuzhou, continuing this heartfelt friendship between the two nations.
At the dialogue, Lauren Raymond, MD from Yale University, shared that the trip helped her understand many historical ties between the United States and China. "In an increasingly interconnected world, no country can tackle global public health challenges alone. International collaboration is not just important, but essential," she said. In her view, whether in medicine or other fields, progress is only possible when people work together toward a common goal.
While visiting the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University (FAH-SYSU), Dr. Ansley Morgan Roche, an Assistant Professor at Yale School of Medicine, expressed her curiosity about the integration of TCM treatment in a predominantly Western medical setting. She discussed this with Chinese doctors on site. Noah Lee Carey, a medical student from the University of Michigan, told reporters that this was his first opportunity to learn about acupuncture. "I met a cardiologist who explained various acupuncture points on the human body. I hope to learn more in the future," he said.
During the dialogue, young representatives from China and the U.S. engaged in in-depth discussions on two specialized fields: oncology and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. While in Guangdong, they will also visit the FAH-SYSU, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, and the Foshan Hospital of TCM for further exchanges.
Source: Lingnan On the Cloud
2025年“鼓岭缘”中美青年卫生健康对话在穗举行
4月15日，2025年“鼓岭缘”中美青年卫生健康对话（以下简称“对话”）在广州的中山大学举行，来自中美两国的130余名青年医生及医学生代表参与了本次对话。记者了解到，过去5年间，超过2000名中美医学生通过交流项目参与公共卫生实践。
19世纪80年代，包含美国在内的不少西方国家的侨民来到中国福州生活，与当地居民结下深厚情谊。
1992年4月8日，人民日报“海外记事”专栏刊发的一篇征文作品《啊，鼓岭！》，生动讲述了一个跨越中美、持续数十年的感人故事。密尔顿·加德纳于1901年随他的父母来到福州生活，1911年举家搬回美国，但儿时生活过的鼓岭成为加德纳魂牵梦萦的地方。直到弥留之际，他口中仍喃喃不绝：“Kuliang，Kuliang……”加德纳去世后，其夫人伊丽莎白·加德纳多次来到中国寻找“Kuliang”。后在《啊，鼓岭！》作者刘中汉的帮助下，她从丈夫保留的与中国亲友往来信件上，发现印有“福州·鼓岭”字样的邮戳，终于确认了“Kuliang”就是鼓岭。
1992年，时任福州市委书记的习近平读到报纸上的文章《啊，鼓岭！》后深受打动，特邀加州大学物理学教授密尔顿·加德纳的遗孀伊丽莎白·加德纳访问鼓岭，帮助她完成丈夫遗愿，鼓岭故事由此开始广为人知。
2023年和2024年，中国人民对外友好协会和福建省人民政府在福州相继成功举办“鼓岭缘”中美民间友好论坛、“鼓岭缘”中美青年交流周，延续这段美妙的情谊。
在对话现场，耶鲁大学医学博士Lauren Raymond分享道，此行让她了解到很多美国与中国之间的渊源。“在一个互相联系日益紧密的世界中，任何国家都无法单独面对全球的公共卫生挑战。因此，国际合作不仅重要，而且必不可少。”在她看来，无论是医学领域还是其他领域，只有大家朝着同一个目标努力，才能携手走得更远。
在中山大学附属第一医院交流时，耶鲁大学医学院的助理教授Ansley Morgan Roche对以西医为主的医院是否有中医疗法感到非常好奇，并与在场的中国医生进行了交流。密歇根大学的医学生Noah Lee Carey则告诉记者，此行是他首次有机会学习到针灸，“我碰到一位治疗心脏病的医生，她向我介绍了人体的不同穴位，希望未来有机会了解更多相关知识。”
对话期间，中美青年代表聚焦“肿瘤学与心脑血管疾病”两大专科领域进行深入交流与探讨。在广东期间，他们会前往中山大学附属第一医院、广东省人民医院、佛山市中医院等地进行交流体验。
文丨记者 谭铮 李焕坤
图丨活动主办方供图
翻译丨曾敏
审校丨王枥焓
