On October 18, Laurence W. Bates, chair of the Board of Trustees of the Yale-China Association; Robert Rohrbaugh, associate dean of the Yale School of Medicine; Leslie Hope, consul general of the U.S. Consulate General in Wuhan; and, Chinese representatives jointly planted a friendship tree in Changsha to celebrate the 120th anniversary of Xiangya Hospital of Central South University.

Representatives from China and the United States plant a friendship tree together in Changsha to celebrate the 120th anniversary of Xiangya Hospital. (Photo provided by Xiangya Hospital)

The Yale-China Association is a private, nonprofit organization founded by Yale University alumni in 1901. The organization is dedicated to promoting people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States through projects in fields such as education and healthcare. In 1906, the Yale-China Association sent representatives to China to engage in medical practice and modern education, marking the beginning of Xiangya Hospital.

Coinciding with the 120th anniversary of Xiangya Hospital, Xiangya Hospital and the Yale-China Association jointly hosted the Cultural Event for the Centennial Friendship between Yale-China and Xiangya. Through planting a friendship tree and unveiling a commemorative sculpture, the event looked back on the century-long history of medical exchanges between Xiangya and the Yale-China Association and deepened people-to-people medical and cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and the United States.

Representatives from China and the United States unveil a commemorative sculpture. (Photo provided by Xiangya Hospital)

During the event, John Frisbie, president of the Yale-China Association, and Lei Guanghua, president of Xiangya Hospital, jointly unveiled a commemorative sculpture. The sculpture is modeled on a stone sculpture on the Yale University campus. It is inscribed with the Chinese characters "Ya" (雅) and "Li" (礼), which are embodied in the name of Xiangya Hospital and also appear in the Chinese name of the Yale-China Association, highlighting the two institutions' shared roots and enduring friendship.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: Chinanews