A journey through Beijing's high-tech and historic spaces gives young Americans a more nuanced view of China and its people.

At Beijing's Robot Mall on Sept 4, Johan Quintero hardly knew what to explore first.

One moment, the young visual artist from Boston was photographing a robotic fish designed to monitor water quality in an aquarium, and the next, he was discussing philosophy with an Albert Einstein-like humanoid robot.

Before coming to China for the first time, Quintero had read about the country's technological development on social media and in the news. Seeing it firsthand, however, offered him a different perspective.

"If I hadn't come here, I wouldn't have realized how diversely robotic technology is applied across different scenarios in China," he said.

Quintero was among more than 20 young Americans who traveled to Beijing as part of the China-US Youth Innovation & Entrepreneurship Exchange Program, which ran from Sept 3 to 7.

Organized by the China International Youth Exchange Center, the program took participants to sites ranging from high-tech facilities to cultural landmarks, giving them a chance to encounter different sides of contemporary China.

For Chinese-American participant Alan Zhao, 25, one of the most impressive experiences came during a visit to Beijing E-Town, where autonomous vehicles operate on public roads alongside regular traffic rather than being confined to a closed testing ground.

Participants took a 10-minute ride on a driverless shuttle, watching as it navigated the same streets used by commuters and other motorists.

For Zhao, the experience showed how self-driving technology is moving beyond demonstrations and becoming part of everyday urban life in China.

"I feel that this kind of new technology has a big market in China and is rolled out fast," he said, adding that people in Beijing appeared to be accustomed to sharing the road with driverless vehicles.

"Although China and the US are separated by thousands of miles, young people in both countries share a passion for innovation, a common vision for the future, and a desire for greater exchange," Wang Yi, deputy director of the China International Youth Exchange Center, said at the event.

The program also explored another form of exchange: how technology can intersect with culture.

At the China-US Youth Roundtable &Project Roadshow Exchange, young innovators from the two countries presented projects in fields ranging from AI applications in music to biopharmaceutical research.

Among them was Wang Yubo, creator of Seqnote, a company that uses AI to give Chinese folk music new forms of expression. She presented a project that interprets users' moods and turns them into music inspired by elements of Chinese folk traditions.

"Part of the aim of my project is to introduce traditional Chinese culture to young people overseas in ways that feel relevant to them today," she said.

Her presentation caught the attention of Gregory Thomas Weathersby Jr, a solo entrepreneur working in the performing arts.

"My own project connects well with hers," Weathersby said, noting that Wang's work had given him ideas for combining AI with audio-visual experiences and sparked his interest in a potential collaboration.

"Seeing China's innovation ecosystem, with its policy support alongside individual efforts, also tempts me to start something here," he added.

Past meets present

The interplay between old and new extended beyond the technology projects.

During visits to historic sites, especially the White Pagoda Temple area, participants encountered another side of Beijing, where modern life unfolds amid historic hutong lanes and centuries-old architecture sits alongside the rhythms of contemporary urban life.

That contrast particularly fascinated 20-year-old filmmaker and artist Robert Fox Richardson.

Carrying a vintage film camera, Richardson roamed through the hutong neighborhood, photographing electric bikes winding through its narrow streets. Looking up, he framed the centuries-old pagoda against the blue sky, while around him, cafes, creative studios and restaurants were woven into the historic surroundings.

For Richardson, Beijing's appeal lay not simply in its cultural landmarks or its modern conveniences, but in seeing the two coexist in the same city.

"The visual language here is so beautiful, busy but orderly, ancient but modern," he said.

He also found a point of connection with his hometown of New Orleans, saying he saw parallels between the two cities in how they preserve their heritage while continuing to change.

Hubert Jason Wallace, a New York-based artist, experienced another kind of connection, one that went beyond historic sites and the program's organized activities.

One of the oldest participants in the group, Wallace had visited China several times before. Through conversations with Chinese people he met along the way, he came to value the sense of personal connection he felt during his time in the country.

"Back home, people focus more on utilization and practical value, but in China I can truly feel the value of simply being, as well as the emotional exchange between people," he said.

"I found my true self here," Wallace added, expressing hope that he could return to China and explore more of the country.