A group of world-class Chinese athletes accustomed to competing on the international stage got a close look at two international stars of Wisconsin agriculture—cranberries and ginseng.  The student-athletes in the Chinese Champions Program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison traveled north to broaden their perspective on their host state.

“It is important for all of us to recognize and celebrate how we are interconnected around the world,” say Gilles Bousquet, UW–Madison’s dean of the Division of International Studies and vice provost for globalization.  “Having the Chinese athletes visit ginseng and cranberry producing regions of our state highlights ties between Wisconsin and China.”

The athletes visited the Elm Lake Cranberry Co., near Wisconsin Rapids, in Wood County, where they got some hands-on experience harvesting cranberries. Wearing on thigh-high rubber boots and armed with wooden baskets, they waded into the cranberry pools and competed to see who could fill a collection bin the fastest.

“It’s fun to do once, but it’s hard to imagine people doing it all the time,” Gong Ruina, world-champion badminton player, told a Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune reporter with the help of an interpreter.

The event attracted the attention of Chinese media, including the news agency Xinhua.

“Since coming to America, we think that participating in many of these kinds of activities is very useful,” Chinese champion swimmer Zhou Yafei told Xinhua. “Although studying is our first priority, greater contact and blending into the culture means understanding more about the United States. With these kinds of activities we can combine China’s great things and America’s together, which means achieving better results.”