[Photo/Xinhua]

"In Liuzhou, we had our trips on the river, saw the city lit at night, and appreciated the beautiful gardens in Longtan Park. We like to bring the beauty back to our own hometown," she said.

The paint out program was sponsored and organized by the Cincinnati-Liuzhou Sister City Committee. After the exhibition, the art pieces will be on sale till Aug. 19. The money received from the sale of the paintings will be donated to the committee to help pay for future exchanges.

To strengthen people-to-people exchanges between the two cities, the committee has recently organized exchanges for teachers, students, libraries, parks and chefs, among others, said Joe Hamrick, the committee's chairman.

The exchanges between sister cities "allow people to see beyond the stereotypes and understand how much alike they are no matter where they live and what they look like," he said.