SAN FRANCISCO, April 16 (Xinhua) -- A painting competition, which attracted hundreds of children in the San Francisco Bay Area, aimed to encourage the younger generation to better understand the U.S.-China relationship through depicting their own stories, said an organizer on Tuesday.

The competition, with the theme of "U.S.-China Story," sees entries by students aged between four to 17. Most of the contestants live in California with some of them coming from other states, according to Ming Dai, organizer of the event.

As a result of the competition, more than 300 pieces of works, from oil paintings, traditional Chinese paintings, to watercolor painting or drawings, were exhibited on Tuesday at two classrooms and a corridor at University of East-West Medicine in Sunnyvale, California.

Almost all of the students received some honors ranging from "Gold Award" to "Merit Award," said Dai, founder of World Association of Young Artists, a Redwood City, California-based organization committed to promoting youth art. An award presenting ceremony took place on the sidelines of the exhibition.

"We hope the children can develop an interest in U.S.-China relations at an early age, because we believe friendship is the foundation of the relationship between the two countries," said Dai.

Whether beginners or skilled young artists, the participants demonstrated comprehensive genres and styles with great creativity, he said.

The rooms and the corridor were full of the participating students and their parents, appreciating the works while trying to locate their own art pieces.

"I think I could have done better if I have more time," said Monica Chen, 14, a student from San Francisco, after viewing other participants' works.

Her pencil drawing depicts the U.S. Mount Rushmore National Memorial in a bamboo forest. She said the natural environment in her drawing was actually from a Chinese landscape picture book.

Jake He, a seven-year-old boy won a "Merit Award" with his crayon drawing which combines a Golden Gate Bridge at day with a cityscape at night. The cityscape was inspired by a trip to China, said He.

In October this year, some of the works will be selected for an exhibition at Children's Creativity Museum in San Francisco, Dai said.