Ten students from California State University, Long Beach, have embarked on a cultural exchange program in Qingdao, east China. They've experienced traditional Chinese culture and delved into the teachings of Confucian philosophy at Laoshan Academy.

The students represent the first group of American students to participate in exchange programs in China following Chinese President Xi Jinping's invitation to 50,000 American students to visit China over the next five years during the recent APEC meeting in California. The initiative aims to strengthen people-to-people relations between China and the United States by fostering increased cultural understanding and academic collaboration.