Mongolian students and their teachers give a thumbs-up to Shanghai during their visit.

Nine students from Mongolia completed a weeklong trip in Shanghai on Wednesday as members of the first international group organized by the Shanghai Adream Charitable Foundation under its famed Dream Journey Student Travel Program.

The event was launched as China is trying to enhance exchanges with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative and this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations between China and Mongolia, according to Lu Hongyong, Belt and Road affairs director at the foundation.

In the past week, the students, along with several teachers and volunteers, visited places of interest in Shanghai that includedYuyuan Garden, Jing’an Temple, the Shanghai Museum of Science and Technology and local technology companies.

“I really liked visiting the Shanghai Aquarium,” said Ariunbuyan Bold, 12, a fifth grader from Mandarin Middle School in Ulaanbaatar. “Mongolia doesn’t have an ocean or many of these underwater animals. I got to see many animals that I can’t see back home.”

“I enjoyed every second,” said Ankhil Erdenebat, 17, a 12th grader. “I came to Shanghai four years ago to study for a month. But I didn’t explore like this, so this is new.”

In addition to touring famous attractions, the students also visited two technology companies in Shanghai: Putao Technology and Delixi Electric Co. There, they learned about smart technology and participated in hands-on projects.

“Many Mongolians wonder:‘How does China develop so fast?’” said Erdenetsetseg Lxhagva-Ochir, principal of the Mandarin Middle School. “That development relies on technology and promoting human talent. So, in addition to taking the students to tourist sites to have fun, we also wanted to expose them to this technology.”

“It was amazing,” said Erdenebat, of the company visits. “They introduced a lot of electronic things. And then we had a DIY activity.”

In an organizational memo, Adream expressed hope that the program would help them build international partnerships and encourage cross-cultural education and exchanges. It marks not only Adream’s first Mongolian partnership, but also the Ulaanbaatar schools’ first exchange program in Shanghai.

“Our previous school trips have been to northern cities, such as Beijing and Tianjin,” said Lxhagva-Ochir. “But Shanghai is China’s center of development. It has many things that other cities do not.”

Mongolian students take pictures during their visit toYuyuan Garden.

Mongolian students during a visit toPutao Technology where they got the chance to build their own robot.