Groups of students from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan recently visited each other's homes and schools to extend the hand of friendship. Zhang Yi reports.

In a significant move toward promoting understanding across the Taiwan Strait, a group of 37 students and teachers from universities on the Chinese mainland visited Taiwan last month, marking the first such visit for three years.

Organized by the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, the nine-day trip, which ended on July 23, aimed to foster cross-Strait youth exchanges amid growing tensions.

The visit provided opportunities for cultural and academic exchanges, as well as the chance to develop strong bonds between young people on both sides of the Strait.

During their time in Taiwan, the mainlanders took part in cultural exchanges, visited prestigious universities and explored various cities and natural wonders. The warm hospitality and enthusiasm shown by the people in Taiwan left a deep impression on the mainland students.

The students were invited by Ma Ying-jeou, a former "president" of Taiwan, after he led a group of students from the island on a visit to the mainland in late March and early April, during which they visited many historic sites and talked with local students.

"The enthusiastic response from the mainland and the interaction between students from both sides touched me deeply," Ma said, adding that the trip made him decide to invite the mainland students in the hope of continuing the exciting youth exchanges.

Li Yiqi, an undergraduate at Hunan University, attended the exchange session with Ma and the Taiwan students when they visited her school in April. The atmosphere was lively, and Ma spoke in the Hunan dialect, despite it being his first visit to the province, she said.

"I was surprised that he then invited us to visit Taiwan," Li said, adding that Ma accompanied the mainland students throughout their trip, chatting with them in their vehicle and even leading them on early morning runs and exercises.

Another student who visited Taiwan, Zhang Yumeng, an undergraduate at the Law School of Wuhan University, was present when Ma and the Taiwan students visited her school in March.

"I remember Ma being very excited and asking us if we would like to visit Taiwan. All of us in the room answered 'yes'. I never thought it would actually happen so quickly," she said. "I could feel that Ma was very sincere about promoting cross-Strait exchanges."