Learning advantage

"We grew up in very different ways, but I wanted to connect with Chinese students who are similar to me in age. I also wanted to meet more American friends who share these interests," said Sofia Lin Cesarone, 20, from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

"I think visiting different Chinese cities is a great way to understand the various facets of China," she said.

Wang Zichen contributed to this story.

houchenchen@chinadaily.com.cn