The Columbia University students arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to kick off the New Year visit.

They will be staying in China for 10 days, visiting Beijing, Xi'an of Shaanxi province, and Shanghai.

The delegation consists of 27 post-graduate students from Columbia University's international and public affairs program, coming from 17 countries around the world.

The Columbia students expressed how honored they felt being invited to visit China for the New Year.

They are bringing with them a wide range of research topics and look forward to engaging with China's national, local, and non-governmental organizations.

In Beijing, the group is set to visit the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, and enjoy Peking roast duck.

Xi'an and Shanghai have also planned tailor-made itineraries for their visits.

The students said they hope to deepen their understanding of different parts of China through this visit, and to exchange and interact with Chinese youth to become good friends.