The group came to China at the invitation of Premier Wen Jiabao as reciprocation for assistance Hungary gave the country after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Hungary invited 50 children from the area after the disaster which took more than 70,000 lives.
 
The group will spend several days in Beijing, after which they will split up and travel either to Chongging, Shanghai or Harbin to get to know ?Chinese reality? in earnest. They will learn about Chinese culture, traditions, art, music and food.
 
China was long thought of as a ?far-off, exotic? country for European Travelers, said Gábor Nagy of the Hungarian Embassy. He told the group of students that they were part of the opening up to China.
 
Members of the group are between the ages of 14 and 18 and come from secondary schools in cities all around Hungary. All have an interest in China and many are studying Chinese, such as at the Trefort Ágoston School in Budapest.
 
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)