For Maldivian student Ibrahim Elaaf Hameed, learning to use chopsticks was a way of getting to know a unique culture distinct from that of the Maldives.

Hameed was part of a delegation of 12 youths that gained hands-on experiences during a cultural exchange tour in China, including getting acquainted with robotics, calligraphy, and traditional paper craft.

Hameed said the Mandarin language they learned would be useful in the future.

The tour was part of the youth cultural exchange visits, a flagship initiative of the China-Maldivian Cultural Association, or CMCA, launched in 2016. The delegation comprised seven girls and five boys, aged 16 to 18.

CMCA's founder and chairman Mohamed Rasheed, a former ambassador to China, told China Daily the delegation "will represent the future of cultural diplomacy and continue to build upon the strong foundation laid by previous exchanges".

The trip, from Dec 22 to Jan 3, is mainly focused on visiting Chinese middle schools in Beijing and Jinan, the capital of East China's Shandong province.

"This sort of trip aids youth to empower themselves through arts, culture, and global collaboration," said Mohamed Shauf Rilwan, a CMCA council member.

He said the association has been "actively sending youth delegations to China to foster cultural ties between the Maldives and China".

Four of the students in the latest delegation were traveling out of the Maldives for the first time, said Rilwan. "As the Maldives is distributed into 26 atolls, we aim to send a delegation from each atoll," he said, adding this delegation came from Shaviyani Atoll and Noonu Atoll.

Atoll is a coral island consisting of a reef surrounding a lagoon.

During their visit to the schools in Beijing, the Maldivian students gained an in-depth understanding of artificial intelligence-related knowledge through robot programming courses.

Calligraphy class

The teachers and students from Changping No 2 High School of Beijing presented the Maldivian students with 3D-printed keychains featuring their school badge. In return, the visitors gave them mini-coconuts and other small gifts with Maldivian characteristics.

During the calligraphy class, the Maldivian students experienced the charm of Chinese characters. They picked up the brushes to write the Chinese character fu, which means "blessing".

The Maldivian students were also divided into groups to experience table tennis and basketball courses.

Fathimath Amnu Mohamed, another delegation member, said that while visiting various schools in Beijing and Shandong, she was amazed by the state-of-the-art facilities in the school lab and the Chinese education system.

Apart from playing table tennis, she was interested in exploring Chinese cuisine and the intricate architecture in the country.

The Maldivian delegation visited the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, and the Forbidden City in Beijing, and experienced a ride on a high-speed train to Jinan, where they visited the Baotu Spring, Daming Lake, and the Shandong Museum.

CMCA chairman Rasheed said that through such youth cultural exchange visits, over 180 young Maldivians from diverse regions have traveled to various Chinese cities, including Beijing, Harbin, Xi'an, Shanghai, Yangzhou, and Suzhou.

"Cultural exchange is key to fostering understanding. It promotes cross-cultural communication, enhances diversity, and encourages inclusivity," Rasheed said.