"I thought they were all special effects. How could someone fly in the sky and do all those moves?" said Emmanuel Kangwa, a 23-year-old student from Zambia, when he recalled the Shaolin wushu movies he saw as a kid.

From Nov 23 to 27, over 40 international students from 23 different countries participated in a cultural exchange program of traveling through Central China's Henan province. The students are studying in different universities in Henan, including Zhengzhou University, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, and the North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power.

The four-day cultural program, hosted by the Education Department of Henan Province, captured the students' interests, enriched their China experience, and nurtured friendships with the Chinese students they had met along the way.

The most popular event was the martial arts experience at Songshan Shaolin Wushu College, where they not only saw wushu performances by the students but were also able to try out some moves themselves.

"The performance was extraordinary. I even saw the Shaolin students breaking a piece of glass with needles!" said Kangwa.

Kangwa is currently studying in the Chinese language program at Henan University of Chinese Medicine. His interest in Chinese culture was kindled while watching Chinese kung fu movies at a young age. "Although I had reservations about the authenticity of the movies, they did spark my interest in Chinese culture, which I later discovered as rich and profound," he said.

At Songshan Shaolin Wushu College, the international students had two half-hour sessions trying out wushu. "They taught us some of the basics, but it was still extremely difficult," Kangwa said. "We were all novices, and none of us were flexible enough to keep up with our young instructors."

Lina Zavialova, 22, from Russia, a student in the Chinese language program at Zhengzhou University, was also in awe after their field trip.

Just like Kangwa, Zavialova's earliest impression of Chinese wushu was also from movies featuring Chinese kung fu stars like Jackie Chan. "It was surprising for me to learn that the students here began their training at the age of 4 or 5 and practice wushu for 8-10 hours a day."

Zavialova also learned that Shaolin wushu isn't just about physical exercises. "Students need to learn different kinds of knowledge, theories, and even philosophy. What is the point of doing these moves with an empty brain?" she said.

Apart from trying out wushu at Songshan Shaolin Wushu College, Kangwa also enjoyed visiting the Luoyang Museum and Yellow River Museum during their trip. "It was amazing because we could see how Chinese people used to live in previous dynasties and how civilization gradually transformed into modern life," he said.

Zavialova also expressed her infatuation with Luoyang because she's always been fascinated with history and culture in general. "I was thrilled to learn that Luoyang was the capital for 13 dynasties," she said. "It was really interesting to see the artifacts at Luoyang Museum, especially those from the Tang Dynasty. The designs were very elegant."

Zavialova is looking forward to revisiting the city. "I hope to explore different areas and more sights of Luoyang. Our tour guide told us that in March and April, peonies would blossom, and the view would be splendid."

Having been in China for three years, Kangwa acknowledged that part of the reason he came to China was the allure of Chinese culture. But it was also because that China is a fast-developing country. "I believe this is the best place for me to broaden my knowledge and cultivate my vision. I think coming here is one of the best decisions I've made in my life."

As for the future, Kangwa plans to pursue a master's degree at Henan University of Chinese Medicine. "Traditional Chinese medicine is gaining global recognition, and I am confident that no matter where I go in the future, I could achieve great things with the knowledge I acquire here."

Zavialova aspires to contribute to fostering increased cultural and academic exchange between China and Russia. "I'm from Tomsk, a city with a population of a little over half a million. However, we have many great universities such as Tomsk State University and Tomsk Polytechnic University," she said. "I wish to become a teacher or work toward providing more opportunities for Chinese students to pursue academic endeavors in Russia."

Qi Xin contributed to this story.