More than 100 students from 10 American universities, including Harvard University, Columbia University and the University of Chicago, gathered in Qufu, Shandong province, on Wednesday and Thursday for a themed exchange event titled Seeking Wisdom in Confucius' Hometown to Write a New Chapter of Friendship.

The visit took them to the Temple of Confucius, the Kong Family Mansion, the Confucius Museum, and Nishan Sacred Land, offering a vivid encounter with China's classical heritage that transformed participants' understanding of the ancient philosopher.

For most of the American students, Confucius (551-479 BC) had long been a distant name in world history textbooks whose teachings were about some abstract principles such as those about education and filial piety.

Yet stepping into the very spaces where Confucius once walked, taught, and lived brought an entirely new dimension to their learning.

Kiana Loree Haywood from Central Michigan University said she had previously pictured Confucius as "larger than life", never imagining him as "an everyday person with students and relationships and challenges".

The contrast between reading about history and experiencing it firsthand was a recurring theme among the visitors. Many noted that textbooks couldn't prepare them for the sensory richness of the actual sites, such as the centuries?old trees, the intricate traditional architecture, and the palpable atmosphere of reverence that still lingers in the halls where Confucius once taught.

"There's something completely different about standing somewhere with that much history, instead of just reading about it in a book. It made me think about how ideas can survive for thousands of years and still influence how people think about education, family, respect, and relationships today," said Haywood.

Nicole Krylov from Columbia University in New York was impressed by the Confucius statue.

"It is unbelievable how big this statue is and how the little details mean so much. We learned that the way Confucius was holding his hands means a lot since the left one is in front of the right and back in the day they would use the right to fight, so it's almost meaning peace," she said.

Madilynn Boerger from Central Michigan University first studied Confucius at the age of 14 in world history in high school.

"Coming back 7 or 8 years later and relearning those things has put me in a different place in my life. It connects to me in a different way through the ideas of piety and treating others how you want to be treated," she said.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Ainsley Kristine Reigler.

"I heard about Confucius and his teachings, and more about his impact on Chinese culture in my history classes in school. But I learned a lot by being here and seeing the spaces where he grew up and where he actually implemented his teachings," said Reigler.

"Even though it was kind of crowded there. There was still a kind of sense of peace. And having the trees and nature, to me that's a very peaceful environment where you could picture all the history that lies in between those buildings," she added.

Beyond the historical sites, the immersive experience allowed students to grasp the sheer breadth of Confucius' influence on Chinese civilization.

A calligraphy demonstration at Qufu Normal University offered a living example of how traditional aesthetics embody Confucian philosophy.

Adele Collin from Harvard University was particularly struck by the session, noting that calligraphy is not merely about the characters themselves.

"It's the way you write things. And the same in life in general — it is not so much about what your angle is, but also about the way that you're doing it, that matters in the end," she said.

The exchange was also about building bridges across the present. Many students spoke of the friendships they had already formed with Chinese peers, finding that everyday conversations about food and family taught them as much as any formal lecture.

The event allows us to actually talk to somebody and hear them say this is how things actually are, rather than relying on preconceived notions, said Boerger.

Haywood said she would share the importance of creating harmony through trust and mutual respect.

"Something I've learnt from learning about Confucius is that strong relationships don't just happen, you have to actually try for them," she said.