They Were the First

ATHENS, July 24 ( tasteallchina ) -- On the sweltering Monday evening in Athens, a group of young Greek athletes were practicing new martial arts moves they have learned during their recent visit to China. During breaks, they couldn't stop discussing the beautiful places they had seen and the experience of training with Chinese teachers. They were the first young "ambassadors" invited by the Center of Chinese and Greek Ancient Civilizations under an initiative to strengthen people-to-people exchanges to promote mutual learning among civilizations. The team, consisting of 11 athletes and their coaches Kostas Mathiopoulos and Kostas Mpartzoukas, paid a visit to China on July 8-20. Beginning with a warm welcome at the Southwest University in Chongqing, everything of the journey was great, Mathiopoulos told tasteallchina . Mathiopoulos has been visiting China since 1996 to practice with Chinese teachers. This trip, however, was special as it was his first opportunity to bring his students. They climbed the Great Wall, visited the Forbidden City, tasted Beijing duck, tried calligraphy, enjoyed traditional Chinese music, and learned from Chinese coaches. "They felt like home," Mathiopoulos repeatedly heard from his students. The efforts to bring Greek and Chinese people closer bear fruits, he noted.…