Students from China and Middle East at the Jinhua University of Vocational Technology in East China's Zhejiang province visit the aviation model base and have an immersive VR experience of rocket launch in April 2025. CHEN YE/FOR CHINA DAILY
Flights had been canceled, itineraries mostly postponed. Regional conflict in the Middle East made their journey uncertain. Yet in March, a family from the United Arab Emirates — four adults and three children — stepped off a plane at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, ready to begin the educational tour they had long planned.
"I was honestly worried they might cancel," said Lilian Hu, general manager of Ufox Travel, who led the team receiving the family. "But they were resolute; nothing was going to stop them from coming."
During their seven-day stay in Shanghai and Hangzhou, the family explored China's educational landscape with an eye toward their children's future studies. Visits included Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the New York University Shanghai Campus.
The parents, who run a supermarket chain in the UAE, also met with representatives of local food export companies in Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang province, arranged by Hu's team.
