(BEIJING, February 3) A group of 54 teachers and students from nine schools of Beijing's Xuanwu District wrapped up their five-day visit to Greece on Saturday,enriching their knowledge about the Olympics. Starting from January 29, the group has toured the Athens Acropolis; the venue of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896; the main stadium of the Athens Olympics in 2004; and the site of the ancient Olympics, where the Beijing Olympic flame will be lit in March. At a gathering with the students of a school located in Olympia, the visitors from Beijing learned the history and development of the Olympics and briefed the hosts on how Beijing is preparing for the 2008 Olympics. They also presented their new friends from the birthplace of the Olympics with Beijing Olympic mascots and pins. "The Acropolis and the 1896 venue are very impressive," student Zhao Ling was quoted by Xinhua as saying. "The marble buildings are so magnificent, and it is astonishing to think that the Greeks began the history of the modern Olympics in this very place." The group will continue their "Journey of Culture and Exploration" to Germany and Switzerland beginning February 3.
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