Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, encouraged young people across the Taiwan Strait to work hard for the revitalization of the Chinese nation, as he led a Taiwan youth delegation on a visit to Peking University on Tuesday.

Ma is on his second visit to the Chinese mainland. In March last year, he led a group of 30 young people from Taiwan to visit three universities on the mainland.

In July, Hao Ping, secretary of the Communist Party of China Peking University Committee, along with students from five mainland universities, reciprocated with a visit to Taiwan.

During a dialogue session between the young people from Taiwan and Peking University students, Ma expressed his pleasure in seeing "many familiar faces" from their previous meeting in Taiwan last year.

"The last time we met in Taiwan, we promised each other that we would meet again," he said.

Ma said that facilitating cross-Strait student exchanges is the "primary purpose" of his visit as well as the "goal he has striven for".

The interactions among young people from both sides are "natural and warm" due to their similar ages and same language and cultural backgrounds, he said.

Highlighting Peking University's significant historical role in the Chinese nation's struggle against foreign oppression and efforts to seek rejuvenation, Ma expressed his hope for young people across the Strait to carry forward this spirit and strive for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

He invited Peking University teachers and students to visit Taiwan again, to experience the diverse local culture and environment.

Before the session, Ma and members of the delegation toured several places in Peking University, which was established in 1898, including the Boya Tower and Weiming Lake, and engaged in discussions with the university's top scholars and experts.

Hao, Party secretary of Peking University, said he felt the "deep kinship" between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait during his visit to Taiwan with mainland students last year.

"Such cross-Strait educational and youth exchanges have become more frequent since our visit, positively influencing cross-Strait relations and peaceful development," he said.

He also said Ma's current visit with Taiwan youths would further promote deep exchanges between educational institutions and communities on the mainland and in Taiwan.

During their visit to the prestigious university, the young people from Taiwan shared interesting aspects of their journey on the mainland with Peking University students.

Hsiao Sy-yuan, a member of the Taiwan youth group, said that the most impressive part of the trip was trying biangbiang noodles, a local dish in Shaanxi province.

"It's delicious and fun," he said, noting that many of his companions from Taiwan also enjoyed eating it.

He recalled that some of the students he met at Peking University had visited Taiwan in July last year.

"They told us that what they found particularly special was the Taiwan Rail bento (a popular boxed meal), which I also love," Hsiao said.

"The sharing of culture and food brought us closer together and deepened our bond," he added.