A staff member makes a model of a boat at a children's center in preparation to welcome the students from China's earthquake-hit areas in Vladivostok, Russia, on July 22, 2009. [Xinhua]

A total of 550 students from China's earthquake-hit areas, at the invitation of the Russian government, will start a three-week recreational trip at a Russian children's care center in the Far East on Thursday.

"Warm welcome for our friends from China!" "Together with you, Sichuan! Russia and China friends forever!" Large banners like these could be seen everywhere in the "Ocean" All-Russia Children's Care Center, located in Russia's far-eastern sea resort Vladivostok.

"We will try our very best to make here the 'second home' for Chinese students," said Rusdan Marzoev, head of the information and public relations department of the care center, in an interview with Xinhua.

"We will let them have friends in a foreign country, try to make they happy, let them cast the sadness away and enjoy their carefree childhood," he said.

On May 12, 2008, a strong earthquake hit China's southwestern province of Sichuan and northwestern provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu, leaving more than 87,000 people dead or missing and more than 370,000 injured.

During his visit to China in May 2008, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev invited students from the quake-hit areas to spend some time in his country for rehabilitation. Under the plan, a total of1,570 Chinese children will visit Russia in 2008 and 2009.

In order to better accommodate these children, staff members at the Russian care center have put up information about Russia and China, and made careful arrangements for their daily life -- food and drink, as well as study and leisure.

Around 47 volunteer interpreters and 60 tutors have been employed by the care center for reception.

Based on the experience of the reception work last year, said Marzoev, this year "Ocean" has prepared a much more varied schedule of courses including the Russian language, swimming, ballgames, mountain climbing, dancing, painting, and handicraft skills such as paper-folding and sailboat modeling.

Besides, students from other countries including Russia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Vietnam will also join the Chinese children during their stay at Vladivostok, he said, adding that classes will be well arranged so as to better engage them in mutual communication and learning.

(Xinhua News Agency July 23, 2009)