There is no New York icon more recognizable than the Statue of Liberty. Donated to the US by the people of France and officially dedicated on October 28, 1886, Lady Liberty is located on an island in Upper New York Bay and attracts four million people each year.

On June 5th, after the second post-arrival orientation, the CCIP (www.theccip.com) exchange visitors headed to Liberty Island. They first gathered for lunch before taking the train to lower Manhattan to ferry over to the island.

"This was easily one of the activities the group was most excited for," said Yuhuan He (Thomas), one of the activity leaders. "Everyone wanted to take as many photos as possible in front of the famous statue. I thought the stories we heard were really interesting, especially how both New Jersey and New York fought to claim the statue as theirs."

More than just a great tourist site, the Statue of Liberty is an official national monument and a symbol of the United States' history as a home for people from all over the world. The group's visit also included Ellis Island, the historical first stop for over 12 million immigrants from the end of the 19th century to 1954.

"Being at the museum on Ellis Island was a really special experience," said fellow activity leader, Yang Le Lim, who is studying at Nanyang Technological University. "I immediately felt like I was part of history standing where so many people had entered the country. I can't even imagine what it must have been like for all those travelers."