The visits had shaped their thoughts about the countries, two young people representing the recent sister city delegations said.

Marah Allman, who travelled to the Chinese city of Wujiang, and Liam Manning, who spent time in Minokamo, Japan, were reporting to a Dubbo City Council committee this week after taking part in its sister city exchange program.

Marah was part of the first exchange group to visit Wujiang said she had seen a city that grew upward rather than outward as Dubbo did.

The Great Wall of China was "incredible" but a lasting memory was the welcome she had received.

She said her host father had carried her big suitcase up flights of stairs because she was the guest.

Marah said there were tears when they were saying goodbye and that it was "an experience of a lifetime".

She and Donna Spillane, one of two chaperones, presented the finance and policy committee with a gift of Chinese writing from their hosts.

Liam travelled to Japan as part of a nine-night visit to mark the 25th anniversary of Dubbo's sister-city relationship with Minokamo.

He said his host father was a Shinto priest and Liam lived inside a Shinto temple with them.

"I felt like I had a family away from home," he said.

"They gave me a Shinto ceremony before I left.

"My host mother was a phenomenal cook and she gave me some lessons.

"There were tears (when I left), I got so attached to them."