China Trip

Beijing

Beijing taught us about China's culture and history. Many of the trip's highlights were at this destination. On the first day in Beijing, the group experienced a rickshaw ride around the Hutongs, which are historical laneways surrounded by traditional courtyard residences. Later that day, we enjoyed some shopping for fake brands and other items at the Pearl Markets. This involved bartering for our items, which required learning a few new skills.

On the second day, we visited the Great Wall of China where we enjoyed the amazing view and walk, despite the large number of stairs. We took a scenic cable car ride to the top, and a fun toboggan slide back down.

Another highlight of Beijing was the Summer Palace; an imperial garden of lakes and palaces from the Qing Dynasty. We took a boat ride to take in the view of the amazing place.

We learnt more about China’s rich history during our tour of Tian’anmen Square and the Forbidden City. The last destination in Beijing was the zoo, where we were able to see giant pandas and other animals. We were all excited to see the pandas in action, snacking on bamboo. They inspired many of us to purchase panda teddies from the zoo store. This destination was a great start to the trip. Through this experience, we were able to learn more about China and its interesting history and culture.

Mia Scanlon - Year 10, Lourdes 5

Xi'an

Our time in Xi’an was very enjoyable and we shared many great memories together. We had numerous highlights throughout our stay in the city. Firstly we caught a bullet train from Beijing which was a new and exciting experience for many of us. We visited places of cultural and historical importance including the Terracotta Warriors, the Little Goose Pagoda, the Big Goose Pagoda, the Ancient City Wall and the Muslim Quarter. We shared cultural experiences as well, including a Tang Dynasty show, puppet show and calligraphy classes. The food we ate at local restaurants and street vendors was delicious and we immensely enjoyed it. We had the amazing opportunity to visit a Chinese school. For many of us, this was our favourite part of our time in Xi’an. We participated in classes with the students, played sports including soccer and basket ball and attended a whole school assembly (2000 students!) for a flag raising ceremony. We made friends with many of the students and exchanged gifts. The visit to the school gave us an interesting insight into the daily lives of children our age living in China.

Elise Chrisoulakis - Year 10, Loreto 3

Shanghai

Shanghai was our last stop before heading to home. We arrived in the dark of night when all the lights had been turned off and so we weren’t sure what Shanghai would deliver. The next morning shone brightly, blue skies and green parks. Shanghai is where East meets West, a much younger city that has modern architecture and modern ways. The first day we explored the Oriental Pearl Tower which has a glass floor very high up. The views from the floor were stunning. We spent time in the Museum at the base of the tower looking at the history of Shanghai. Lunch beside the river and then to the Buddhist monastery and shopping.  The market place was large and there were heaps of people crushing through the small streets. Dinner was beside the Bund River and then we were given time to walk the river and oh and ah at the amazing light show.  Knowing time was short though, we walked back to the hotel via the famous Shanghai shopping strip.  4 hours later it was time to call it a day. The next day we headed out of town to a market town situated along a river.  We spent the day exploring the many market stalls before heading to the airport for our flight home. For many of us, Shanghai was our favorite destination.