2019 Cultural Tour of China
Global Citizens
Wanling Zhong
Teacher - Chinese Language studies
In Term 4 2019, nineteen students from across Years 8 and Year 9 attended a two-week trip to China as part of the cultural interchange program offered at Brunswick Secondary College.
To maximise this learning experience, we visited Beijing, Shanghai and Xi’an, as these are China’s leading centres for culture, economy, education and technology.
Walking into the Forbidden City and the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, students could make connections between the royal architecture and China’s long imperial history. In Shanghai, students further immersed themselves into Chinese school life by building close friendships with local students and teachers, attending classes and practicing Chinese painting and calligraphy.
The Cultural Tour of China both extended and enriched our students’ skills and knowledge, while implementing the Chinese language they have learned in class. The experience of entering the Chinese culture significantly developed their identity as confident young Australians, as well as active and informed global citizens.
Chelsea Su
Year 10
The trip to China was a very interesting and fun experience. During the 2 week trip, we travelled to Shanghai, Beijing and Xi'an and saw many impressive landmarks. We tried lots of different foods for the first time and did some shopping. During this trip, we learned a lot about Chinese history and even more about the language, culture - and bargaining! It was overall a very enjoyable tour.
Madeleine Cumming
Year 10
The China trip which I went on last year was a great experience. I was able to eat lots of Chinese food and see many buildings which were a large part in Chinese history. We visited the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, for example. A highlight was the Great Wall of China. The views were amazing, and I just loved the experience of being up so high. Another highlight was the snow in Beijing. It was cool to see it because I had only seen it once before. China was a great place to go, especially since I went with my friends.
Jasmine Su
Year 10
The two-week China study tour was a fun learning experience. We learned about the Chinese culture and history. We went to popular tourist places such as The Forbidden City, The Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square and the Terracotta Warriors.
We also saw a Chinese pagoda, which we learned was a traditional part of the Chinese architecture. We went to the Summer Palace and it was a very beautiful place, which showed lakes and gardens. The Summer Palace used to be an imperial garden in the Qing Dynasty. We visited different restaurants and the food from each place was delicious!
We even went shopping and learned how to bargain.
Sally Goss
Junior School Leader
On this cultural tour, we visited a number of iconic attractions such as the Great Wall of China, Summer Palace, Terracotta Warriors and Shanghai Tower.
New experiences for most included travelling on an overnight train from Beijing to Xian and a two-night stay at the boarding school affilliated with Fudan University (just out of Shanghai).
At the school, students were able to observe the similarities and differences between Brunswick Secondary College school life and a Chinese boarding school experience. We had a lot of fun taking part in Kung Fu, Art and Print Making classes.
Most students became skillful at bartering at the local market in Beijing, and this was a highlight of the trip for many!
This delegation of BSC students did our school proud; they showed initiative, behaved with respect and kindness, and were resourceful and enthusiastic. all the students were very appreciative of this opportunity to travel to China and made the most of this valuable learning experience.
What a fantastic trip!
Sabine Barnett
Year 10
The 2019 China Study Tour was, even for a person who has been to China before, an amazing cultural experience. The two weeks were certainly very busy as we were constantly moving around, but the trip was incredibly well organised and thus ran reasonably smoothly. The school placement at the end of the trip was particularly eye-opening as you were given an insight into the completely different structure of a school day for students in a similar demographic. School teaches you many things, but it does not make you worldly wise. For that you need to see the world, and that is exactly what trips like this do. They educate you on an entirely different level and open your eyes to the reality of the world.