Students embark on a cultural study tour of China

On 17 September, 15 students from Years 8 to 10 embarked on a cultural study tour of China with a jam-packed itinerary planned for their 17-day trip.
This tour has received significant financial subsidisation from the Jiangsu Educational Services for International Exchange (JESIE). Calamvale Community College qualified for this support through its sister school affiliation with Nantong Senior High School.
Our students travelled around Beijing and visited many well-known locations including the Great Wall of China – an unmissable world wonder, the Forbidden City – the largest ancient palace in the world, the expansive grounds of Tiananmen Square, and the imperial gardens of Summer Palace.
The group then moved on to Nanjing in the Jiangsu province for sister school immersive activities at Nantong Senior High School. The students also visited educational and cultural sites throughout Nanjing, including Xuanwu Lake, Mendong Old Town, and Dr Sun Yat-Sen Mausoleum.
Our students were also lucky enough to partake in the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival alongside their sister-school peers – and indeed the entire nation – during this momentous public holiday. The following week, our students stopped at Shanghai and marvelled at the supertall World Finance Centre skyscraper, Yu Garden, Old Town Market, and toured through Nanjing Road, one of the world’s busiest shopping streets. The group also experienced a Chinese Acrobat Show, met cuddly pandas at Shanghai Wild Animal Park, and took in the views at the Bund, Shanghai’s vibrant waterfront district.
This cultural study tour was an amazing opportunity for our students to dive into the Chinese way of life – from everyday school routines, to domestic life at home, through to national celebrations.
Our students were particularly inspired upon learning the story of Zhang Jian – an industrialist and leading social reformer who used his sizeable fortune to transform the lives of his fellow Nantong citizens by building schools, roads, medical facilities and libraries.
This cultural tour also piqued the interest of province locals, with reporters accompanying our students and teachers during their visit to a museum and an artist’s residence. During this news report, broadcast on Nantong Television on Friday 27 September, our students articulated their increased cultural sensitivity and broader understanding of China as a result of this immersive tour.
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