During the Easter holiday, a group of Year 9 and 10 pupils who study Mandarin had the opportunity to take part in a 10-day trip to China. Leaving on the last day of term, the group landed in Shanghai where they spent four days living like Chinese students in Putney’s partner School, Jinyuan High School.

Our students had a chance to meet with their Chinese buddies and attend several school activities including Calligraphy and DT lessons. They also had the privilege to attend a whole-school flag raising Assembly in which our pupils delivered a speech in both Chinese and English.

In Shanghai, students visited the Oriental Pearl Tower, Yu Garden and enjoyed an evening cruise along the Huangpu River. Interestingly, our pupils showed persistence in developing their bargaining skills in Mandarin when purchasing souvenirs around town.

On the last day in Shanghai, the group took the“Gaotie” bullet train for a 5-hour journey to Beijing where they visited famous landmarks such as the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Pupils undertook a Kungfu lesson with Master Wong, a Shaolin monk at the Temple of Heaven, and attended a Kungfu performance at the Red Theatre.

Throughout the whole trip, pupils embraced cultural differences and had the opportunity to sample a variety of local authentic delicacies; roast duck, dumplings and Chinese buns. It was a huge success and great memories were created by all.