In April, 36 girls from Diocesan Girls' School took part in the China Cultural Exchange Program to Zhenjiang, China for 5 days. Our girls had the opportunity to experience the school life of local Zhenjiang students as well as to visit various spots around the city, leaving us with wonderful memories and unforgettable experiences.

During the stay we sat in on lessons and participated in various extra curriculum and cultural activities, getting a glimpse on the daily life of a typical Zhenjiang student. From in-depth discussions during Chinese lessons to lively Physics analogies, our girls fully enjoyed the lessons and gained new knowledge from the curriculums of subjects that are very different from the ones we have in Hong Kong. We were able to immerse ourselves in various extra curriculum activities to experience the authentic culture of the city. For example there was a section where we had to make traditional local clay whistles called 太平泥叫叫, which is one of China’s cultural heritage, having a history of more than 350 years. We all reveled in creating our original designs, and with the generous help of an older teacher our whistles were finally able to come to life. It was such an enjoyable and memorable experience. 

Our hospitable and affable buddies also played a huge part in making our journey extraordinary and wonderful. Although we only stayed with them for around 3 short days, good friendships were built. With the help of our buddies we were able to blend in with the rest of the classmates through activities and joined in for class time discussions and presentations. It was extremely incredible as we got to see how strong the bond between each and every student in the class is, and how they worked together in harmony to complete tasks within the class. Although we were new to the group, our class of new friends accepted us with warm hands and tried their best to make us feel comfortable and welcome, to which we are extremely grateful.

Though we spotted various differences between the 2 schools, there were still some noticeable similarities. The school motto of Chongshi Girls' High School goes, "Cultivate sunshine girls, achieve graceful women." Both schools have a long history of pioneering women’s education and allowing girls to realize their potential to become future 'Women of Excellence' in society. The girls from both schools also demonstrate similar zeal and passion towards learning although they have different curriculae and learning styles.

Though this 5-day trip flew past ever so quickly, we all believe that the friendships built during the program would prevail despite the geographical distance between us. All in all, we would like thank both schools for organizing this amazing opportunity for the 36 of us. We would also like to extend our thanks to the Zhenjiang teachers who warmly received us into their school and helping us throughout the whole trip. Thanks must also be given to the 4 DGS teachers accompanying and taking care of us from the second we gathered in the airport to the last moment when we dismissed in the luggage area. Last but not least, we would like to thank Mrs. Lau for generously supporting us throughout the trip. We sincerely hope that both schools can continue to benefit from this exchange program for the future years to come.

Reported by: Yu Ming Chi (4W)

RETURN to programme list