In the early morning of April 11, 2017, 18 Form 4 girls from DGS set off on a journey to Shanghai, hearts filled with nervous anticipation.

Upon arriving at the airport, we were immediately greeted with the warm welcome of Miss Dora, the teacher from High School Affiliated to Fudan University, who was in charge of our trip. We were brought to their international dorms, and were awestruck by how spacious and accommodating they were. Miss Dora then showed us around their multiple campuses, and we were thoroughly amazed by the sheer number of facilities and buildings, all available for students to fully foster their talents.

On the following day, we met our buddies for the first time, and followed them around lessons to experience firsthand life as a student in Shanghai. They followed a rotational class system, similar to subject sets in our school, and so it was quite disorienting to navigate around so many halls and stairs to reach each classroom. Throughout all the lessons, we were met with the enthusiastic and warm welcome from the teacher and fellow students, and we could not be more grateful for that. 

We had lessons at the High School Affiliated to Fudan University on the third day as well. Within these two days, we grew closer to our buddies, and it was interesting and enlightening to compare the similarities and differences between their educational system and ours. A major example of that is the fact that all subjects there are taught in Chinese, including English, while all non-Chinese-related subjects are taught in English here. Moreover, they have a different set of electives to choose from, as they are preparing for the National Higher Education Entrance Examination (better known as Gaokao) instead of the HKDSEs like us. Overall, it was a very rewarding experience that had brought us many new insights.

On the fourth day, we visited the Qingpu campus of High School Affiliated to Fudan University, and we were amazed by the massive campus size and the comprehensive facilities. We learnt Chinese painting with another group of Swiss students. It was a wonderful experience, as we helped translate the teacher's words into English for them, and we made new friends through this activity, as well as acquired skills to paint Chinese painting with a Chinese brush and ink. Later that day, we went to Zhujiajiao, which is an old village with a long river, and there were a lot of traditional products being sold by the riverside. In the evening, we went for a boatride, where we could enjoy the beautiful night scenery of Shanghai with the chilling sea breeze. 

The next morning, we set off for the Shanghai Museum. There were a variety of exhibits in the museum, each with a specific theme, such as currency and poetry throughout the dynasties of ancient China. We learnt a lot about each item with the help of a device that played their descriptions upon command, and the intricacies of the exhibits’ histories amplified our appreciation for Chinese history as a whole. We then visited the traditional Yu Garden and the China Art Palace, which displayed the beauty of Chinese traditional architecture. They were absolutely fascinating to witness, and we took lots of pictures there.

On the last day, we visited the Fudan University Campus. There was an exhibition about the school history where we found a lot of interesting facts and information. The campus is big and beautiful, with an enormous statue of Chairman Mao, the whole statue being 12.26m tall, and his sculpture towering above the stand at 7.1m in height. At last, we went to our final destination, the airport for the plane ride home, with sadness and memories.  

A most heartfelt thank you goes to our buddies who accompanied us throughout the campus and providing for our needs. Also, thanks go to the High School Affiliated to Fudan University for allowing us to visit their school and giving us a taste of studying in their school. In addition, we would like to express our most sincere gratitude to Miss Dora, who guided us throughout the trip around the school campus as well as different famous spots in Shanghai.

Last but not least, thanks must be given to Mrs. Lau and the school for organising this once-in-a-lifetime experience and for their unfailing support towards overseas exchange. Thank you Mr. K.C. Lo and Miss C.M. Yip for taking care of us throughout the trip, who ensured that we were healthy and safe wherever we went. 

The programme is fun and enjoyable. We learnt a lot about the history of Shanghai as well as the teaching style of teachers in high school. It is definitely a memorable experience and we highly appreciated the effort done by the school to make this programme come true. 

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