In late October, ten students departed for Guangzhou, China to conduct an exchange program with Zhixin High School. This was the first time DGS has been able to visit the Tianhe Campus since its completion in 2021: it boasts a red-brick campus of a scale equivalent to that of a Hong Kong university, with a library building, a four-floor canteen, numerous science laboratories, an arts centre, and plentiful classrooms-all equipped with technologically advanced educational equipment.

We were welcomed by the Headmaster, the Headmistress, teachers of Zhixin High School and student buddies, and enjoyed a delicious nine-course meal together at the canteen. We started off our five-day learning journey with specialty classes designed by the school, such as painting lotuses on paper fans, building airplane models, and carrying out a biology experiment on osmosis. Through these activities, we got to learn more about underrated Chinese painting cultures and techniques, streamline model-building processes for higher efficiency, and marvel at tech-savvy microscopes with electronic tablets to display magnified images.

On the second day, we travelled to other campuses of Zhixin High School, namely the Headquarters on Zhixin Road (which had welcomed DGS students in previous years), and the Ershadao Campus which is the international division. At the Headquarters, we toured the History Museum, and found that Zhixin High School has a long history with Diocesan Girls’ School – their first headmistress graduated from DGS! Apart from this, we also mastered the art of traditional Chinese dance from different dynasties, and participated in a pottery class to make our very own majestic “Cloth Tigers”. The Headquarters campus displayed a vintage and picturesque aura.

At the Ershadao Campus, we participated in their A-Levels and AP classes. We also had a two-hour sports lesson, where some of us played badminton and others did yoga. The school’s emphasis on healthcare and physical fitness truly astonished us: students’ level of physical activity throughout the day was so intense that they were constantly wearing their tracksuits, and we found this to be consistent across campuses. Although the three campuses are all under Zhixin High School, we realised that each has their own aesthetic and teaching style, and were deeply appreciative of the experiences they gave us.

On the third day, we went back to the Tianhe campus and immersed ourselves in the lives of Tianhe Zhixin students. We attended eight lessons from seven forty-five in the morning to five in the afternoon. Students often start their day, however, at seven thirty, when the whole class would recite the Chinese passages on their Gaokao syllabus or English vocabulary to strengthen their memory. We were truly amazed by their upbeat energy and eagerness to learn. The canteen had a wide array of food options, ranging from Japanese ramen and sushi to traditional Chinese foods such as Zhajiangmian. Students were also allowed a long nap break after lunch to help them recharge. To our surprise, they were also required to either run laps around the school, or do a stretching routine at break every day, and conducted seven-step eye exercises in between classes. After classes, we did some self-studying at the library, echoing what the Zhixin students do in their classrooms. We found the Zhixin life busy, but highly enjoyable.

The day afterwards, we went on an excursion. To begin with, we went to a large-scale waste incinerator (廣州環投福山環保能源有限公司). The guide there explained to us in great detail how waste is collected, processed, then incinerated, and how the waste products are dealt with to produce useful products like electricity, water, clean air, and water-absorbent bricks. In fact, Guangzhou’s waste processing techniques are so advanced that they no longer need to bury their rubbish! The visit heightened our understanding and awareness towards recycling and minimizing waste production.

For lunch, we went to the famous Panxi restaurant to enjoy a delicious variety of dim-sums. Panxi restaurant is known for its gorgeous view overlooking a bridge and rivers, and we got to admire the surrounding scenery after eating. Afterwards, we proceeded to Yongqingfang, a bustling street with Hakka-style architecture, and visited Bruce Lee’s ancestral home. We discovered how Bruce Lee changed the perception of the Chinese in movies from insignificant, dishonourable characters to heroic and noble figures. At the Cantonese Opera Art Museum, we took a deep look at the history and properties contained within this precious cultural heritage.

In the evening, our trip took a more relaxing turn, as we walked along the Beijing Pedestrian Street and admired the variety of foods and goods. Lastly, we ended our fun-filled day with a ferry trip along the Zhujiang river, where we admired the colourful Canto tower and the brightly-lit neon buildings on the two sides of the harbour.

The five-day trip to Guangzhou was a truly fruitful experience. We learned more about Mainland China’s style of education and learning, environmental conservation efforts, and long-lasting art forms such as dancing, painting and opera. We would like to thank Mrs. Lau for organizing these memorable programs and allowing us to experience Guangzhou first-hand. We would also like to thank Mrs. S.Y. To for taking great care of all of us throughout the trip. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the teachers and buddies of Zhixin High School; despite the cultural differences such as teaching language, the teachers and buddies there explained the teaching materials to us with full patience, and made us feel welcome. This trip will surely be one of the highlights of our secondary school journey, and we hope future S4s will also find it as joyful and unforgettable as we did.