Exchange Programme with Zhenjiang Chongshi Girls’ School (7-11 April 2025)

If you were to choose between visiting a famous bustling city or a city that you’ve barely heard of before, you would most likely choose the former as it would likely be more fulfilling. However, visiting Zhenjiang changed our minds as our trip to this small city was more rewarding than we could ever have imagined. 

Attending classes at Zhenjiang Chongshi Girls’ School, we found that the atmosphere of the school was very different from those in Hong Kong schools. All the students there were very energetic and friendly with one another. They were also extremely welcoming to us. Many students chatted with us with great enthusiasm, some of them were not even our designated student buddies. Despite the differences in our culture, we were able to build true friendships. Even though we merely visited their classes for two mornings, some of our new friends were very upset and shed tears of sorrow when we were about to part on the final day of exchange.

 

Although Zhenjiang is a relatively small city, the school has already deployed advanced technology that we have not yet come across in Hong Kong. Every classroom has a touch-screen smart board. One of the best functions of the smart board was a system that selects students to answer questions, with a camera zooming into a randomly chosen student’s face. However, sometimes even the most impressive technology does not work as expected! In one of our classes, the system selected the deputy headmaster who was observing the class along with the teachers from our school. It instantly lightened the atmosphere of the lesson.

The timetable of the school was also very interesting. They had 10-minute breaks between every lesson, allowing students to rest more frequently, increasing their focus and productivity. However, students are only dismissed from school at around 8 p.m. each day.

Zhenjiang is still home to several tourist attractions with breathtaking views in spite of its small size. A popular attraction was the Xijin Ferry, which is built along an ancient street on the foot of Yuntai mountain. Not only does it have a rich historical background, the streets are also beautiful with traditional architectural designs. Observing the Xijin Ferry on top of the Yuntai mountain at night time was a stunning view. Another opportunity to view the unique bird’s eye view of Zhenjiang was inside our hotel rooms which were on the 60th floor of the 75-storey building. This allowed us to relax and enjoy a spectacular view after an exhausting day.

 

This exchange trip was special as it included visiting the city of Nanjing, where one of the most notorious incidents in human history occurred. The Nanjing Massacre Memorial Museum that we visited was very memorable. It provided an immersive experience that enabled us to reflect on the torture that Chinese citizens experienced, deepening our understanding on this horrifying historical event. 

This trip to Zhenjiang has only marked the beginning of our exchange. We are still in contact with our new friends in Mainland China after the trip and we are grateful to the school for providing us with this precious learning opportunity.