The 2024 China Trip was an amazing experience for Salesian College Chadstone’s Chinese students from Years 8-12. During the trip, students visited various famous landmarks, highlighted by the world-famous and one of the seven wonders of the world, the Great Wall of China. The students had the opportunity to scale the Wall, with some parts nearly 200m in elevation, and explore its 5 stations ranging from 8-12. Despite limited time, Year 10 student Tristan Nguyen managed to reach station 12 (though he was a bit late 😊).
On the trip, there was a very special birthday celebration for Prathish Hewage in Year 9, who celebrated with all the boys and teachers. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime memory for him. Additionally, the boys had a spontaneous game of feather ball(毽子) with some locals outside their hotel. The locals, who were playing by themselves, invited the boys to join, and everyone had a great time playing together. Overall, the boys immensely enjoyed the trip, which was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone. A big thank you to Mr Zhang, Ms Hung, and Mr Birmingham, who accompanied us on the trip and visibly had a lot of fun themselves.
Alvin Lee
Investing in Chinese from Year 7 to 12 opened up countless opportunities for me, the greatest of which was participating in the 2024 China Study Tour. This experience not only enhanced my Chinese skills but also exposed me to a vastly different culture, language, and society. Every meal was a culinary delight at phenomenal restaurants serving the best food in China. Among my favorite tourist sites were The Forbidden City, The Great Wall, The Temple of Heaven, The Chengdu Panda Research Centre, Dujiangyan River/Mountain/Temples, Huaqing Palace, The Old Summer Palace, The Terracotta Warriors, and the Everbright City of Xi’An.
The Forbidden City, constructed from 1406 to 1420 by the Ming and Qing Dynasties, was perhaps my absolute favorite site. Covering 720,000 square meters, it exuded pure history and beauty. Its courtyards were breathtaking, and its marble bridges were immaculate. Another highlight was Huaqing Palace, a grand palace spanning 30,000 square meters and constructed by Emperors Taizong and Xuanzong. Its mountainous backdrop was simply breathtaking. The rich story behind Emperor Taizong and his wife was vividly portrayed in the theater show “The Song of Everlasting Sorrow.” In Xi’An, a church service left a lasting impression, with the Ten Commandments inscribed in Chinese on pillars. The church blended gorgeous traditional Chinese architecture with Catholic designs. The fellowship was remarkable, with many singing prayers and hymns to rejoice in Jesus’ Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Overall, this trip was the best thing I’ve ever done, creating once-in-a-lifetime memories.
Samuel Gould
