Three of our students, who recently returned from their Study Tour to China, provide reflections on their journey below:

Shanghai was really amazing and very modern. We stayed in a really nice and clean hotel. We did a lot of sightseeing around The Bund and the financial district. There is a Nanjing Road in Shanghai and Shanghai Road in Nanjing! It was a bit confusing, but I liked Nanjing Road because there were so many shops. There were Starbucks everywhere, and everyone had a Starbucks drink almost every day. We visited the Yu Garden and Zhu Jia Jiao. It was really beautiful. We went to many markets and also did many boat cruises!

The Chinese classes I attended with my friends at Nanjing University were really good! I really enjoyed Nanjing!
Lauren Lew

Partaking in the China Study Tour was different to what I have ever experienced and I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in a culture completely different to Melbourne.

From the street food to the architecture, everything was different which made the trip that much more enjoyable. This experience opened my eyes to the different food, clothing and lifestyles of China.

One of my favourite aspects of the trip was visiting He Ping Jie Senior High School. This involved every two girls paired up with four Chinese buddies and spending the day with them in their school. The Chinese students were extremely welcoming towards us, and I was impressed by how exceptional their English was.

Another aspect of the trip I enjoyed was visiting the Great Wall of China. Despite the challenge of climbing the many steps, we powered through and seeing how “Great” the Wall really was definitely made the climb worth it. I felt a sense of accomplishment once I had reached the top.

Overall, the Study Tour was an amazing opportunity to get closer with the girls on the trip, as well as discovering the amazing country of China in a different perspective.
Helen Makris

I didn’t know what to expect in China. I had preconceptions but none of these preconceptions really captured how it was when we were there. The cultural differences in China, such as the toilets, the reckless driving, and the shared plates of food at the table, made the trip so much more exciting.

Shanghai, Nanjing and Beijing were the perfect cities to visit due to their different attractions and different representations of Chinese culture. My favourite part of the trip was visiting the school in Beijing. Although it was only one day, I felt as though I experienced many aspects of Chinese schooling, from the Chinese and English classes, to the canteen lunches and massaging sessions during class time. I enjoyed the trip immensely and it has inspired me to travel back to China later in my life.
Demetria Avdalis