Our students, Lauren and Emily have returned from their trip of a lifetime to China and what an incredible time they have had!

After checking into their hotel in Beijing, Lauren, Emily and tutor, Elaine joined some of the Liverpool University students who are also part of the summer school for some dinner.
The next day they visited the Chinese Museum and then onto Tiananmen Square. Followed by a trip to the Confucius Institute, which had funded the summer school they would be attending so the students were very grateful to meet the staff. They learnt about a famous philosopher and tried on traditional costumes, they also purchased some lovely Jade pendants from the Jade Museum.

Lauren, Emily and Elaine endured an epic journey on the HS train (High-Speed Bullet Train). The train reached 309km/hour, they arrived in Xi’an in 4 hours and 15 minutes, which a traditional train would take approximately 12 hours. It was an amazing experience taking in the views, both industrial and countryside.

It was time for some studying where they received a lecture on Chinese History and Culture and afterwards, they had the pleasure of meeting the Dean of Xi’an Jiaotong University. It was great for Lauren and Emily to meet some of the Chinese students as they showed them around the campus. They made friends along the way who would visit the tourist spots with them.

More highlights from their trip included a visit to the Terracotta Warriors Museum, a morning Mandarin Chinese lesson and learning a very popular Chinese Opera song, which is apparently a classic. They also enjoyed an afternoon painting on rice paper, using coloured inks and went head to head in a game of ping pong at the university. Lauren and Emily received a masterclass in the sport and were given the gift of their own table tennis bats and awarded medals for taking part.

Towards the end of their two-week trip, they travelled to the FU Country where they visited a local farmer, they helped make a traditional farmer’s lunch and as usual, the hospitality from the Chinese family was second to none. The food they had the pleasure of trying during their stay, was sensational, an experience in itself and many of the dishes were prepared for them by people they met along the way.

On their final day Lauren and Emily, along with the Liverpool University students, took their exam before It was time to say goodbye to China as they headed back to England where their parents eagerly waited for them at the airport!
It is safe to say this is a trip they will never forget!