From Beijing to Shanghai: An Unforgettable Trip to China
By Adeline G, Year 11 Journalist Leader
Our half-term trip to China was full of amazing activities and experiences, from visiting famous Chinese landmarks like the Great Wall to unique cultural experiences, like Beijing Opera. The 12-day trip took us to four different cities in China: Beijing, Xian, Shanghai and Suzhou. Here are ten top things we did in China!
1. Visit China’s beautiful gardens
During our time in China, we saw many of its beautiful gardens, including the Humble Administrator’s Garden, the Yu Garden and Summer Palace. The scenery is both idyllic and historically significant, appreciated for centuries before.
2. Enjoy a Chinese tea ceremony
China is the birthplace of tea, so it seemed fitting that we experienced a tea ceremony. China has a rich tea culture, with a plethora of different tea types. We tasted a wide range, from ginseng oolong tea to jasmine, black lychee, Pu’er and fruit.
3. Sample some tasty Chinese cuisine
What would a trip be without its food? China has such a broad variety of cuisine, and we were given the opportunity to sample many different types. Highlights included the dumpling banquet and our dinner at the Pearl Tower, where we ate a delicious dinner with panoramic views of Shanghai at night.
4. Explore the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall
The Exhibition Hall paints Shanghai in a new light as you learn about its meticulously planned future. It demonstrates how both people and the environment have been carefully considered, and contains some amazing miniature models of Shanghai.
5. Stroll along the serene Sacred Road
When you walk along the Sacred Road, you are immediately met with an atmosphere of total serenity. This should be no surprise, since it is the burial ground of 13 Ming dynasty emperors, with a pathway lined by statues for their protection in the afterlife.
6. Watch Beijing Opera
Beijing Opera is a unique expression of Chinese culture that is hard to imagine without seeing for yourself (or through YouTube). While we were assisted by English subtitles, Beijing Opera contains such a universality in the incredible emotion in the vocals (and sometimes stunts!) that it can be followed without speaking Chinese.
7. Visit Tiananmen Square and enter the Forbidden City
China has many impressive buildings, but Tiananmen Square contains some of the most stunning of China’s architecture. From here, you can enter the Forbidden City, once home to 24 emperors!
8. Explore China’s beautiful temples
The serenity of Chinese temples is unmissable on a trip to China. We went to many Buddhist temples, like the Lama Temple and the Temple of Heaven. It was particularly amazing to see the Lama Temple’s 18m high sandalwood Buddha statue!
9. Climb the Great Wall
One of the most iconic Chinese landmarks, the Great Wall extends over 21,000 km! Of course, we couldn’t climb the whole thing in a day, but it was amazing to see even a section of it and witness how great it truly is.
10. Visit the ancient terracotta warriors
6000 terracotta warriors guard the first emperor’s tomb, but only 2000 have been unearthed! While this is still an impressive statistic, it makes one wonder what remains unearthed at the incredible terracotta warriors…
A huge thank you to Miss Hopkins for organising this trip, as well as Ms Tang, Ms Burrows and Mrs Duns for accompanying us on our travels.
View this post on Instagram
