First Impressions

William Ellis School Summer School trip to China, 2005

Introduction

A week before the end of the summer term of 2005 a group of eleven students (Years 10-13) from William Ellis School, Camden, London, set off on a 3 week visit to China.  The group consisted of 3 girls and 8 boys, some with minimal knowledge of Mandarin and others with up to 3 years of twilight study behind them.  The visit was organised by the British Council, with HSBC sponsorship.  In all approximately 400 students, from up to 10 schools, attended each summer school in Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Hangzhou and Xiamen.

The students had a fantastic time, excelled themselves in the Mandarin speaking contest and socialised amazingly well with the Chinese partner students.

• Click here for some of the  pictures they took and for their first impressions of China.

• For a fuller account please click here. Fuller account of school trip to China.

Early evening; flower sellers appear in front of the hotel
in search of custom from workers returning home