Trip to visit the 'Wall of China' was great!

By Mike Rankin
A TRIP to the Great Wall of China, tasting donkey, and having silk outfits custom-made in a market, were just a few of the highlights of a visit to Beijing.
Seven students from St Leonards School, St Andrews, have just returned from the Chinese capital.

The trip, which included a 30-hour Mandarin immersion course, was set up by the British Council to promote links between Scotland and China through education.

International Baccalaureate student JT Baird was selected from about 150 participants to make the closing remarks — in Mandarin — with the headmaster of the High School of Peking at the closing ceremony.

The students and two members of staff had enjoyed 10 lessons with the school's Mandarin teacher, Haiyan Wang, before they set off.

Outside the classroom at the High School of Peking University, they visited historical sites including the breathtakingly beautiful Forbidden City and Tiannamen Square, studied calligraphy and Tai Chi and spent time with a host family.