Magazine 2018

A. Parklands tourists excited about visiting the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. B. Dogs in China do look like soft toys A B A fter almost 10 months of planning, a group of 18 learners and two staff members (Mr Craig Fortuin and Mrs Betsie Grobler) departed for China on Monday 26 March. This multi-faceted Enrichment Tour included visits to Beijing, Yiwu and Shanghai. In Beijing the historical/cultural excursions included the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, Art District 798, a Hutong Tour, Tiananmen Square and - a real highlight - the Great Wall of China. We all gained valuable insights into the efficiency of Chinese manufacturing businesses on our visits to two food processing plants and the very impressive Beijing Yanjing Brewery (in the interests of academic research, Mr Fortuin ‘took one for the team’ and sampled a small glass of their product). The fine art of making and drinking tea was explained at a tea ceremony, which also proved to be the ‘thin edge of the wedge’ for some keen spenders! There was even time to do some shopping at the elegant Wangfujing Street, and to watch a very entertaining acrobatic show. The next leg of the tour took us to Yiwu by high speed train (for most of the journey, a top speed of 305 km/h was maintained). Yiwu, a relatively small city, was pleasantly ‘leafy’ and clearly prosperous, not surprising considering the economic contribution of the International Trade Centre and a multitude of small and medium-sized factories, such as the straws factory and the sock factory that we visited. A visit to a night market had everyone talking after the visit… the eclectic range of goods, freshly prepared food, and entertainment activities were fascinating. Finally, a three hour bus journey transported the group to Shanghai. Surely, the ‘hai’ in Shanghai must mean ‘high rise’ as we all marvelled at the multiple levels of elevated freeways and tower blocks providing housing to the city’s twenty-three million people… and of course the impressive office blocks in the downtown, Bund area of the city. Many members of the group could not resist the wonderful shops on Nanjing Road. The visit to Shanghai included visits to an historical market area, Volkswagen China and the Shanghai World Financial Centre (SWFC). Cloud cover meant that our view from the 100th floor of the SWFC resulted in photos that looked like close ups of cotton wool… but that gives us all a good excuse to return to Shanghai one day! The debate among our group afterwards was whether the number one highlight of Shanghai was seeing the beautiful lights of the city from the Huangpu River Cruise, or the visit to Disneyland. Whatever one’s personal favourite was, we all agreed that the tour to China had surpassed all of our expectations, and everyone returned home with amazing memories to cherish for a lifetime!! I really enjoyed meeting new people and making new friends. I learned so much about a new culture, and even learned some Mandarin in the process! The Temple of Heaven was definitely a highlight and so was Disneyland Shanghai! –Nieka-Lee Ireland What a privilege to have toured this great country with such a wonderful group of young people. The sights, excursions, food, and vibe of Beijing, Yiwu and Shanghai made for an unforgettable April holiday! Our hosts (China Stars) were knowledgeable, well-organised and helpful at all times which made the tour very enjoyable. –Craig Fortuin This trip was an unforgettable one, all the memories I have made and the people I have met. If someone asked me if I would do it all again, I could never imagine saying no. –Ethan Pillay 176. 21st Edition