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The
Bus Team went to find out about the school's successful twinning
with Tongling No. 3 High School in Anhui Province, China. It all
came about when the school successfully bid to become a language
college and they had to select a non European language to teach
to pupils. Headteacher Arthur Grayley told us they chose mandarin
because it would help raise awareness of the country, its language
and fascinating culture.
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| Chinese
Dragon |
For
almost two years students have been involved in a whole range of
"Chinese Activities" including the opportunity for members
of the sixth form to visit Tongling and meet their pen pals in person.
Tongling
City has a population of nearly 700,000 and is situated on the banks
of the Yangste River in Anhui Province, some 250 miles upstream
from Shanghai. Its the ancient copper capital of China (Tongling
literally means Copper Hill) and has a large chemical industry like
Runcorn. Tongling has just constructed a suspension bridge over
the Yangtse River - the largest bridge of its kind in Asia.
Tales
from the Orient!
We
asked the students to tell us about their experiences on this once
in a lifetime trip. Here's what they told us.
Scott
- Entering Shanghai City was amazing. The image of China I had implanted
on my mind of drowned fields and shanty towns with huts for houses
was abolished.
Phil
- When we arrived we were shocked by what we saw. A huge banner
with Chinese and English writing which read "Tongling No 3
School warmly welcome St Chad's Catholic High School"
Lizzie
- The tour of the Jinhua Mountain was amazing. However to experience
the views we had to take the cable car and climb about 800 steps
to the top. Everyone's legs were shaking from all the climbing.
It was worth it though - when you reach the top of the mountain
you can make a wish!
From
the top please!
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| Student
editing trail |
40
students met the presenters of Orient Express, BBC Radio Merseyside's
Chinese community programme.They
were given the opportunity to record radio trails for the show which
features news, music and the arts. It's broadcast on Monday evenings
at five past nine and over the next few months you'll be able to
hear how they mixed their words with Chinese music.
Fascinating
facts about China!
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| Chinese
Flag |
Over
the past few years China has operated an "Open Door" policy
and has improved its links with the West. But how much do we really
know about this fascinating land of the Orient. We asked the pupils
to become BBC researchers gave them the tast of finding out and
they uncovered some very interesting information.
- The
only man made object on Earth which can be seen from the moon
is the Great Wall of China which stretches 3,200 km across the
north of China, parts of it are more than 2,000 years old.
- China
is the third largest country in the world
- Beijing
(Peking) has been the capital for almost 800 years and is famous
for its many historical sites including the Forbidden City which
was once home to the country's Emperors.
- There's
just one time zone in China. It runs in Beijing time and so it
can be light at midnight in Xinjiang region in the West
- The
Chinese have no alphabet - they write using diagrams called characters.
There are over 50,000 characters in the language and if you wanted
to read the national paper, you'd need to have learned up to 4,000
of them!
- Many
shops in China still use abacuses to add up the cost of purchases.
- The
giant panda, found only in the mountain country of Sichuan, eats
only bamboo shoots and spends 10 hours a day feeding!
- The
Custom of foot binding involved bandaging the feet of young girls
so tightly that they could not grow properly. This was abolished
in 1911.
- The
Chinese invented fireworks many centuries ago.
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