Student Culture Trip to China 2024

Upper School Students Spend Nine Days Experiencing and Connecting with Chinese Culture

Travel Experiences at ISI

The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who recognize their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet and help create a better and more peaceful world. ISI offers students multiple opportunities to expand their learning and cultural understanding with a variety of trips throughout their time at the school. 

Students have opportunities to immerse themselves in different cultures, allowing them to broaden their perspectives and foster empathy and understanding toward people from diverse backgrounds. These trips encourage independence and self-reliance as students navigate unfamiliar environments while reinforcing classroom learning and allowing students to explore their passions. Moreover, ISI trips often involve meaningful community service or volunteer work, instilling a sense of social responsibility and global citizenship. 

The 2024 Trip

Throughout the nine-day trip, students traveled to Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai. The trip was designed to allow students to see well-known historical sites, but also participate in exciting and educational cultural experiences. Throughout the trip, students worked with local organizations in each city to complete service opportunities. 

Historic Learning
Throughout the trip, students visited many sites with historical, religious, and cultural significance. They experienced many sites they had learned about in class in person, deepening their understanding of the world around them. 

“My favorite part of the trip was visiting sites like the Great Wall of China and the terracotta warriors, which are incredibly culturally significant,” Grade 8 student Lucy Chen said. “I could fully appreciate the people in history who created such monumental landmarks.”

Some of the sites students visited include:

• Temple of Heaven
• Forbidden City
• Tiananmen Square
• Great Wall
• Terracotta Warrior Burial Ground & Bronze Chariots
• The Bund District
• Yuyuan Garden

Cultural Experiences
The trip includes hands-on cultural experiences and learning opportunities. Throughout the trip, students participated in a variety of activities and workshops to experience different cultures first-hand. 

“I believe it is important to learn about other cultures because people should respect and understand the different events, lifestyles, foods, and more throughout the world,” Grade 6 student Lauren Ho said. “Learning about other cultures allows us to become more educated and respect other people and their countries.”

Some of the cultural learning experiences throughout the trip include:

• Guided Taiji Excercise
• Kung Fu Show and workshop experience
• Traditional Peking Duck dinner
• Silk making workshop
• Shanghai Acrobatic show

Community Service
An important part of the Culture Trips at ISI is the community service activities. These experiences allow students to interact with and learn from community members and connect with the mission of the IB curriculum. 

The service opportunities on the trip included:

• A service activity at a local school in Beijing
• A community tree planting exercise in Xi'an
• A children’s school service project in Shanghai

“I think the perspective that you gain when learning about and visiting other cultures is invaluable in that it reminds you how interconnected the world truly is,” Lucy Chen said.