A New Experience - Beijing Study Tour 2017

4/26/2017

Performing at the Golden Hall - The Great Hall of the People

P.6 Beijing Study Tour 2017, 18-22 Apr 2017

My fourth consecutive year leading the P.6 Graduation Tour, and the second consecutive year with Beijing as the destination - what I can easily conclude is, it's an amazing experience for all!

Five days flew like a flight. I still feel the excitement and anticipation prior to the trip, forgetting that I have come back for 3 days! Looking at the pictures I took, the colours, joy, vibrancy, heat, and brotherhood still strike me. I took four 6A boys as my group-mates throughout the tour, and these kids, as well as the others, have definitely learned more than subject knowledge - I am glad seeing them grow in self-management, discipline, problem solving and cooperation!

To highlight the special moments of the journey in 10 pictures, here are my choices:

Our boys on stage with Mrs Lam at the main auditorium, The Great Hall of the People

1. The Great Hall of the People is now not only a representation of authority and power, it is now a gift, a fond memory for our P.6 graduates!

Flying at the Forbidden City

2. A demonstration of anti-gravity is not forbidden in the Forbidden City! (Except for drones!)

Climbing the Great Wall of China

3. Doing selfies is never a selfish act! You always find more people in the picture than you expect!

At the Summer Palace

4. See the point of this picture? Tell you in the end! ^o^

On the way to the Aviation Museum

5. Weird little cute thing here...this sort of motor tricycles are everywhere in Beijing! Some are used as taxis, some for private use. Wanna get in one?

Outside the Temple of Heaven

6. You always find a master in the streets. The aged water calligrapher amazed all by writing with a big brush, a bucket of water, and a peaceful heart. The words evaporated in minutes - good things don't always stay.

At the hotel's convenience store

7. Shopping, even in a convenience store, was always a joyous moment that wasn't an official event in our tour guidebook.

At Parkview Green

8. Architectural wonder in Beijing! This amazing mall makes even the best looking malls in Hong Kong look not special!

Temple of Heaven with Mr and Mrs Lam

9. Who says Beijing doesn't have a blue sky? This year's Beijing weather was as good as last year's!

Boys at the hotel room

10. Night time activities - working on the booklet, and being distracted by the TV.

That's it for this year's P.6 Study Tour in Beijing. I believe that it has become something that the upcoming P.6 YWPS boys are looking forward to. I am also looking forward to writing my reflection again next year!

So, these are my special moments captured, what are yours?

Dr H C Lee

P.S. So, what's so special about this picture? Ha! That's the 1 short sleeve T-shirt from Julian (1st from left) vs Ryan's (2nd from right) 3 coats under the scorching sun!

Not sure if someone underestimated his endurance or overestimated the chill! The fact was, it was close to 30 degrees Celsius at that spot!

37 Comments

Mrs Lam

4/26/2017 12:20:36 pm

I marvel at your highlight !!! Well chosen pictures with humorous remarks !

Dr H C Lee

4/26/2017 06:08:36 pm

Much appreciated!

Julian Wong's Mum

4/26/2017 02:30:59 pm

What excellent writing here, Dear Dr Lee! Through this interesting piece of writing, you do not only leave us with fond memories of the trip, but also display the marvelous beauty of your English writing. We really hope our kids can learn more from you in the future! Thank you so much and we really appreciate the best efforts you have paid!

4/26/2017 06:09:30 pm

Thanks for your kind words!

Moses Mui (6B)

4/26/2017 07:46:43 pm

Indeed, this journey made our last year in Ying Wa much more memorable! Although the trip was sadly quite short, I enjoyed this five days a lot. The most satisfying part was buying souvenirs! I bought a whole lot of them. Lastly, I want to thank the teachers and the parent volunteers for their care during the whole trip-----without them, we would not be capable to finish this both adventure and learning experience. I was deeply impressed by Beijing!

4/26/2017 10:35:56 pm

Glad to hear this! And too bad we didn't interact much over there.

Oscar Chan

4/26/2017 07:52:47 pm

Thank you for your wonderful description of the joyous moments in the Beijing Tour, Dr. Lee! Although snapping a picture of our "personal time" in the comfy hotel was a bit embarrassing for the two classmates, the photos were really well chosen and I love all the humorous remarks you made. Especially the part where Ryan had 3 coats on!
Looking back at the memorable moments you've captured, it made me feel even more reluctant to leave Beijing in the first place. Going to Parkview Green, The Great Hall of the People, The Great Wall, all of them are totally new experiences for me. How I wish to visit them once more! Alas, Dr. Lee allows me to recall the dazzling moments of the places we went once again, but in a humorous way, after I've seen the photos.
Lastly, I would like to point out that Dr. Lee had really sharp eyes. He noticed a lot of stuff that I cannot see, like the man writing in water and Ryan wearing the 3 coats. Once again, I thank Dr. Lee for presenting us with such a wonderful highlight of the special moments he had.
P.S. Why didn't you add the question, "Who's more handsome?" in the second picture?

4/26/2017 08:21:29 pm

Sorry, it should be: P.S. Why didn't you add the question, "Who's more handsome?" in the third picture?

Max Chu

4/26/2017 10:07:27 pm

Quite humorous ^_^

4/26/2017 10:34:48 pm

Nice reflection Oscar.
If I had posted the photo of you and me, perhaps I would have asked that question!

Lucas Martins

4/27/2017 12:52:32 pm

I say all of them are handsome :D

Lawrence Ma

4/26/2017 08:14:18 pm

I am looking forward to my P.6 study tour!

4/27/2017 12:36:14 pm

Well indeed you should because it is truly a wonderful trip :)

Ambrose Lau

5/1/2017 09:57:16 pm

Why, of course! You will learn a lot.

Matthew Chan

4/26/2017 09:34:56 pm

That is definitely a job well done, really great photo essay written. Wow, I have went to the Beijing trip myself and there were so many events and honestly I really couldn't sum up everything in there, and Dr Lee had done a great job in summing up the trip into ten photos, contents including the attractions, the activities of the students and different little observations---I wouldn't had noticed it myself!
Now for my own sharing, I think the Water Cube is my favorite piece of architecture, I mean, talk about the materials used to build this, it's just mesmerizing and amazing that the architect can actually think of something to let the exterior of this building look like bubbles and to suit this building. I've heard the tour guide said that the material used to build the Water Cube is actually quite like cling wrap, but a lot thicker. Still, the building is kinda see-through. I think this is a very new idea of architecture and it might be used more in the future!
Once again praising Dr Lee for his nicely written photo essay, and thank you all the staff that are with us in Beijing, they cared for the students so much and kept us safe.

4/26/2017 10:06:36 pm

I absolutely agree with you!

4/26/2017 10:37:12 pm

Thanks for enjoying my essay; now I look forward to reading yours!

4/26/2017 10:06:06 pm

It's really a wonderful photo essay!! My memory in Beijing came back when I was reading this. Yeah, taking a photo on the stage of The Great Hall of people cannot be easily experienced if you come by yourself! Very special and interesting remarks from Dr. Lee and very amazing photos taken. I am interested in the mini car that you saw at the Aviation Museum. It will be a pretty good experience if we can take a ride on it at that time, huh!

For me, the man scribbling on the ground outside the Temple of Heaven is absolutely fabulous! How can he hold up the giant pen and write so freely. I understand that practice is very important to anything.

I think that this is a very unforgettable trip. Although this is the second time for me to come to Beijing, this is so unique that I can come with my most-liked friends together, enjoying this trip.

P.S. The weather is really good! The air was totally fresh and there wasn't any smog! It seemed that the clips I have seen in news are so horrible!!

4/26/2017 10:33:37 pm

I don't always trust the media. See it for yourself!

4/27/2017 12:51:32 pm

The weather was so great it's MINDBLOWING! XD

James Tam

4/27/2017 08:06:46 am

This graduation tour was indeed memorable, I remember all of our classmates' eyes were glued to the master's words.It was believable that he could write gorgeously just simply with water and a pen.We were amazed!These photos brought me back to this trip!

Lucas Martins (Enhancement Class)

4/27/2017 12:50:34 pm

This is such a humorous and fun-to-read photo essay! The photos are marvelously well taken (especially the selfies of course :P). The most memorable moments in my trip reappeared clearly in my memory after all these days (although it is like only a week). The best photos are the third and the last one. The third, because I have always dreamed about climbing up the Great Wall, and during this trip my wish is granted. The last photo because this is what I (and probably everyone) did when they arrived their hotel -- seems like doing homework but actually they are just paying attention on the TV.

I truly hope we can stay in Beijing longer!

4/27/2017 03:58:55 pm

Indeed, the mini car was super cute!I think that there are plenty of people cycling in Beijing, (although it is still very busy on the road),Hong Kong also should have more cycling path, we do not want poisonous air as well.

P.S.I was also a bit distracted by the TV.

4/28/2017 05:02:01 pm

Well, I am also distracted by the TV--almost everyone will do, isn't it?

Jonathan Chan

4/28/2017 05:25:37 pm

A memorable and extraordinary graduation trip indeed. Nice photos taken with humorous remarks. The sportsmanship to climb the Great Wall was so needed isn't it? I don't believe that the staircases to the top of the Great Wall was that steep. I almost tripped and fell down. Your selfie with students was great. I was so amazed of the incredible idea of selfie.

Just like the two boys in the hotel, I was so distracted by the cartoons showing up on TV. They were childish but I don't even know why my eyes are glued to it. Maybe Television is so important to me that I don't want to miss it in another place. HaHa!

I hope that I can write a photo essay as good as yours!

4/30/2017 06:04:37 pm

I admire your writing too Jonathan!

Mike Wong link

4/28/2017 09:39:50 pm

The graduation trip was absolutely amazing and memorable. To be honest, the photos were very well taken indeed, especially photo number 3.

To me, climbing the Great Wall was the most memorable attraction out of all the other incredible things we did. It was primarily because... I am pretty small of a person, and climbing the great wall was a enormous challenge for me. However, as I was struggling to crawl over those steep, narrow steps, Ethan Yan motivated me to keep on climbing. Not long later, I somehow reached the fortress with the tuck shop (a.k.a. the highest point we could possibly go.)

I do admit that I was also distracted by the TV. I mean, it was one of the only entertainment in the room!

Wow, what a trip!

P.s. it was a miracle that I survived 5 days in Beijing without any internet or YouTube. :p

4/30/2017 05:56:36 pm

Same

Joshua Lam

4/29/2017 10:36:54 am

It's definitely a great trip! Those wonderful moments we enjoyed and the excitement we felt was unforgettable, still, only the most precious memories will stay in our minds for a really long time, and there're a lot of those memories during the Beijing trip. Congratulations to Dr. Lee that you has successfully taken a anti-gravity picture in the forbidden city as anti-gravity pictures are not easily taken. I attempted a few times of leaping towards towards the sky for taking these kind of pictures and I am already tired.
For me, my favourite photo is the old man writing with a big brush. Yes, l agree that good things never stay for a long time, but there were also some water mark after the words evaporated. Maybe good things always leave a trace in your heart?

Edwin Chan

4/30/2017 01:49:33 pm

I think that this was a very memorable trip. The sights we visited were amazing and breath-taking, and the photos that you took are simply beautiful. For me, the most special moment was hiking up the Great Wall. I don't like doing sports, and I am no big fan of heights too. The Great Wall was so high and steep that I thought I couldn't get to the second fortress. However, I received motivation from fellow classmates, and in the end,I finally reached the second fortress. It was very hard, as the gap between the stairs were very tall, and I had to hold to the railing and pull myself up sometimes, and I was panting like a dog when I eventually reached the top. The scenery from up there was magnificent and beautiful, and beneath me were buildings as small as toys. I learnt that doing things with perseverance can yield generous rewards.
P.S. I never figured out how to turn the TV channel to cartoons. Neither did my roommate.

4/30/2017 05:44:19 pm

Actually, I wonder what the mini-cart (the ones with three wheels) are for. There are already taxis in the city!

4/30/2017 06:05:31 pm

Good question Moses! Find out the answer the next time to go there ;)

Preston Wong 6B

5/1/2017 11:56:32 am

This was a trip that had a lot of things that were unexpected. The sights were amazing and stunning, the weather was as good as hawaii. Everything amazed me, from the food to the building and even the hotel. The feel of the whole trip was what surprised me the most. It was joyful and every person had a smile on their face, ( sometimes not) but this was overall a fantastic trip and I can't wait for the next time I go there. p.s. those three wheeled thingies look like there going to flip over everytime they turn.

Scott Wong

5/1/2017 05:16:39 pm

This was a memorable trip for all the P.6 students,sights were marvelous and mindblowing.Nice photo of them jumping in the Forbidden City ,funny remarks at the end. Overall, great job done by Dr Lee . ^_^

5/1/2017 09:52:46 pm

Whew! I thought I was the only one who was distracted by the TV. It isn't everyday you get to see your classmates on TV, is it?

Kenneth Kok

5/6/2017 06:34:12 pm

So YWPS went to Beijing like last year, I'm sure it's fun,and I bet this year YWPS went to lot more places than last year. After I came to England, my life changed, I learned a lot more. But mainly thanks to the teachers who taught me in 2016, especially Dr.Lee who taught me English.

5/15/2017 12:41:07 am

Miss you much Ken. Your life in England must be so much fun! Do come back and share with us someday!

A New Experience - Beijing Study Tour 2017

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