On Wednesday, 25 September, Haileybury Senior School Tianjin (HSST) welcomed 20 students and four staff members from Haileybury Rendall School (HRS) for a shared experience in language, learning and connection. This inaugural nine-day China study tour for HRS students offered a deep dive into Chinese history, language and culture, with a three-day, two-night visit to the Tianjin campus. Though brief, the visit left a lasting impact on students from both Darwin and Tianjin, sparking friendships that have continued to grow.
For a day, the students shared classes, mealtimes and even some extracurricular activities. The students from both campuses were thrilled with the connections they made and enjoyed noting down the similarities and differences in their day-to-day school lives.
“My buddy from HRS is Kong Seng (Year 9). I am glad I could introduce him to Haileybury Tianjin. Together we experienced a whole day of being a HSST student. By the end of the day, he complained to me that the mathematics tasks were too hard for him. When we ate I tried to teach him how to use the chopsticks, but I found out that he knows how to use them already!” remembered Ryan (Year 10, HSST).
“When it came time to leave, we gave each other our email addresses and we are still contacting each other now.”
Charles (Year 12, HRS) said, “Since many students at Haileybury in Tianjin do the VCE just like us, their classes were incredibly similar to how ours are administered. However, what I really took note of was the fact that there were designated sections of the school that were ‘English only.’ I was also pleasantly surprised by the proficiency of the students’ English, and we were able to effectively communicate with each other in both English and Chinese.”
Zoe (Year 10, HSST) said, “I spent a wonderful time with my buddy, Maria (Year 10, HRS). She shared with me the culture of Australia and I taught her some Chinese. I took her to taste noodles in the cafeteria and taught her how to use chopsticks. Although the process was difficult, the result was good. We went to a band activity class and even sang together. This was a truly unique experience.”
At 4.00 pm, after classes finished for the day, it was time for an AFL lesson from the Aussies.
“We all went out to the sports area and taught our new buddies how to play AFL, which was much harder than expected. Handballing was a new concept. Despite a few hiccups with the rules, we had plenty of fun with what turned out to be a mix of NRL/AFL since Tianjin doesn’t have any goal posts,” shared Hayley (Year 10, HRS).
Louis (Year 12, Haileybury Tianjin) had the pleasure of sharing the two days with Charles and William (Year 12, HRS). “We bonded over meals of delicious Chinese food, laughed and sweated together while playing AFL and engaged in meaningful conversations about each other’s cultures. It felt like we were not just sharing knowledge, but also building a deeper connection across borders. To commemorate, we exchanged souvenirs — small tokens that now carry the warmth and joy of our friendship. This experience will forever hold a special place in my heart.”
Kong Seng summed up the visit in one clear sentiment. “Leaving Tianjin was bittersweet, as we had made so many friends, learned so many things and seen and experienced a different culture in such a rich way.”
