CHAPTER FOUR
Kunming , China At our trip to Jinggu , an 8-hour drive from the city of Kunming , we experienced a culturally-immersive exchange with the multicultural students of 景谷民族中学 . After a long journey from Kunming to Jinggu , with a stopover in Mojiang , we finally arrived at the large institute . Welcomed with song , dance and students decked in their traditional costumes of their respective ethnic tribes , we could finally begin our 5-day long GEP .
We started with sitting in their classes , where we were astounded at the sheer diligence and determination of Chinese students in their attitude towards learning . We explained our uniquely Singaporean identity with a powerpoint presentation , trying our best to not butcher our Chinese that we had spent years learning . Every night , we joined the students in sports and traditional games as we were again overwhelmed by the hospitality and warmth of the students of varying ethnic tribes . We then learned about Pu ’ er tea , a tea leaf distinct to this region of China , and even had the opportunity to pick tea leaves with our friends . We proceeded to visit some beautiful temples of small Buddhist groups in Jinggu and witnessed some religious monuments .
The next day , we separated to visit respective village homes and enjoyed preparing lunch with them as we learned about sustainability in farming . That same day , we went for calligraphy class and also learned about how to perform a tea ceremony as we were again shocked at our lack of skill and knowledge of practices that are so distinctly Chinese . Finally , we performed dances and songs that we spent hours in preparation for Cultural Night as we all donned traditional costumes of various cultures and enjoyed the exciting performances put up by the students of the school .
Official welcome at the school
Playing basketball with the students of different ethnic minorities
Picking Pu ’ er tea leaves in the tea leaf farm
Learning traditional festive dances of Jinggu
Painting a mural in the school
92 ST JOSEPH ’ S INSTITUTION