Johannes-Butzbach-Gymnasium completed a two-week school exchange trip to Shanghai that extended into the autumn break, continuing a partnership with the Tongji-Universität school that spans more than two decades, according to reports from meine-news.de.
Es ist wie ein Ankommen bei alten, besonderen Freunden,
said Ansgar Stich, headmaster of Johannes-Butzbach-Gymnasium, describing the reception in Shanghai as he recounted countless warm embraces.
The travel group comprised 24 students from Johannes-Butzbach-Gymnasium alongside five teenagers from Julius-Echter-Gymnasium Elsenfeld. Supervision for the delegation was handled by experienced teacher Sabine Fertig, colleague Janek Schiller, and Chinese teacher Jingwen Liu-Rieger, who organized the trip. Christian Zacherl, a teacher currently on a sabbatical year who traveled to China privately with his wife Nora, also assisted with the group.
Students from Miltenberg initially stayed with host families in Shanghai before moving to hotel accommodations in Suzhou and Beijing. Host families arranged weekend sightseeing tours and exchanged gifts with the visiting students.
Daily activities at the partner school included English, chemistry, and physics lessons, alongside a flag ceremony, calligraphy, paper-cutting, martial arts, woodworking, 3D printing, ink painting, and badminton. The itinerary also featured visits to the Tongji-Universität, the Shanghai Tower, local temples, and the Chenghuang area.
In Suzhou, the delegation toured local gardens, Tiger Hill, and the old town, complemented by a nature excursion and a cave visit. Travel between Suzhou and Beijing took place via high-speed rail.
In Beijing, the itinerary included stops at Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and a multi-story market featuring imitation goods. Headmaster Stich noted the absence of other non-Chinese student groups during the journey, stating that American groups were absent, European visitors were scarce, and school classes were rarely seen.
Stich credited the success of the journey to the organization led by Liu-Rieger, the conduct of the participating students, and the accompanying teaching staff. The school anticipates organizing the next exchange visit in two years.
