St Mary's Calne
On Wednesday 4th October, GCSE Mandarin and Classical Civilization students went to the British Museum to visit the exhibitions exploring 'China's Hidden Century' and the Mycenae where they deepened their understanding of the historical importance of the Qing Dynasty and the role of women in Mycenae.
Here, Emma and Claire report on the GCSE Mandarin aspect to the trip:
Visiting the 'China's Hidden Century' exhibition was an honour, and gave us an excellent opportunity to see the inner parts of Chinese history, just as the title of the exhibition suggests. It was fascinating to see actual items from a time in Chinese history that not all of us have studied, and learn about the various aspects of cultural difference, conflicts and the royal life during the period. This helped us to understand the differences not just between different aspects of Chinese culture, but also the difference between Asian cultures and Bristish culture.
The artwork and calligraphy pieces were amazing as well, as it was surprising to think about how people still managed to create beautiful art during a period of military and political upheaval. The style of drawing was unique too, as they mostly depicted scenery, animals, plants and still life scenes, rather than portraits of people. The writings from ancient China were also new to us, as the characters seemed to flow like waves on paper. Even though the artwork was from so long ago, the pieces were all full of life.
After visiting the museum, pupils went to Ding Tai Fung, a Chinese restaurant, to experience authentic soup dumplings and fried rice, which everyone enjoyed! Here, some of the chefs demonstrated how they make the 18-fold dumplings and helped some of the students practice their Mandarin.
Emma L (UV) and Claire G (LV)