We took a ferry to Gulangyu, and the chilly wind sure woke us up proper after the short voyage! There are many crumbling colonial mansions on the island. Some of the buildings are lived in and some are in disrepair. All the roads are paved and all the greenery is manicured, and all the rocks have steps carved into them. The sight evokes memories of Singapore’s Victoria Concert Hall area, where you can find colonial buildings around almost every corner. Gulangyu’s rustic charm could be felt everywhere as we walked down narrow alleys and passed quaint gardens. The Piano Museum was a true eye-opener, with its impressive collection of pianos from donors all over the world.
After lunch in Xiamen, we proceeded to the Xiamen Science and Technology Museum. Though the pupils had been to Singapore’s very own Science Centre, this place is truly a playground for scientific knowledge. The pupils laughed, screamed, gasped, and stared in awe as they experiment with the wide array of exhibits in the museum. By the end of the visit, the pupils looked like they did enough exercise to do without their winter clothes!
The next destination is the Xiamen Olympic Museum. There are only 2 such museums in China, one in Beijing, and the other one in Xiamen. The museum painstakingly recorded everything Olympics-related, like its beginning in Greece, its modern transformation, its significance to China, its paraphernalia ranging from torches, posters, badges, mascots, to memorabilia and much, much more. The museum has really changed our perception that the Olympics Games is just a sporting event. It is actually a movement that reaches way beyond sports arenas.
Let’s read some of the reflection excerpts from our pupils!
“今天，我们一共去了三个地方，它们是鼓浪屿、科技馆和奥林匹克博物馆。在它们当中，我最喜欢的是鼓浪屿，因为它有美丽的古屋和钢琴。钢琴博物馆里收藏着各种各样的古钢琴，有的大，有的小，十分好看。
真可惜，明天要回去了，我们都觉得依依不舍！”
- 叶丹凝
“Today, we went to Gulangyu island on a ferry. I felt really cold out at sea. On the island, we visited the Suzhuang Garden which was filled with beautiful flowers. Gulangyu is also full of olden day colonial styled buildings. We went to the Piano Museum where unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any photographs of the beautiful antique pianos there. I would love to show them to my cousin!”
- Emily Lau
“After lunch, we went to the Xiamen Science and Technology Museum. We saw a water clock which had water pouring down every minute. It was truly a fascinating exhibition. We took many pictures there. The tour guide brought us to a small model of a kitchen and told us to stand inside. He then explained that he was going to allow us to experience how an actual earthquake would feel. It was scary and exciting at the same time! He also taught us what to do it we were ever to experience an earthquake!”
- Adeline Thong
“My favourite exhibition was the diagonally slanted room. Using the force of gravity and the way the eye is tricked, we felt a falling effect once we walked into the room. Even though the room is tilted at only an angle of 18 degrees, we kept falling and it made me very dizzy! Altogether, it was a very interesting afternoon!”
- Claire Tan
“I learnt that when there is an earthquake, we should hide under a table to protect ourselves from any falling objects.”
- Jean Lye
“The Piano Museum is very interesting as it displayed several types of pianos. Some of them were beautifully crafted with wood, metal and gold.”
- Chong Suet Ting
“The highlight of the day for me was the Piano Museum! It had all kinds of interesting pianos from the 17th to the 21st century. It also displayed several portraits of famous composers such as Bartok and Debussy. Unfortunately, we were no allowed to take any pictures. Generally, I had a great time at Gulangyu.”
- Isabelle Tjokrosetio
“At the Xiamen Science and Technology Museum, I saw 3 simulator cars which we could drive for 10 RMB. However, I did not try it as I felt it was a bit expensive.”
- Megan Lee
Here are some pics from the day’s exciting experiences. Enjoy!
That's all we have for today's daily update. Tomorrow, we’ll return to Singapore and the pupils will surely update their parents on the day’s events. Nevertheless, this blog will still be updated, so do remember to check us out tomorrow for another exciting update!
No comments:
Post a Comment