In December, a delegation of 28 teachers and students from our school embarked on an enriching eight-day “History and Culture Study Tour to Germany, the Czech Republic, and Poland.” The journey began in Poland, where the group visited the Warsaw Rising Museum, the Holy Cross Church, and the historic city of Kraków, followed by a solemn visit to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp that prompted deep, philosophical reflections on the painful history of war, hatred, and the value of freedom. Traveling south into the Czech Republic, the study tour enjoyed the breathtaking sights of the UNESCO World Heritage town of Český Krumlov under clear winter skies. In the capital city of Prague, they walked across the iconic Charles Bridge and through the Golden Lane, discovering Bohemian history beyond their textbooks while immersing themselves in the fairy-tale atmosphere of the winter Christmas markets.
During the second half of the journey, the students crossed the border into Dresden, Germany, to admire Raphael’s renowned masterpiece, the Sistine Madonna, at the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery). Upon arriving in Berlin, they ascended the massive glass dome of the Reichstag Building to enjoy a spectacular 360-degree night view of the capital, and gathered at a Chinese restaurant for a heartwarming surprise birthday celebration for two Secondary One students. On the final day of the itinerary, the group visited the Berlin Wall (East Side Gallery) and the Brandenburg Gate to hear compelling stories of the confrontation between the US and the USSR during the Cold War. They concluded their academic adventure at the Altes Museum (Old Museum), standing face-to-face with classical Greco-Roman sculptures that often appear in their textbooks, thereby deepening their understanding of the cradle of European civilization. This invaluable overseas learning experience not only concluded on a joyful note with a trivia game on the way to the airport but also successfully instilled in the students a cross-era historical perspective and profound humanitarian empathy.
