Twelve Pinehurst Year 10 students have returned from an unforgettable six days in China, taking part in the 2026 Hainan–Auckland Youth Friendship Exchange Programme alongside students from Wentworth School.
Invited by the Foreign Affairs Office of Hainan Province as part of a cultural exchange, our students travelled with Mrs Dawn Sullivan and Mrs Michelle Gallagher for a programme running from 28 September to 3 October. Across six very full days, students were immersed in cultural exchange, education and hands-on learning, experiencing Hainan’s history and traditions while building connections with local students.
The journey began in Haikou, where students were introduced to Hainan culture through traditional Laoba Tea and Qiong Opera, alongside visits to Qilou Old Street and Rongshanliao fishing village.
A highlight of the programme was the opportunity to spend time in local schools. At Hainan Maple Leaf School, Pinehurst students were paired with local students, toured the campus and took part in the programme’s opening ceremony. Representing Pinehurst at the ceremony, Year 10 student Abby Crocome delivered an excellent speech on behalf of our students, confidently sharing their appreciation for the opportunity to take part in the exchange.
Later in the week, a visit to Sanya Foreign Language School Affiliated to Shanghai International Studies University offered further opportunities for students to learn together through traditional Chinese painting, dragon and lion dance, and Chinese Kung Fu.
Beyond the classroom, Hainan itself became a place for learning. At the Hainan Provincial Museum, students explored the island’s history and its connections with the South China Sea and Maritime Silk Road. A visit to the Hainan Provincial Science & Technology Museum took them from space and deep-space exploration to the deep sea, before the programme moved into the natural environment with an ecology experience at the Yahui Terraces.
There were many opportunities to experience Hainan’s traditions firsthand. In Maona Li Village, students learnt about Li culture through brocade, tea picking and processing, and met the Rainforest Children’s Choir. A traditional Li long-table banquet provided another memorable cultural experience.
The group also travelled to Sanya, where the programme included the Atlantis aquarium, Luhuitou Hill and a journey aboard the Rainbow Train. At Sanya Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, students took part in a seasonal health class, made their own herbal sachets and experienced a medicinal-cuisine lunch, offering another fascinating insight into Chinese traditions and approaches to wellbeing.
After such a full programme, the final day gave students an opportunity to reflect on everything they had experienced. Student reflections and performances formed part of the closing programme and signing ceremonies before the group returned to Haikou for their journey home.
Across six days, our students experienced a very different part of China through history, science, sustainability, food, language, music, art and tradition. Most importantly, they had opportunities to learn alongside young people from another country, sharing their own experiences while discovering more about the lives and culture of their Hainan hosts.
Our thanks go to the Foreign Affairs Office of Hainan Province for the invitation and to everyone involved in the 2026 Hainan–Auckland Youth Friendship Exchange Programme. We also thank Mrs Sullivan and Mrs Gallagher for accompanying and supporting our students throughout such a busy and rewarding programme.
It was a wonderful opportunity for our Year 10 students to step beyond the classroom, experience another culture firsthand and return home with new knowledge, friendships and memories of a very special week in Hainan.
