As we all know, one very important core value in our school is Culture. We are a Filipino-Chinese school and we are very successful in promoting these cultures and what better way to learn about the Chinese culture than to experience it.. That’s why, every year, the school participates in the Xiamen Tour.

Every summer, a group of students go to Xiamen, China to study and learn more about the Chinese culture. Not only that, but they are also exposed to new learning environments such as historical landmarks, and real life situations such as buying their own things.

Here are a few descriptions of what the Xiamen Tour really is from some of this year’s participants:

“Xiamen, not only taught us Chinese, but also developed our individual skills as a person of a society. Being in an unknown environment and being surrounded by unfamiliar people was an enigma to adjust but with the other students, the foreign land eventually felt like home. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience everyone should have, because it changes you.” -Nicole David

“The Xiamen ed-tour was an uniquely amazing experience. The program really changed my view of the country and its people. Although I was isolated from my parents for 2 months, I felt at home, safe and sound there in Hua Qiao University. The Ed-tour gave me chance to enhance my Chinese writing and speaking skills together with some extra Chinese curricular activities. All in all it was really worth my time effort and money.” -Peter Cambonga

“From studying all day to adventuring at night, it’s hard not to learn so many new things. As long as you try, the culture, the language, the atmosphere and the people are all very easy to adapt to. But most of all, I find myself so lucky to have met new friends who were such lovable fools. I can honestly say that my summer in Xiamen is one that is worth remembering.” – Jamie Yu

“Our experience in Xiamen was exhilarating, for it gave us hard and new challenges to face to. Having to go to another country by ourselves is hard, for who would take care and watch over us? I can say without a doubt that it was my friends and my teachers that looked after not just me, but also all of us. We had a lot of fun experiences in Xiamen like going to parks, going to Wuyishan and shopping, and taking care of each other. Xiamen changed my life and made me realize the things that we need to learn when we are older. -Anson Guo”

“My Xiamen Experience: Xiamen, Xiamen, Xiamen. This city of modernity and elegance never seems to be the same it always surprises me in a sense of its modernity and it’s scenic views from its modern architecture to its historic temples. This year during my Xiamen adventure I met lots and lots of wonderful people from different parts of the Philippines from Luzon all the way down to Mindanao. Lastly, I will never forget the people I met in the last two months I stayed in Xiamen and never stop going back to elegant city of Xiamen, China.” -Kirwin Chua

Surely, this year was a success since based from these descriptions, they really learned a lot. And that’s not all! This year, the school will be launching the AHA or Ateneo Hearters’ Adventure in China.

The AHA in China will be similar to the Xiamen Tour, but instead of it being held in the summer, it will be held during the 3^rd quarter of this school year. It will last six weeks, from November 3, 2014 to December 12, 2014. This is yet another opportunity for us students to learn more than what they could learn in the classroom as well as apply what they have learned in their Chinese classes. I’m sure many of us are excited for this program and all the other programs in store for us this school year.