Year 11 pupils Jade MacMillan, Clora Quinlan-Thompson, Grace Small and Ella Smillie will race as a four against Chinese secondary schools in Chengdu and Wuhan.
The group leaves on Wednesday and will travel with the Otago University Rowing Club's eight, which is competing in an international universities regatta in the same cities.
While the university club has been building relationships with universities in China and Russia in recent years, it will be the first time an Otago secondary school crew has competed in China.
The opportunity arose in May, when Christie Sinclair, who is in charge of rowing at the school, was in China managing a university crew.
''While we were over there, they suggested that I bring a team,'' Sinclair said.
''I met the organisers and they knew that I was with a girls' school and they were very keen to do it. They are looking to get rowing going at the high school level because they don't really have anything at high school.''
Chinese organisers asked Sinclair to send a novice crew to compete, which opened the door for the novice four.
Quinlan-Thompson, MacMillan and Smillie competed in the girls under-18 novice coxed four at the Maadi Cup on Lake Karapiro in March, alongside Callie Turner and coxswain Ella Scott.
After finishing fourth in their heat in 8min 13.75sec, they went on to qualify for the A final through third-placed finishes in the repechage and semifinals.
They finished eighth in the A final. Small was in Columba's other under-18 novice coxed four at the regatta, which failed to make the semifinals.
Coached by Natalie Matheson, the four girls have been training on the water and on rowing machines through the winter.
In addition to racing two or three races against Chinese opposition in Chengdu and Wuhan, they will also row with them.
''I think they will go really well, actually,'' Sinclair said.
''Because this is happening for these girls, our rowing club is also looking to try and do something with the more experienced girls.
''We're hoping it will bring the level up again and become more competitive.
''If it all goes well, there is the potential for it to get bigger and to go back each year.''
Sinclair and Matheson will accompany the group on the trip. The Chinese paid for the group's accommodation and flights.
They leave on Wednesday and return to Dunedin on August 24.
