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Four Dunedin high school students and a teacher have returned from a cultural exchange trip to China.
Otago Boys’ High School student Odin Callander, Columba College student Ruby Peden and Queen’s High School students Malak Tamimi and Kaiya Goswami were accompanied by Queen’s High School teacher Kenzie Jinx as they spent two weeks in July taking part in the 2026 Shanghai International Sister Cities Youth Camp.
The Shanghai Municipal Education Commission fully covered local costs such as accommodation, meals and transport.
Odin, 18, noticed the heat and scale of the metropolis immediately.
“It was very hot outside, extremely hot,” Odin said.
“I mean, it was like 35˚C.”
The size of the urban sprawl was extraordinary.
“I think that the main thing with Shanghai is that it’s almost incomprehensibly larger than Dunedin.
“I mean, it has nearly 30 million people, six times more than New Zealand.”
Driving in from the airport he saw enormous complexes of apartment buildings all around.
Even from the observation deck of the Oriental Pearl radio and television tower the city spread out into the distance.
“You can’t see the edge of it.”
The students visited several museums that were impressive, he said.
One museum detailing local history included an intricately carved scale model of the central city.
The Shanghai Science and Technology Museum was massive.
“They had some really cool exhibits.
“They had the money to have actual robotics and various things demonstrated there.”
Malak, 16, said she bonded with people from all over the world.
“I think it was the best experience of my life so far,” Malak said.
While she imagined she might visit Shanghai again, being there as a teenager alongside peers from 26 countries was unique.
“So it was the people who made the biggest difference, it was people from all over the world.
“I got really close, particularly with the girls from Ireland.
“Because we have many similarities, especially from my Palestinian background, with genocide and oppression.”
She taught them the Māori waiata Tutira Mai Nga Iwi.
“From the first day, they obviously didn’t know it and then by the last day, they were leading it and I was just singing along.”
Ms Jinx said the camp had a focus on sustainable development goals and cultural exchange.
“Getting to talk to people from other countries,” Ms Jinx said.
“We got to learn about what other people from other countries are like, which was pretty neat.”