ENTHUSIASTIC year nine and 10 pupils from St Nicholas’ School in Church Crookham visited the British Museum and Chinatown in celebration of the Chinese New Year.

The morning was spent at the British Museum learning about the importance of China as a nation throughout history.

The girls, who are all studying Mandarin, learned about the influences of Chinese culture on other cultures, such as the Ancient Greeks. They saw many beautiful and original artefacts from China and the Far East.

The girls visited the Shan, Zhou, Han, Qing, Ming Dynasty displays, where they saw Chinese pottery, bronze weapons, jade stones, Chinese vases, plates and pictures.

After the talk at the British Museum, the pupils made their way to Chinatown where they had an opportunity to explore the shops and practise their Mandarin.

They bought some delicious Bubble tea, red lanterns and chopsticks, as well as Chinese sweets and biscuits.

To conclude their visit, the girls enjoyed a meal in the Wongkei Chinese restaurant. They were able to try out a variety of authentic dishes, accompanied by traditional green tea.

“It was a very enjoyable and educational day,” said Mandarin teacher Susan Zhang, who organised the visit. “The girls were able to see what they learn about in the classroom in an authentic situation.”