2026 MAC BAND Beijing Tour – Marching Together Towards a Bright Future!
We are writing to share a summary of our recent music-exchange trip to Beijing for the International Youth Wind-Band Festival. Despite the tight time frame, our school’s delegation completed this meaningful study tour successfully, led by Mr Sa and myself. We sincerely thank the school, all participating teachers, parents, and every student who joined this journey.
During this international festival, our students had the invaluable opportunity to engage and collaborate with youth musical groups from multiple countries and regions, including Hong Kong, Macao, Thailand, Scotland and many more. Our young musicians shared stages with these outstanding ensembles, watched live performances from visiting teams, and exchanged musical ideas with fellow young instrumentalists. Working under tight deadlines, our students learnt and memorised new repertoire, spent hours in group rehearsals, and took part in the grand marching performance at the Bird’s Nest (National Stadium). These experiences brought real-world challenges, allowing our students to build resilience, strengthen their musicianship, and develop performance-ready confidence.
Beyond musical activities, the tour was also a deep cultural-learning experience. Guided visits to the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace introduced students to classical Chinese architecture, the engineering wisdom of ancient times, and stories from the Ming and Qing dynasties. We explored Qianmen Street, where students observed the integration of Chinese and Western cultural influences. Walking past Laolaogen Grand Theatre, they soaked up the vibrant atmosphere of old-Beijing street life and sampled authentic local mutton hot-pot, gaining first-hand experience of local folk culture and traditional cuisine.
Our school-to-school exchange visits formed another core part of our learning. Our students participated in a wide variety of interactive activities: science experiments, basketball matches, visual-art workshops, Mid-Autumn Festival-themed games, as well as sessions on traditional Chinese poetry. At the Olympic Museum, our group studied the Olympic spirit of cross-national unity through sport. All these activities helped students understand the importance of teamwork, self-discipline, communication and mutual respect.
Travelling as a large group also gave students practical lessons in daily-life cooperation. They looked after one another, practised patience, resolved small group-living frictions, and learned how to support their teammates. This journey taught our young people not only knowledge about music, history and culture, but also how to embrace new perspectives, respect diverse cultures, and grow into considerate, open-minded learners.
None of this rewarding exchange experience could have been achieved without the school’s backing, the dedication of accompanying teaching staff, the trust and understanding of parents, and the commitment, hard-working attitude and perseverance demonstrated by our students. This trip will leave lasting inspiration for our music-development work at school.
