Birkerød Gymnasium on exchange in Taiwan.

It was clear to see that families in a city of millions like Taipei have much less space than back home in Denmark, but the hospitality was nevertheless top notch and the host families did a lot to give us the best impression of the country and the finest experiences. This applied to both the food - where we were often invited out to restaurants - and excursions on the weekends.

For some of the Danish students, it was a big challenge to be away from home and alone. This was solved by Taiwanese and Danish students getting together in smaller groups and hanging out together during the days.

At Yanping High School we followed the lessons in mathematics, English and physical education, and we also tried our hand at martial arts and traditional Taiwanese calligraphy, where the students had to draw/write words for happiness and wealth, among other things.

The lessons typically stopped after lunch for the BG students. After that, we often went sightseeing around Taipei. We visited Taipei 101, Dihua Street, Bao’an Temple, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Shilin Night Market and much more.

In addition, there was also time in the program for trips outside the city. We took the Maokong Gondola up into the mountains and hiked in fantastic nature with a view of the Taipei skyline. In addition, we drove one day to the northern part of the island, where we hiked by the famous Shifen waterfall.

Before the trip to Taiwan, the students had had a history course on Chinese and Taiwanese history. In relation to Taiwan, 1949 and Chiang Kai-shek’s defeat in the civil war to Mao and the communists had played a big role. Among other things, we worked on Chiang Kai-shek's escape to Taiwan and the political developments on the island in the aftermath. In this context, we discussed the dark sides of Chiang Kai-shek's rule. It was therefore very interesting and academically relevant to visit Chiang Kai-shek's huge and striking memorial in the middle of Taipei. Here, the students reflected on the reason why he continues to play a major role in Taiwanese self-understanding, and how he is used politically today in relation to legitimizing Taiwan and the Taiwanese people as their own. The history subject's focus on the use of history became very present and clear here.

We were also in the country when China held another military exercise in Taiwan on April 1. The students had learned at home in social studies about the tense relationship between the two countries and about China's possible invasion of Taiwan in the medium term - and at least before 2049, when the Communist Party can celebrate its 100th anniversary.

As the news began to tick across the various news channels, rumors of a possible invasion began to circulate. But it quickly became clear that it was just an exercise, but one nonetheless, one that was intended to intimidate Taiwan and slowly wear down its defenses.

We thus gained a first-hand view of the power struggle between the rising superpower China and Taiwan, which will probably be remembered as well as many social studies lessons.

The exchange to Taiwan not only gave us a deeper understanding of the country’s history and current political situation, but also an insight into another culture – an experience that was both personally developing and professionally enriching. All in all, it was a fantastic trip, filled with cultural experiences, a wonderful reunion with our Taiwanese friends, and the foundation for lifelong friendships.