An exchange of talent
Among those who have participated in these exchanges is Sun Bo, director of Yuwen's foreign affairs office, who has visited the DPRK three times. A graduate of the school, she studied there from 1994 to 2000.
"At that time, delegations from Changdok School visited almost every year," Sun recalls. "We would stand at the school gate holding flowers to welcome them."
Her most memorable experience came later, after she became a teacher.
In 2011, Yuwen welcomed 30 students selected by the DPRK government to pursue their high school education in China.
The initiative followed a 2010 visit to the school by DPRK leader Kim Jong-il (1941-2011), who had succeeded his father. Touring the campus once attended by his father, Kim Jong-il left an inscription expressing hope that Yuwen, as a lasting symbol of China-DPRK friendship, would continue to cultivate outstanding talent.
The group consisted of 21 girls and nine boys.
Months before their arrival, the school began extensive preparations. The students were housed four to a room in dormitories equipped with living rooms, televisions and air conditioners.
"From umbrellas to toothbrushes, every detail was arranged in advance," Xiu recalls.
To help them integrate into campus life, the school distributed them across roughly 10 classes, assigning three or five students to each.
Their teachers still speak of them with admiration.
"Their mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology comprehension were all excellent," says Xiu. "Among more than 700 students in our grade, there was almost always at least one DPRK student ranked among the top five in major examinations."
Yu Fengxian, another Chinese-language teacher, remembers teaching excerpts from Li Sao, a classical poem written more than 2,000 years ago. While many Chinese students struggled with the text, the DPRK students answered her questions with remarkable ease.
Before graduating in 2014, Xiu organized an exchange of farewell messages between the Chinese and DPRK students. Yu gave one student a knitted winter hat and received a painting in return, which she later framed and hung in her home.
At the graduation ceremony, the boys wore suits while the girls appeared in traditional Korean dress. Together, they performed DPRK songs for their classmates and teachers.
"Over those three years, the students grew taller, stronger and more confident," Xiu says. "Their knowledge expanded and, in subtle ways, their mannerisms and outlook were shaped by life at Yuwen."
