Through music and movement, young performers from Shanghai and Hong Kong came together at the Expo to tell a moving story of unity through the arts.
This year, Yew Chung students returned to the China International Import Expo (CIIE). At the ninth CIIE’s cultural exchange performance, Shanghai–Hong Kong in Harmony: Art at the Expo, the Interstellar Honours Choir and Y5 Terra Strings from YCIS Shanghai Pudong took to the stage together to perform Dream Map.
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Led by Ms Connie and Ms Mira, the choir brings together children from Y3 to Y5. The Terra Strings ensemble, made up of violinists from Y4 and Y5 and coached by Ms Mira, accompanied them with warm, graceful strings.
Getting to the stage was no easy feat. It had rained for most of the preceding week, sometimes lightly and sometimes heavily, and no one knew what the weather would bring on the day.
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“I’ll tell you: a rainbow appears only after the storm … beautiful dreams still live in my heart.”These familiar words from the song, long since memorised, filled the children with hope.
On the morning of the performance, the teachers were busy from the start: doing make-up and hair, arranging lunch for the children, leading rehearsal after rehearsal, and checking every detail.
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The rain came after all. It dampened their shoulders, but not a single note was unsettled. In the chill of the autumn rain, clear young voices blended with rich, warm strings, singing of unity, kindness and hope. The children did not falter; they carried the performance through, steady from the first bar to the last.
The weather changed the plans for some of our performers. To keep their precious violins safe, the Y4/5 Terra Strings performed under a canopy. Their music drew the audience to listen. They cheered their friends on stage, supporting the melody from beginning to end just as the song reminds us “At every difficult crossroads, a kind friend is there to lend a helping hand”. We’re proud of them and will prepare another opportunity for them to share their beautiful performance soon.
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In that moment, we saw more than a performance. We saw the kind of young people Yew Chung hopes to nurture—
not hothouse flowers, but children who have weathered the rain and learned to stand firm in it. When challenges arise, they stay composed and work through them one step at a time. That quiet resilience is what growing up truly looks like.
And behind that steadiness are Yew Chung’s teachers: committed, caring and generous with encouragement. Supported by their unwavering care, the children could stand in the rain with light in their eyes and their dreams within reach.
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The rain will pass; the music will soar. May this “Dream Map” lead onward to brighter, farther horizons!
Admissions for the 2027–2028 school year at YCIS Shanghai are now open. Click the link for your preferred campus below to book a campus tour and discover firsthand what makes a YCIS education so special.
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To learn more about our approach to education, campus life, and our curriculum and university pathways, we would be glad to welcome you to YCIS Shanghai.
We look forward to meeting you here.
