LIFE in China might seem remote to many children in Hong Kong, some of whom may have their own ideas of what it is like over the border.
A group of students who went to China on a study tour late last year discovered that life there can, in fact, be very different to what they imagined it to be.
The two-day tour, organised by the Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association of Hong Kong, gave 43 children, aged six to 14, an insight into life in Guangdong province.
Queenie Tam Wing-ni felt that people in China were not that much different from those in Hong Kong.
''At first, I thought the people were very rude, but I don't think so now. I met some students who impressed me so much with their gentle and polite ways,'' the Form Three student said.
But there were times when Queenie felt things were better at home, when she compared public behaviour, especially with regard to transport.
''Where I stayed, people never line up for buses or other transport. And some who pay for standing room take a seat,'' the 14-year-old said.