Chinese visitors to rural north Norfolk are enjoying a taste of Britain's best.

A party of pupils and staff from the Longyuan Middle School in Shanghai are guests of Stalham High School this week.

The visit follows a trip to their school last month by 13 Stalham pupils and staff.

The Chinese guests, whose arrival was touch-and-go after visa problems were only resolved at the 11th hour, were treated to a traditional bacon-and-eggs breakfast and a special assembly.

It included a gymnastic dance display, and performances by former pupil Leonie Westbrook, who accompanied herself on guitar to a song she had composed, and pupil Amy Morris, winner of Stalham's Got Talent, who sang Paloma Faith's Upside Down. Former teacher Ian Soulsby, a member of the City of Norwich Pipe Band, wore full Highland dress and played Scottish airs on the bagpipes.

The Chinese visitors, who are staying with host families, were due to take part in lessons including PE, ukulele, and making scones in cookery for a traditional strawberry cream tea. They are also planning a trip to Cambridge tomorrow.

Gemma Grimmer, 16, was among those on the China trip. 'It was incredible to be on the other side of the world in a country you've heard so much about,' she said.

'It really is as humid as they say and they really do eat crazy things - I had pig's ears at one meal and someone else had chicken's feet. The people were so hospitable. They welcomed us with open arms.'

It had been strange to be the only apparent westerners in Shanghai. 'One woman thrust her baby in my arms and photographed me holding it,' Gemma added.

During the assembly, others who had been on the trip spoke of their favourite and most challenging experiences. Ben Dann, 16, described Shanghai as 'Like London, but four times as big and on steroids'. Many enjoyed the food, viewing the city from skyscrapers and haggling in shops, but the heavy traffic was not so popular.

Teacher Jo O'Donoghue, who organised the visit, said it had been a 'huge step' for the children, some of whom had never before been abroad or on an airplane.

The Shanghai school had laid on a programme of games and older members of the community had come in to show them how to make rice dumplings.

Even younger children, who had been homesick at first, had grown in confidence over the week.