Pupils from the Shijiazhuang Number 17 Middle School in Hebei Province made a return visit after youngsters from St Bede's in Peterlee travelled to see their classes in May.

During their stay the children stayed in Durham Castle and discovered the history of the area.

They also shared their culture with St Bede's pupils and joined in lessons, with a special assembly held to give each group the chance to perform music, songs and make a presentation.

Students at the Byron Sixth Form College, which is part of St Bede's, hosted a barbecue for the group, with the visitors joining a mass held to mark 40 years of the school, which was attended by Bishop Seamus Cunningham.

The visitors were also offered gifts to take back to China by the school.

Staff from Peterlee are planning to take part in a four-week summer camp in Hebei to help develop teaching and learning for those teaching both languages, with more students to travel to China next year.

Paul Dickson, director of humanities and assistant headteacher at St Bede's, said: "As a humanities college we want students to foster and awareness and appreciation of different cultures.

"In a rapidly globalising world, our students must grasp the shift East both economically and politically."