On the banks of the Thames in London, Big Ben (officially the Elizabeth Tower) rises at the north end of the Houses of Parliament. Since its completion in 1858, it has become one of the world’s most iconic landmarks. The tower climbs to nearly 100m, and each of its four clock faces is set with 312 panes of white glass. On the hour, the deep, melodious Westminster chimes ring out, and after dusk, the lighting bathes the tower in a stately, majestic glow.
Recently, a grassroots "English textbook relay" started by Chinese travelers has quietly gone viral. English textbooks from China with Big Ben on the cover are being tucked into little corners around the tower, waiting to be found, photographed, and passed along by fellow travelers—bringing memories of nine years of compulsory schooling into a romantic rendezvous with a foreign landmark. Warm and clever, this small act is both a look back at how we learned language and a gentle cultural whisper across oceans.
Come to London, stand beneath Big Ben, hunt for your own textbook easter egg, and set off on a journey that is uniquely yours!