Chinese singer Curley Gao returns to alma mater Dunman High & reunites with teacher in heartwarming moment

"This vlog is going to be completely in Singlish," said Chinese singer Curley Gao in a vlog posted to her Weibo account.

This may not come as a surprise to her fans, many of whom may know that Gao, also known as Xilinnayi Gao, spent part of her youth studying in Singapore.

At the age of nine, she moved to Singapore with her parents. She attended Macpherson Primary School and Dunman High School before eventually heading to the United States to study at Berklee College of Music.

The 26-year-old first rose to fame as an idol when she placed first on the Chinese girl group survival show Chuang 2020, becoming a member of BonBon Girls 303.

Catching up with her bestie

In the vlog, Gao documents her short time in Singapore again.

She visited Causeway Point to reunite with her best friend from secondary school, whom she hadn’t seen in six years.

As they reminisced about their school days, Gao shared her dream of holding a concert in Singapore and inviting all their friends.

After their meal at Pho Street, Gao took the MRT to Bugis, where she reflected on her audition for the singing competition Sing! China in 2016.

"So this is where the dream started," Gao said.

Although she didn’t pass the 2016 audition, she later returned the following year and finished as the runner-up in mentor Na Ying's team.

Visiting Dunman High School

Gao’s next stop was her alma mater, Dunman High School.

Along the way, she pointed out familiar spots from her childhood, such as convenience stores where her mother used to send her for snacks and the Katong Community Centre, where she had volunteered.

"What's special about this place is that I used to volunteer for MINDS (Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore)," Gao shared.

She shared that she used to visit every weekend and spend time with the children, whom she described as "angels".

She also stopped by a McDonald’s outlet, remarking that the fries there were better than anywhere else.

Over at Dunman High, she visited the school field where she trained for the National Physical Fitness Award (NAPFA) test, noting that she used to complete the 2.4-kilometre run in about 16 minutes.

Gao was recognised by a few excited students who eagerly asked for pictures with her.

She was equally excited to spot some of the canteen stall tenants from her school days.

Reunion with teacher

However, the most heartwarming moment came when one of her former teachers, upon seeing her, exclaimed "Oh my God!" and ran to give her a hug.

The teacher beamed, praising Gao for her achievements.

Gao and her teacher then met with other faculty members, including the current vice-principal.

When asked if her Mandarin classes at the school were helpful, Gao agreed, emphasising how crucial it had been in shaping her into the person she is today.

Top photos from Xilinnayi Gao/Weibo