On the afternoon of June 15th, a cultural activity was held for overseas students to experience Dragon Boat Festival, in order to promote traditional Chinese culture, strengthen overseas students’ sense of cultural identity of China and enhance the communication and friendship between teachers and overseas students. Along with 36 overseas students, directors of Publicity Department of HNUST, International Education College, General Affairs Department attended the activity.
The cultural activity began with the recitation of a poemby a Laotian student. Then a Rwandan student and Wang Zhifei, a teacher from Management Department of International Education College, explained the customs of Dragon Boat Festival. They also introduced the traditions of appreciating poems, wrapping zongzi and drinking realgar liquor.
After the opening ceremony, students flooded to learn wrapping zongzi. Not knowing how to deal with the tools placing on the table for wrapping zongzi,a student from Kyrgyzstan knitted her brow, “It is the first time for me to wrap zongzi. And I didn’t know the meaning of Dragon Boat Festival until my teachers told me.” said she. With the guidance and assistance of the staff in the canteen, Su Yali, imitating the aunts, rolled the zongzi leaves twice into a cone shape and stuffed it with glutinous rice, then wrapped up the zongzi with a string.
“It is the second time to hold such cultural activity. Through the explanation by the teachers, the overseas students could further learn the customs of Dragon Boat Festival and have a better understanding of the traditions if they learn wrapping zongzi in person. It is also a good way to promote cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.” said Huang Xiangqun, the director of General Affairs Department.
(Translated by Chen Meijun, Yu Ling)
