On Feb 24, the 19th Lantern Festival street parade, an urban cultural tradition, illuminated Shanghai's Yangpu district.

One of the parade squares was formed by a group of international students from Shanghai University of Tongji University, Finance and Economics, and Shanghai University of Sport, who warmly engaged with the crowd while carrying lanterns and exchanging sincere blessings with local people.

The parade square formed by international students. [Photo/WeChat account: SUFE-ICES]

The students also actively participated in cultural workshops such as Chinese paper-cutting, dough figurine sculpting, and wool weaving. They savored traditional treats such as tangyuan (glutinous rice balls), tanghua (sugar paintings), and bingtang hulu (crystallized hawthorn on a stick).

A Russian student expressed his excitement, "Today's street parade showcased a variety of art forms, including the captivating 'Dockside Ditty', the mesmerizing 'Rolling Lantern', and lively rural folk dancing. I was impressed by the diversity of participants in this event, from kindergarten children to retired community members, and people from all walks of life."

He also said that at the intangible cultural heritage market, he was fascinated by handcrafted items such as fabric paintings and sachet-making. He was amazed to see the integrated activities of eating, watching, and playing serve as a grand stage for folk culture and intangible cultural heritage.

Source: "SUFE-ICES" WeChat account