[Video/The Information Office of Jiading district]

To celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival, over 30 international students from the Sino-German Engineering College of Tongji University attended a cultural event at Xuhang town in Jiading district.

The event featured such fun activities as making tie-dye products, trying on hanfu – Chinese traditional apparel – taking part in tea ceremonies and singing along to Yue Opera. They all provided the students with a very special experience of the charms of traditional Chinese culture.

In the tie-dye workshop, students were captivated by the intricate patterns and vibrant colors of the silk scarves. Each student tied their fabric into unique design shapes, then immersed it in buckets of prepared dye. After allowing the fabric to soak, they untied the knots to reveal an array of distinctive tie-dye artworks – some resembling continuous mountain ranges, others evoking trendy abstract paintings – each piece showcasing its unique style.

Peters Jorge, an international student, said it was very magical and he had never experienced anything like it before. He mentioned that with just a few simple steps, one could transform a plain white scarf into many beautiful patterns.

During the hanfu session, each student eagerly selected their favorite attire. As they excitedly dressed up, they often found themselves putting on the wrong sleeves or missing a button, resulting in a charming array of mismatched outfits. They said that it was quite challenging to wear hanfu.

Yue Opera expert Fan Shaoping was especially invited to provide guidance on attire and etiquette.

After getting dressed in hanfu, everyone closely followed teacher Fan to bow, lift their sleeves and learn the movements – as if they had traveled back in time. They also learned how to sing Yue Opera, including hand gestures, fan dancing and whip handling from their teacher.

In the tea ceremony session, the tea master introduced the students to the historical origins of tea, tea ceremony etiquette and how to taste the tea. The master also demonstrated tea table manners such as serving the tea, returning courtesies and holding the cup.

During the event, traditional Chinese food such as mooncakes and steamed cakes were served. Many attendees, experiencing Mid-Autumn Festival for the first time, thoroughly enjoyed the food and activities. They really got into the festive atmosphere and gained a deeper understanding of Chinese culture.