A distinctive delicacy workshop was held on ECUST campus, bringing together 40 international students from multiple countries to make Qingtuan, a traditional Chinese seasonal delicacy, allowing them to experience the charm of traditional Chinese culture through handson work.
At the event, ingredients such as glutinous rice flour, mugwort juice, and red bean paste were neatly arranged. Following the instructor's demonstration, students carefully learned the steps of kneading the dough, filling the wrappers, and shaping the dumplings. Although many were making Chinese pastries for the first time, they participated enthusiastically. From initial struggles with cracked dough and leaking fillings to gradually mastering the technique and shaping round, plump Qingtuan, the students came to appreciate both the difficulty and the joy of labour through repeated attempts.
"I've eaten Qingtuan at the canteen before, but I never knew there was so much skill involved in making them by hand," said one student from Indonesia with a smile, holding a freshly wrapped Qingtuan. As batches of steamed Qingtuan were cooked and served, the soft, sweet results of their labour prompted everyone to take photos, creating a lively atmosphere.
This activity is an important part of the Second Classroom component of the Joint MultiDegree (JMD) Programmes, falling under the "Cultural Experience and Social Observation" module. The Second Classroom adopts a "credit empowerment" approach, where students can earn corresponding hours by participating in relevant activities. This module is designed to guide students in deepening cultural understanding, enhancing crosscultural competence, and integrating knowledge with practice through cultural experience and social observation.
This Qingtuan Making activity combined labour education with cultural experience, not only helping international students develop practical life skills through handson practice but also deepening their understanding and appreciation of China's seasonal food culture and folk customs.
