As osmanthus blooms and the moon grows full, to promote and carry forward the fine traditional culture of China, enrich the campus life of international students in China, and build a platform for mutual appreciation of civilisations and cultural exchange between China and other countries, on 22 September, the College organised a series of rich and colourful sharing events for the traditional Chinese festival. On the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival, over a hundred international students gathered on campus to immerse themselves in the essence of the festival through cultural learning, handicraft creation, and food tasting, experiencing traditional crafts and attending a unique Mid-Autumn cultural gathering.
At the beginning of the event, Chinese postgraduate students from our College delivered a special presentation on Mid-Autumn Festival culture for the international students. Using simple and vivid language, along with rich visual materials, the Chinese students explained the origins, development, traditional customs, and poetic culture of the Mid-Autumn Festival, interpreting the festival’s themes of moon-gazing for reunion and lanterns carrying wishes. They led the international students to experience the romantic sentiment and familial warmth of the Chinese tradition of expressing emotions through the moon and wishes through the circle.
After the presentation, the mooncake-making experience began. The canteen’s pastry chefs prepared dough, fillings, and tools, and demonstrated step-by-step how to knead the dough, wrap the filling, and shape the mooncakes. With great enthusiasm, the students picked up rolling pins and tried their hands at the process. They exchanged tips, showed creativity, and made uniquely shaped pastries, filling the venue with laughter. The international students went from being unfamiliar with the techniques to gradually mastering the skills, and one by one, mooncakes filled with heartfelt meaning took shape. Together, the students tasted the finished products, shared their joy, bridged language barriers, and grew closer. One student remarked that it was their first time making mooncakes by hand, and through the processes of kneading and wrapping, they truly grasped the beautiful meaning of reunion during Mid-Autumn, immersively experiencing the profound cultural heritage behind this traditional Chinese delicacy.
MOONCAKE | ICES
After the mooncake experience, the lantern-making activity commenced with great enthusiasm. In the lantern-making area, various lantern materials symbolising completeness—such as moon rabbits and moons—were neatly arranged. The international students were highly engaged as they assembled frames, attached decorations, fixed lamp wicks, and adjusted the lighting. Everyone assisted each other and paid close attention to the details, and one by one, beautifully crafted and unique Mid-Autumn lanterns were lit up. The warm glow reflected the heartwarming scene of Chinese and international youth enjoying the festivities together.
The felt embroidery area was also lively. After a brief demonstration of basic stitching techniques by the instructor, the students began trying their hand at basic felt embroidery. Threading needles, selecting threads, and making stitches, they gradually became familiar with the process, exchanged tips, and completed small felt embroidery works featuring patterns such as ‘moon’ and ‘jade rabbit’. They experienced the rustic charm of traditional handicrafts, and their smiling faces captured the wonderful moments of cultural exchange between China and other countries.
Mid-Autumn Festival
This event combined knowledge, fun, and hands-on practice, organically integrating festival customs with traditional craft experiences. Through hands-on activities and joyful interactions, the international students transcended language and regional differences, gained an up-close understanding of China’s fine traditional culture, enhanced mutual understanding, and forged sincere friendships.
A bright full moon connects hearts across the world, and skilful hands weave friendships between China and other nations. Our college has organised a series of sharing events for traditional Chinese festivals, using these celebrations as a platform and traditional crafts as a bond to create a practical space for intercultural dialogue among international students. These activities support the global dissemination of outstanding traditional Chinese culture, allowing the beauty of Chinese civilisation to take deep root in the hearts of every international student in China.
