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The collision of wooden sticks and stone mortars drew students to encircle the pounding stones of rice cakes. [Photo/Tide News]

With the Chinese New Year approaching, students tried their hands at making niangao, a steamed glutinous rice cake, at Xiushui Primary School in Shaoxing on Jan 26.

In the pronunciation of niangao in Chinese, there is an auspicious meaning of good fortune increasing with each passing year.

Zhang Ke, an inheritor of the longstanding intangible cultural heritage, brought an engaging rice cake sculpting class to pique the interest of the students.

A student holds a carp-shaped rice cake with both hands. [Photo/Tide News]

With the inheritor's nimble fingers dancing among the rice cakes, the dough transformed into lively shapes such as dragons, fish, and ingots, infusing the event with a touch of childlike wonder.

Then, the students received their own soft and sticky rice cakes. Following the inheritor's example, they went to work crafting their own edible works of art.

Some couldn't resist the temptation of the treat in front of them, taking a bite before the job was done and savoring the warmth and flavor of the rice cakes on a winter day.