International students make rice cakes in Baiquan town, Dinghai district, Zhoushan. [Photo/Tide News]

Seventeen international students from countries including Russia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and Tanzania gathered in Baiquan town, Dinghai district, Zhoushan, to experience traditional Chinese New Year customs on Dec 22.

The event began with a local artisan demonstrating the art of making rice cakes in Kemei village. The students took turns wielding a large mallet to pound the rice dough in a stone mortar. Once the dough was ready, the master divided it into sections. Under his guidance, the students pressed, kneaded, and shaped the warm rice cakes into unique forms.

The atmosphere was joyous as the students took photos with their handmade rice cakes. After tasting their creations, many expressed delight at how delicious they were.

International students show their handmade rice cakes. [Photo/Tide News]

At the Baiquan Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, the students learned about local traditions such as Zhoushan luogu (gongs and drums), "flea dance", which is a traditional dance for celebrating harvest among local fishermen, and dragon and lion dances through a guided tour. They experienced the Zhoushan luogu in an interactive area.

"As Chinese New Year approaches, we invited international students from Zhejiang Ocean University to try making our handmade rice cakes and visit our intangible cultural heritage museum, promoting cultural exchanges," said Wang Zhilong, an official from Kemei village, Baiquan town.