Foreigners from universities and businesses in Shanghai's Jiading district recently joined local residents to celebrate the Lantern Festival at the Nanyuan Community Service Center in the Jiading Industrial Zone.
At the event, the foreigners were guided by residents in making tangyuan (glutinous rice balls), which symbolize unity and good fortune. Sterling, a foreign teacher, expressed her delight after successfully making a savory pork-filled tangyuan. "Today, I finally got to wear beautiful hanfu (traditional Chinese-style clothing) and I personally made tangyuan. Despite the challenging process, the taste surprised me. It's very special," she said.
The expats also tried their hand at calligraphy, writing the auspicious character "福" (fu, meaning "good fortune") and engaged in solving traditional lantern riddles. After writing a golden "福" character, Anton, a foreign employee, stated, "I want to decorate my room with it and bring this good luck home with me."
This event not only included traditional customs, but also incorporated the popular experience of dressing in hanfu, aiming to showcase traditional Chinese culture and expand community services for residents, said the event organizer.
The event features a tangyuan-making activity. [Photo/jiading.gov.cn]
A foreigner learns from a local resident on how to write the Chinese character "福". [Photo/jiading.gov.cn]
The expats work with local Chinese children to solve lantern riddles. [Photo/jiading.gov.cn]