Mohammad Hashem Mohammadi, a Shanghai-based Afghan content creator, poses for photo holding a zongzi in Weihai, East China's Shandong province, on June 7, 2024. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A group of foreign reporters and influencers based in China learned to make zongzi, or glutinous rice dumplings, on Friday in Weihai, East China's Shandong province, to familiarize themselves with Duanwu, or the Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional festival celebrated across China on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the lunar calendar.

"I had so much fun making zongzi! It was such an interesting process, and I absolutely loved it," said Mohammad Hashem Mohammadi, an Afghan content creator based in Shanghai.

Hashem said in his culture, festivals and celebrations are also often marked by specific traditional foods that hold cultural significance. Special foods are prepared and enjoyed during Nowruz, the Persian New Year, and the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting in Islam, said the young Afghan.