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The Aroma of Zongzi Conveys Affection, and its Culture Nourishes the Heart

June 12, 2025

To promote China’s outstanding traditional culture and deepen students’ understanding of the cultural essence of the Dragon Boat Festival, eighth-grade non-native Chinese students embarked on a week-long "Dragon Boat Festival Cultural Exploration Journey" from May 12th to 16th. Through diverse activities such as picture book reading, handicraft making, and knowledge-based competitions, teachers and students immersed themselves in festive customs and experienced the unique charm of this traditional holiday.


Picture Book Exploratory Reading: A Deep Dive into History and Culture

From May 12th to 14th, the library buzzed with cultural enthusiasm. Guided by their teachers, students independently explored Dragon Boat Festival-themed picture books, unlocking the holiday’s cultural secrets layer by layer. They delved into origin stories like "Qu Yuan’s Sacrifice" and "Dragon Boat Racing," analyzed regional differences in customs, such as mugwort’s role in warding off evil spirits and the great variety of zongzi fillings, and completed quests to identify the festival’s five iconic symbols (dragon boats, zongzi, mugwort, etc.). Through vivid illustrations and texts, students systematically built their understanding of the festival’s historical and cultural dimensions.



The children learned that mugwort symbolizes dispelling evil, praying for well-being, and safe-guarding family health. Similarly, the Dragon Boat Festival embodies traditional culture, patriotic spirit, and the strengthening of bonds among family and friends.



During the "Designing Mugwort Accessories" workshop, students infused creativity into traditional symbols: some crafted paper-wrapped mugwort sachets for protection, while others molded clay dragon boat pendants and gave them labels like "Oars of Unity" or "Guardian of Fragrance.” Inspired by the idea of the "Global Dragon Boat Festival,” some proposed ideas for exchange activities like "Teaching Foreign Friends to Wrap Zongzi" or "VR Dragon Boat Racing Livestreams," reimagining cultural exchange through youthful perspectives. This blend of immersive reading and hands-on practice brought ancient traditions to life.



Crafting Fragrant Sachets: Preserving Folk Wisdom

The students’ cultural immersion deepened through a sachet-making workshop, held on May 15th in Classroom B206. Under their teachers’ guidance, students created mugwort sachets to express wishes for health and blessings. Ms. Tian vividly explained the sachet’s history, symbolism, shapes, gifting traditions, and crafting techniques. She noted, "While ancient people used sachets to ward off plagues, today’s students are continuing this tradition through craftsmanship, praying for a healthy life." The room filled with mugwort’s fragrance and joyful laughter.



Knowledge-based Competition: Fun Challenges Cement Cultural Memory

The festival’s grand finale on Friday, May 16th, was a Dragon Boat Festival trivia challenge. Ms. Ma designed questions covering the holiday’s origins and customs, with students eagerly competing for the title of "Dragon Boat Culture Ambassador." Ms. Ni and Ms. Gao captured highlights on camera, and winners received festively-themed prizes.



This series transformed traditional culture into vibrant, interactive experiences, merging reading, creativity, and hands-on learning. Students not only gained knowledge but also felt the holiday’s ethos of family and nation and its life-enriching wisdom. Moving forward, we will continue innovating formats for learning Chinese to rejuvenate traditional culture on campus.


Written by ZhangXinyi

Pictures by Ni Minxue,Gao Xiaoling

Reviewed by Chen Fan , Tian Lijiao