As the Lantern Festival arrived with glittering lanterns all around, the atmosphere was particularly lively when intangible cultural heritage (ICH) folk customs encountered international faces, and campus warmth connected with community vibrancy. Two events, embodying neighborhood bonds in the community and festive joy on campus, served as a link between the university and the local area, allowing Chinese and foreign youth to understand the festive charm of Chinese New Year and paint a vivid picture of cultural integration amid laughter and joy.
Community Chapter: Warm Handicrafts with Neighbors, Folk Customs Passed On Together
Festive Lantern Festival Celebration at Xingfu Hui: International Youth Learn ICH from Local Mentors
On the afternoon of March 2nd, a heartwarming and unique Lantern Festival folk custom event kicked off at Xingfu Hui of Xiaoheshan Community, Liuxia Sub-district, Xihu District. More than 10 international students from countries including Germany, Indonesia, Morocco and Zambia gathered around local residents, earnestly learning the craft of making glutinous rice balls—kneading the dough, wrapping the fillings and shaping the balls with great care.
"Turns out the filling of the glutinous rice balls must be tightly pinched, otherwise it will fall apart when boiled," said Aya from Morocco, muttering the tips taught by the resident aunties while having a try. Meanwhile, the lantern-making area was equally bustling. Colored paper, bamboo strips and tassels fluttered in deft hands. The international students gave full play to their creativity, integrating cultural elements of their home countries into the lantern designs, and soon a number of lanterns featuring both Chinese and foreign characteristics took shape. At the event site, local residents also told the international students about the origin of the Lantern Festival and traditional customs like appreciating lanterns and guessing riddles, enabling everyone to immerse themselves in the unique charm of Chinese folk customs through hands-on practice.
Celebrating Reunion Over Conversations, Forging New Chapters in University-Community Co-construction
When the glutinous rice balls were cooked, the air was filled with a tempting aroma. Savoring the rice balls they made by themselves, the international students sat together with local residents, starting a cross-cultural festive dialogue. "In my country, we eat traditional nasi lemak during the New Year," "We also have light festivals in our country, which are very similar to the Lantern Festival"... Everyone shared the festive customs of their own countries, and sparks of collision flew between different cultures during the exchanges.
This event was not only a folk custom experience, but also a vivid practice for the international development of Xiaoheshan International Youth Community. Amid cheerful conversations, the distance between international students and local residents was shortened, and the bridge of university-community cooperation was further strengthened. As an important carrier of university-community co-construction, Xiaoheshan International Youth Talent Community is taking such heartwarming activities as the link to promote in-depth integration of Chinese and foreign cultures, rooting "internationalization" in the community and making "neighborhood bonds" transcend national borders.
Campus Chapter: Red Moon Shines Over Xihe, Chinese and Foreign Friends as One Family
A Grand Feast Launched by Two Joint Events, Seventy Students Gather for the Lantern Festival
On the evening of March 3rd, the second floor of Xihe Canteen on our campus was brightly lit. The event themed "Red Moon Lantern Festival · Reunion for Chinese and Foreign Friends", guided by the School of International Education and co-hosted by the International Cultural Communication Association (ICCA) and the International Students Union (ISU), kicked off as scheduled. Nearly 70 Chinese and foreign students gathered together to celebrate the Lantern Festival amid joy and laughter, pushing the international festive vibe on campus to a climax.
At the event venue, long tables were neatly arranged, with glutinous rice flour, black sesame filling, colored glutinous rice paper and other materials readily available. Chinese students taught international students how to make glutinous rice balls step by step, from rolling dough into balls to wrapping fillings, with great patience and meticulousness. Soon, bowls of steaming glutinous rice balls were served. Everyone sat around to taste them, and the sweet and chewy texture embodied the beautiful implication of "reunion".
Flower Lanterns Reflect the Red Moon, United Hearts Stride Toward the Future
As night fell, Chinese and foreign students held the lanterns they made by themselves to take photos and exchange New Year customs of different countries, freezing the wonderful moments in cheerful talks and laughter. The session of "admiring the red moon and lighting up flower lanterns" brought the atmosphere to its peak. The colorful lanterns illuminated the smiling faces of the students and also brightened the path for cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.
This campus Lantern Festival gala is a vivid reflection of the distinctive feature of international education in our university. The two major associations, ICCA and ISU, have given full play to their role as bridges. They have not only built a platform for communication between Chinese and foreign students, but also made international students feel the warmth of home on campus. The gathering of nearly 70 students is a fusion of cultures, a resonance of youth, and a vivid interpretation of the concept that "Chinese and foreign friends are one family".
From the neighborhood companionship in the community to the youthful gathering on campus, the School of International Education has taken the Lantern Festival as an opportunity to connect the threads of university-community cooperation and build a bridge for exchanges between China and foreign countries. In the future, the school will continue to deepen university-community collaboration, enrich the forms of activities for international students, and enable more Chinese and foreign youth to get to know and integrate with each other through exchanges, jointly writing a new chapter in the development of internationalization.
SOIE
March 6th, 2026
