At the end of May, the Dragon Boat Festival cultural event, organized by the School of Economics and Management, the International Students Office, and the International School at Tongji University, was successfully held at Tongji Building A.

On the day of the event, teachers and international students gathered to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional Chinese festival with over a thousand years of history and cultural significance. It honors the poet Qu Yuan and embodies the aspirations for blessings, health, unity, and progress. The students experienced the unique charm of the Dragon Boat Festival by tasting zongzi, savoring the aroma of rice passed down for thousands of years, hanging mugwort, the ancient ritual of seeking blessings, and participating in group quizzes, feeling the spirit of unity akin to dragon boat racing.

Professor Zhang Linhua from Tongji University's International School delivered an opening speech, emphasizing the importance of exchanging and learning about Chinese traditional culture, and hoped that the students would enjoy the activities. Thanks to the volunteers' vivid, engaging explanations and guidance, the participants gradually immersed themselves in the unique charm of the Dragon Boat Festival, appreciating its profound cultural heritage.

On-site activities included the elegant, traditional game of arrow throwing and the thrilling ‘Shooting the Five Poisons’ experience. Teams participated in the two traditional Dragon Boat Festival games through team collaboration. ‘Shooting the Five Poisons’ is an ancient custom to ward off evil spirits and disasters. The Five Poisons patterns symbolize scorpions, centipedes, toads, lizards, and snakes, among other poisonous creatures. Participants shot arrows at these patterns to express their wishes for good fortune and peace. The event was lively and filled with laughter. Participants experienced the unique charm of traditional customs and gained a deeper understanding of the cultural significance of the Dragon Boat Festival, which emphasizes ‘warding off evil spirits, avoiding disasters, fostering unity and progress’ through collaboration and challenges. They immersed themselves in the rich heritage of Chinese civilization through interactive experiences.

While tasting various flavors of zongzi, volunteer guides provided an in-depth interpretation of the cultural significance of zongzi. Participants learned about the zongzi’s evolution from sacrificial offerings to the festival’s delicacy that symbolizes reunion and blessings today, leaving them with fond memories of this cultural journey.

Finally, a small-scale traditional Chinese medicine cultural outreach event centered on mugwort kicked off. The mugwort, a ‘treasure plant’ in traditional Chinese medicine, has a distinct aroma that effectively inhibits bacterial growth. As a result, ancient people endowed it with auspicious meanings of dispelling evil and preventing epidemics. Enthusiastic students on-site, eagerly trying their hand at making Dragon Boat Festival sachets, filling them with mugwort. Through the busy work of their fingers, they unknowingly deepened their understanding of traditional Chinese culture.

This Dragon Boat Festival event ignited students’ passion to learn about China's rich traditional culture, fostering better integration into campus life. Amidst laughter and joy, unforgettable memories were made at Tongji University.