Zhangdian：Foreign Friends Experience Reunion in the Community

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Boda Huayuan Community in Zhangdian District held a themed event “Full Moon for Mid-Autumn, Celebration for Family and Nation”. International students from Shandong University of Technology visited the community to immerse themselves in Mid-Autumn folk customs and decode the cultural essence behind this Chinese festival amid the warm neighborhood atmosphere.

Lively and heartwarming, the event fell under the traditional culture experience section “Moon Shines on Mid-Autumn Festival”, where local residents and foreign friends gathered together. Community ladies patiently gave demonstrations. Wearing gloves, the international students carefully learned to knead dough, fill wrappers and press molds to make unique “dumpling-style mooncakes”. As their hands moved, sweet fillings were wrapped inside dough, forming these specially shaped mooncakes one after another. These little dumpling-style mooncakes embody the beautiful meaning of family reunion during Mid-Autumn Festival, and hold sincere friendship transcending languages and national boundaries.

Besides the mooncake DIY session, international students also made handcrafts of the moon and jade rabbit, experiencing the charm of traditional handicrafts. At the neighborhood wish wall, Chinese and foreign friends wrote down wishes and blessings. Those heartfelt messages built a warm bridge for mutual help among neighbors and mutual understanding between Chinese and foreigners. Young overseas guests listened attentively to Mid-Autumn stories, learned the traditional connotations of moon-gazing and family reunion, and felt the warmth of traditional Chinese culture through hands-on activities.

Moonlight knows no borders; cultures connect hearts across nations. Stepping out of campus and into communities in Zhangdian, Zibo, foreign friends go beyond textbooks to truly experience the festive vitality of Qilu land. This community event serves not only as a joyous gathering for neighbours, but also as a small window for international cultural exchange. As the full moon rises for Mid-Autumn Festival and we celebrate family and nation together, people of diverse skin colours meet to embrace this oriental festival. The reunion culture of Mid-Autumn Festival shines with unique radiance through exchanges and mutual learning.