Office of Student Affairs, JUST ##..~~.~.~~.~.~..~.~

JUST's Overseas Chinese and Indigenous Students Celebrate a Cross-Cultural Dragon Boat Festival

With the Dragon Boat Festival approaching on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, a time of fragrant rice dumplings, JUST invited overseas Chinese and indigenous students to experience the traditional customs of hanging sachets and eating meat-filled rice dumplings on June 10th. This cross-cultural gathering allowed both groups to experience the festive atmosphere and celebrate a diverse and healthy Dragon Boat Festival in advance.

The event began with representatives from the Overseas Chinese Students Association, the Darugan Indigenous Culture Research Society, and the Malaysian and Burmese Students Association taking to the stage to introduce the rice dumplings (zongzi) from their respective regions or countries. They then greeted all participating teachers and students in their native languages, wishing them a happy and healthy Dragon Boat Festival. Principal Huang Rongpeng helped student representatives attach fragrant sachets and posed for photos with the students holding large rice dumpling-shaped sachets. In his speech, he said, "Having studied abroad myself, I deeply understand the homesickness felt during festivals. Our Indigenous and Overseas Chinese students have all left their hometowns to study at JUST of Science and Technology. I hope that through today's Dragon Boat Festival activities of eating rice dumplings and making fragrant sachets, we can feel a strong sense of reunion and celebrate a peaceful and healthy Dragon Boat Festival together."

The sachet-making activity was led by the Overseas Chinese Students Association, who used silk fabric, needles and thread, string, and DIY fillings such as cotton, mugwort, and mint to teach participants how to sew the sachets step-by-step. Seeing the happy expressions of the participating overseas Chinese students and indigenous people holding their sachets, Miao, a Hong Kong overseas Chinese student who demonstrated the process, happily said, "The Dragon Boat Festival sachets are not only a testament to the wisdom of the ancients in repelling insects and evil spirits, but also unique works of art sewn stitch by stitch."

When tasting traditional rice dumplings (zongzi), Li, a student from Myanmar, said, "In Myanmar, there aren't many savory rice dumplings. Traditionally, they are sweet dumplings wrapped in banana leaves, filled with glutinous rice flour and stuffed with banana, coconut, or red beans, and steamed. They are a popular snack all year round." Xu, a Paiwan student from Pingtung, said, "The zongzi is very similar to the 'Jinafu' made by indigenous people using false pine leaves and almond leaves to wrap millet, glutinous rice, or taro flour with marinated pork or chicken. It's a precious delicacy served to honored guests at festivals, weddings, and farewell ceremonies."

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