Expats in Qufu, Jining try their hands at making zongzi during a Duanwu Festival celebration on June 2. [Photo/iqilu.com]

Expats from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan took part in a Duanwu Festival celebration in Queli community in Qufu, a county-level city of Jining, on June 2.

Duanwu Festival, also known as Dragon Boat Festival, is a traditional holiday in China. It is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar and fell on June 3 this year.

During the activity, the expats had the opportunity to learn how to make zongzi, which are sticky rice dumplings wrapped with bamboo or reed leaves, and are the festival's signature dish.

"I've been in China for nearly three years and it was the first time that I made zongzi. It's interesting," said an expat from Tajikistan.

Expats learn Chinese calligraphy during a Duanwu Festival celebration in Qufu, Jining on June 2. [Photo/iqilu.com]

According to Wang Changqing, Party chief of the community, the activity was meant to make the expats feel at home since Duanwu Festival is one of the traditional occasions for family reunions in China. 

It was also a good opportunity for them to learn more about traditional Chinese culture and build friendly international cultural exchanges, Wang added.