Over 30 international students from Ludong University celebrated the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival in Chefoo district, Yantai on June 4, experiencing a number of traditional festival customs with locals including knitting five-color ropes and wrapping zongzi, glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in plant leaves. 

The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival, is a significant traditional Chinese celebration that falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. This year it will be celebrated on June 10. One of the festival's most enduring customs is eating zongzi, which is believed to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits, making it an essential part of the celebrations.

An international student tries his hand at knitting five-color rope, a traditional decoration worn on the hand during Duanwu Festival. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

An international student tries to wrap zongzi under the guidance of locals. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

International students concentrate on wrapping zongzi. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]