On June 16, a unique Duanwu or Dragon Boat Festival folk culture experience event for expats in Changsha was held at the Museum of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Changsha. The event was organized by the Changsha Science and Technology Bureau and undertaken by the Changsha Foreign Science and Technology Cooperation and Exchange Center. It aimed to enable expats to get up close to Dragon Boat Festival traditions, savor Hunan's intangible cultural heritage, and truly feel Changsha's unique cultural heritage and urban vitality, helping expats adapt to life in Changsha and thrive there.

At the museum, expats learned about the development context, distinctive categories, and heritage value of Changsha's intangible cultural heritage. They listened attentively to the cultural stories behind each intangible heritage work, immersed themselves in Hunan's thousand-year-old cultural legacy, and came to appreciate the profound heritage and unique charm of Hunan culture.

The interactive intangible cultural heritage experience session was vibrant and lively. Four characteristic intangible cultural heritage items—Changsha paper-cutting, Chinese knot weaving, sugar painting, and Hunan opera face-changing—were presented in turn, and the exquisite and unique traditional skills captivated the foreign participants. They eagerly joined in, trying their hand at the crafts under the step-by-step guidance of intangible heritage inheritors. They personally made intangible heritage handcrafts, truly feeling the craftsmanship and warmth of traditional handiwork. The characteristic performance of Hunan opera face-changing was vivid, lively, and full of highlights, winning rounds of applause and allowing them to gain an appreciation for the unique charm of Hunan opera culture.

The Dragon Boat Festival zongzi-making folk experience session was a heartwarming one. Ingredients such as bamboo leaves, glutinous rice, and candied dates were prepared on site, and staff members guided the participants through the folk significance and practical techniques of making zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival. The participants showed great enthusiasm and actively tried their hand, skillfully folding bamboo leaves, filling them with glutinous rice, and tying the zongzi with strings. They accomplished making zongzi through practice and mutual assistance. Amid laughter and joy, they experienced the time-honored customs of the Dragon Boat Festival and gained a deeper appreciation for the cultural meaning and heartfelt traditions of this Chinese festival.

Using the Dragon Boat Festival as an opportunity and intangible cultural heritage as the medium, this event built a quality bridge for expats in Changsha to learn about the city and connect with it. Through immersive experiences, the foreign participants gained a deep appreciation for the unique charm of traditional Chinese folk customs and Hunan's intangible cultural heritage. They also deepened their understanding of Changsha's urban culture and development environment. The event fully showcased Changsha's city character of valuing talent, openness, and inclusiveness.

Going forward, the bureau will continue to enhance services for expats, host regular cultural exchange and integration activities, improve the international innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, and optimize the international talent development environment, so as to strengthen Changsha's talent pool to support its goal of becoming a global R&D center.

Source: en.changsha.gov.cn