As one of the four major traditional festivals in China, the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated with diverse and colorful folk activities. On June 20th, Licheng District invited five international students from Pakistan to participate in the on-site experience of making zongzi in Yulong Village, Caishi Street, Licheng District. Together, they welcomed the upcoming traditional Chinese festival of the Dragon Boat Festival.

There is a local saying in Caishi: "After eating the zongzi in Lunar May, it's time to put away the cotton-padded clothes." It means that the weather before the Dragon Boat Festival is unpredictable, fluctuating between cold and hot. Only after the festival, the weather truly becomes warm and stable, allowing people to store away their winter clothes. Ghafpr Saif Ullah from Pakistan expressed a strong interest in Chinese traditional festivals and customs. He considered this to be a great opportunity for practical experience to make zongzi together with local villagers that will be cherished for a lifetime.

There is a folk saying that goes, "A family with three-year-old wormwood has no need for a doctor." Local people have a longstanding tradition of inserting wormwood during the Dragon Boat Festival. Households would hang wormwood on their door frames or doorknobs. Some rural families even place wormwood leaves under their bedding, typically between the mattress and the heated brick bed, symbolizing the dispelling of evil spirits and praying for good health and fewer disasters. Families specifically collect and store them in dry places for medicinal and preventive purposes after the hanging leaves are dried.

In Caishi Street, there is also a custom of children wearing wormwood. Adults would place a small handful of wormwood leaves on the children. For girls with braided hair, the leaves are directly inserted on their heads, while for boys with less hair, the leaves are clipped above their ears. Additionally, there is a local custom of boiling eggs with wormwood leaves. Boiling eggs with wormwood leaves is believed to have benefits such as promoting blood circulation, dispelling dampness and cold, and enhancing beauty. ALI MD MOBAROK, an international student, expressed great fascination upon hearing about the local customs and traditions of the Dragon Boat Festival, gaining a vibrant insight in their study abroad experience.

During the Dragon Boat Festival, villagers gather fresh bamboo leaves and reed leaves, wrap them with glutinous rice, sugar, and red dates, and steam them in a pot. These zongzi are not only delicious but also visually appealing, making them highly enticing.