A cultural event themed “Zongzi Fragrance Carries Ancient Rhymes; Duanyang Nourishes the Original Heart” was held for over 100 international students in Shenyang Aerospace University on June 17, 2026, offering a hands-on journey into one of China’s most cherished traditional festivals-the Dragon Boat Festival.

The event offered hands-on cultural workshops including mugwort hammer crafting, sachet making, and five-color thread braiding-traditional customs that trace back thousands of years. Students from dozens of countries experienced the festival not just as a holiday, but as a living bridge to Chinese heritage.

In the mugwort hammer workshop, students learned about the traditional Chinese wellness practice of using mugwort (Ai Cao) for health care. Guided by teachers, they rolled and shaped dried mugwort into compact hammers.

The sachet-making station drew the longest queues. Students carefully selected from a variety of aromatic herbs, and put them into colorful silk pouches, a custom dating back over two thousand years meant to ward off evil spirits and disease.

At the five-color thread braiding station, students braided five-colored threads into bracelets, a Duanwu tradition symbolizing blessings and protection. Each color-blue, red, white, black, and yellow-corresponds to one of the five elements in Chinese philosophy.

The Dragon Boat Festival, commemorates the ancient poet Qu Yuan and carries themes of loyalty, health, and seasonal renewal. For these international students, it became a day of creation, connection, and cultural discovery.

The Dragon Boat Festival, marked on the fifth day of the fifth lunar, has been part of China’s cultural fabric for over two millennia and was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2009.