The Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the traditional Chinese calendar, is one of China’s most important traditional festivals and a time for family reunions. Ahead of this year’s festival, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) brought international students together for incense pendant-making workshops.

Two workshops were held on September 22 and 23 at SJTU’s Xuhui Campus and Minhang Campus, respectively, drawing more than 60 international students.

At the start of each workshop, the students were introduced to the history of incense culture in China, how incense materials were used in ancient times, and the meanings associated with incense pendants.

The students then tried their hand at making incense pendants using traditional techniques, a process that required care and patience. They blended incense powders, mixed them with binding powder, and added water to form a workable dough. The dough was pressed into molds to shape the pendants, which were then removed, trimmed, and decorated.

During the workshops, students from different cultural backgrounds shared their designs and exchanged ideas. The hands-on experience offered a closer look at traditional Chinese culture, and the finished incense pendants served as keepsakes from the workshops.

Alongside the workshops, SJTU prepared specially packaged mooncakes for all of its international students. The mooncakes—among the best-known foods of the Mid-Autumn Festival and long associated with reunion—gave the students a taste of the festival while adding a warm touch to SJTU’s Mid-Autumn celebrations.

Source: Study at SJTU