International students from Shanghai University participate in the "Dragon Head Raising Day" cultural tourism festival at South Sanmin Traditional Culture Village. [Photo/WeChat ID: StudyatSHU]

Local and international students from Shanghai University joined the cultural tourism festival marking the Dragon Head Raising Day on March 11 at Chongming district's South Sanmin Traditional Culture Village.

The event offered a rich program, including blessing ceremonies, performances of intangible cultural heritage, and exhibitions of dragon culture.

Karina Fallas, a student from Costa Rica, enjoyed making scented candles using tea leaves. She expressed her excitement about experiencing traditional Chinese culture and gaining new knowledge. "The teachers taught me how to make soap using the essence of tea leaves, which was a novel experience for me."

The international students also engaged in various traditional activities, learned the art of tea preparation from an intangible cultural heritage inheritor, and participated in the festival's grand ceremony, which showcased dragon dances, waist drums, and Chongming shoulder pole opera.

Every year, Dragon Head Raising Day falls on the second day of the second lunar month, marking the start of spring and the farming season. 

Alejandro Soto Guillen, an international student from Shanghai University, experiences local traditional folk activity celebrating the Dragon Head Raising Day at South Sanmin Traditional Culture Village. [Photo/WeChat ID: StudyatSHU]