Zongzi-making offers Cambodian students taste of Chinese Dragon Boat Festival culture

PHNOM PENH, June 17 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 Cambodian university students immersed themselves in the tradition of making Chinese Zongzi on Wednesday, ahead of China's Dragon Boat Festival this Friday, June 19.

Zongzi, a glutinous rice dumpling wrapped with bamboo or reed leaves, is a traditional delicacy that Chinese people eat on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival.

In China, Zongzi commemorates the death of the famous Chinese poet Qu Yuan during the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.).

Hosted at the Royal University of Fine Arts (RUFA) in Phnom Penh, the event featured an expert presentation on the traditional art of making Zongzi, and participants also enjoyed hands-on activities, including crafting Chinese Zongzi and Cambodian Num Ansorm (traditional sticky rice cake), as well as practicing Chinese dough figurine making, paper cutting, traditional painting, calligraphy, mortise-and-tenon joinery, and Hanfu styling.

RUFA's vice rector Pheng Sitha said the event gave participants insight into the Chinese Zongzi-making tradition and the Dragon Boat Festival.

"I firmly believe today's cultural event will promote cultural exchange, deepen mutual understanding, and forge a more prosperous, lasting friendship between Cambodia and China," he said.

Chea Munyrith, president of the Cambodian Chinese Evolution Researcher Association, who is the presenter of the Zongzi-making tradition, said the purpose was to preserve Chinese culinary heritage and to share the rich cultural traditions of the Dragon Boat Festival with Cambodian university students.

"This program fosters mutual exchange and learning, helping participants to gain a deeper insight into the Zongzi-making tradition," he told Xinhua. "It will further deepen the bond of friendship and cooperation between the peoples of our two countries."

Tha Ream, a sophomore at the RUFA, said the event not only enabled participants to learn about Chinese tradition and cultural diversity, but also promoted people-to-people exchange between the two countries.

"It is a great opportunity for mutual learning, allowing us to understand Chinese culture while sharing our own," she told Xinhua.

Sim Chhaitith, another sophomore at the RUFA, said he was thrilled to discover unique aspects of Chinese culture that were previously unknown to him, particularly the tradition of making Zongzi.

"This program definitely helps Cambodian youth connect with Chinese culture, traditions, and customs," he told Xinhua.