On 1 February, around 100 international visitors from nearly 30 countries—including Australia, Austria, Germany, France, United Kingdom and South Korea—visited Banpu Ancient Village and Cicheng Ancient County in Ningbo. The event was jointly organised by the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) and the People’s Government of Cicheng Town, offering participants the opportunity to experience the warmth and festive spirit of a traditional Chinese New Year in the Jiangnan region during winter.
The celebrations began with vibrant performances featuring gongs and drums, dragon dance, and yang ge (folk dance) in Banpu Ancient Village. International guests enjoyed traditional New Year delicacies such as spring rolls, tang yuan (sweet glutinous rice balls), and nian gao (rice cakes), and took part in hands-on activities including writing spring festival couplets, painting an eight-meter-long scroll themed around the Year of the Horse, and making dumplings. Creative fusion treats, such as coffee-flavored nian gao, alongside dialect challenges and red envelope guessing games, encouraged interaction and brought participants closer together.
In the afternoon, international visitors were paired with local families to visit villagers’ homes, exchange gifts, and put up spring festival couplets together, sharing heartfelt New Year wishes.
Later in the day, the group travelled on to Cicheng Ancient County, where they explored intangible cultural heritage crafts such as traditional incense plaque making, mother-of-pearl inlay (luodian), and lacquered fan making, experiencing first-hand the charm of Chinese artisanal traditions. Some students and faculty members also wore their national costumes as a gesture of respect for the festival.
UNNC is currently home to students and staff from more than 70 countries and regions. The university consistently uses culture as a bridge, regularly organising a wide range of Sino-foreign cultural exchange activities. These initiatives allow people from different nationalities and backgrounds to appreciate the richness of multiculturalism through immersive experiences, while deepening mutual understanding through dialogue—making grassroots cultural exchanges a lasting bond of international friendship.
Published on 03 February 2026