From March 27 to 29, 2026, the International Student Office of Tongji University organized a three-day cultural immersion trip to Huangshan City, Anhui Province, with support from the People's Government of Huangshan City. Forty-four students from 24 countries, including Germany, Italy, Hungary, Nepal, Indonesia, Spain, and France, explored the historic Huizhou region through hands-on workshops, heritage site visits, and encounters with traditional craftsmanship.
A Taste of Huizhou: Cooking Stinky Mandarin Fish
On the afternoon of March 27, the group arrived at Huangshan University for their first activity: preparing Stinky Mandarin Fish, one of Huizhou cuisine’s most iconic dishes. Under the guidance of experienced chefs, the students worked through each step of the recipe, from preparing the ingredients and seasoning to the final cooking.
Hongcun Village: Heritage Architecture and a Lantern Parade
The trip continued at Hongcun Village in Yi County, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site often described as “a village in a Chinese painting.”
That evening, the group took part in a traditional Lantern Festival procession, a recognized form of intangible cultural heritage. Carrying colorful lanterns, the students followed a fish-lantern performance troupe through the village’s narrow bluestone alleyways, interacting with fellow visitors and locals along the route and learning about the symbolism of the fish lanterns
Bamboo Weaving in the Mukeng Forest
On the afternoon of March 28, the students visited the Mukeng Bamboo Forest, famous as a filming location for the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, to try their hand at traditional bamboo weaving Though the technique proved challenging, the students gradually got the hang of it with patient instruction. Holding their finished bamboo birds, many expressed a new appreciation for the skill and patience required by traditional Chinese bamboo craft.
Gilding Ink Sticks at a Century-Old Workshop
On the morning of March 29, the group visited the Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory, a Qing Dynasty-era brand renowned for its traditional ink sticks. Master craftsmen walked the students through the production process, which involves more than ten stages including hammering, air-drying, and polishing. The students then tried their hand at gilding: using fine brushes, they carefully applied gold and silver pigment to the carved patterns on ink sticks. The finished pieces depicting a carp leaping over a dragon gate, a traditional Chinese symbol of success, surprised the students with their level of detail. The visit highlighted the remarkable precision behind Huizhou ink-making, which is a recognized form of intangible cultural heritage.
Through cooking, gilding, lantern parades, and bamboo weaving, the "Experiencing China" program gave international students a chance to engage with Huizhou's cultural heritage in a direct and personal way. Beyond the educational value, the trip also fostered genuine exchange: students discovered Chinese traditions they had never encountered before, while local communities welcomed the opportunity to share their craft with visitors from around the world. In that sense, the program showed that traditional culture remains a living bridge between peoples.
During the trip, representatives from Tongji’s International Student Office also held discussions with officials from the Huangshan Municipal Bureau of Education, the Bureau of Culture and Tourism, and Huangshan Vocational and Technical College, exploring opportunities for international student volunteer teaching, innovative practice programs, and overseas media outreach.
The "Experiencing China · Huangshan Tour" has become a well-established event for Tongji University's international students and is now widely recognized in the Huangshan area. This year’s edition received coverage from People’s Daily Online, the Huangshan Municipal Government news service, Huangshan Daily, Anhui News Network, and other media outlets.
