Last week Thursday, Yew Chung International School of Beijing celebrated one of China’s most loved holidays, the Mid-Autumn Festival, with a series of activities aimed at introducing our students to popular Chinese traditions and customs. These activities are further reinforcement of our School focus on biculturalism, a prominent part of our philosophy. These celebrations help students not only to learn the Chinese language but also to immerse themselves and experience certain aspects of the culture.

Holiday celebrations are not complete without a signature dish or delicacy. We all associate the Mid-Autumn Festival with mooncakes, and Years 1 and 2 students had a great time getting their hands dirty after learning how to make mooncakes using differently coloured molding dough and different mold designs. Our young learners enthusiastically followed directions from their Chinese teachers who had introduced them the holiday first, in a form of songs and poems.

Meanwhile, in true Chinese style, Year 3 students were clad in their best "qipao" (traditional women’s Chinese dress) and “tangzhuan” (traditional men’s wear). They recited a poem about the holiday before proceeding to a craft session making “Jade Hare and Laurel” a task that was not easy as it required creativity, patience and putting the students’ collaborative skills into practice working primarily in groups. Students were excited to showcase their final products to their classmates and teachers.

Local artist, Mr. Zhang Shuangzhi (or “Lantern Zhang”) and his wife, Mrs. Fu, led a lantern making workshop for students in Year 5 & 6. They directed the students on how to make lotus lanterns using paper lotus petals and leaves. The experienced couple moved from one table to another, guiding students through the process, with glue and one piece of paper at a time. By the end of the workshop, students had handcrafted their own lotus lanterns and put them on full display for all to see. A great reward after learning the age old art from the experts themselves.

Our Parent Organisation (PO) also joined the celebrations by hosting their annual mooncake making class. The class, which has taken place since 2017, allows PO members to get connected with fellow YCIS Beijing parents while learning about this traditional delicacy which every year brings many Chinese families together.

Holidays are a great way for our students and wider community to learn about our host country’s national holidays, why they are important and how they are celebrated.

This is also a great opportunity for students to nurture their cross-cultural understanding and find out more about any similarities between the holidays celebrated in their own countries and the ones in China. One step forward towards becoming true global citizens.