On March 27, the Academy Corridor in SUSTech was crowded with people and performers of Canton dancing lion, who enjoyed themselves very much. On that day, SUSTech opened the 3rd Regional Cultural Festival themed on “Enchanting Hometown”. Students coming from all parts of China, in the booths that represent their respective hometowns, tried all means to present the unique charm of their hometowns, e.g., by making local food and designing creative games. The event was attended by students from 21 provinces and municipalities. At the same time, booths of Student Union and foreign teachers were also set up, with the total number of booths and participants making new record high.
The bulletin revealed the diverse cultures of Guangdong province, including Canton opera, Lei opera, drum change, stone dog and various breakfast cookies. The student audience in the event, after seeing the bulletin, said they felt hungry. In addition to the curry fish egg, some students were also teaching dialect of Chaozhou-Shantou region, making the process really interesting.
Beijing also had large bulletins. The traditional handicraft clay rabbit, and the sugar-coated haws on stick presented the wonderful Beijing elements. The complicated process of making sugar-coated haws on a stick, including bamboo stick sharpening, stringing the haws, frying sugar, coating and cooling looked quite easy in their hands. And the sugar-coated haws on stick made by them were taken by audiences quickly.
Bulletins in Sichuan and Chongqing booth presented the spicy-food features in the region. The hotpot, pork ear salad, Sichuan preserved meat and other dishes were really exceptional in both taste, color and flavor. The chilly & preserved egg, pork fried with chilly and dry tofu fried with chilly… Hunan booth also presented the spicy food with strong flavor of chilly. The Q&A session on poems including places of Hunan revealed Hunan culture to audiences.
It was the first time for Jiangsu Province to attend the regional cultural festival. They presented the most famous Nanjing Salted Duck. There are records about “Nanjing raising ducks” in the Spring & Autumn Period and Warring Period. Duck food production was originated from the Six Dynasties. And Nanjing Salted Duck is known as “the food from Six Dynasties in Baimen”. Besides, the fresh and delicious Plain Noodles in Superior Soup, and the lovely Cotton Candy Maker were most favored. Some audiences would come to the booth and try the food there.
Hebei province focused on breakfast and exhibited Jizhou-featured breakfast such as fried bread stick, tofu jelly and millet porridge. In the morning, they started to prepare the food. In their hands, starch and eggs finally became the golden and crispy good-quality fried bread stick. To the surprise of people, the spicy soup on the tofu jelly was also cooked by them. The delicious and crispy edible fungus, the dried lily, chopped green onion and gentle & smooth tofu were really amazing. The students really felt happy and pleasant after making the delicious food.
Hubei booth brought the lovely sticky rice & fried bread stick, the Chinese doughnuts with falling center, and the hot dry noodles enjoying nationwide fame, which won great praise from the students; Shanghai booth not only presented delicious food, but also arranged the lane game and dialect guess. Yunnan booth used the hand-dyed cloth to replace bulletin. On the cloth, 2 small hairy pandas were really lively. The booth not only had delicious food, but also showed hand drums. On the bulletin of Fujian booth, it made fun of itself and prepared wonderful food. The skilled kitchen knife technique and standard doughnut production in Shanxi booth were really impressive. In Guizhou booth, students wore the ethnic clothing to represent their hometowns. Barbecue grills were moved to the Liaoning booth, toasting the squids and cold noodles for people. In Shaanxi booth, audiences were asked to write the Chinese character “biang”. And in the booth of Student Union, many students were attracted to the activities of “drawing facial mask” and “making sugar sculpture”.
The delicious food was really amazing. The booth setup and interactions with local characteristics were enlightening. And the international booths helped you experience exotic styles. The Easter Day booth and baking booth presented by foreign teachers also attracted many students and teachers.
The Regional Cultural Festival happened to coincide with Easter Day in Christianity, which represents rebirth and hope, thus winning great popularity. The foreign teachers not only brought us the surprising Easter eggs, but also told stories about the Easter Day in the booth. Naomi, who is expert in baking, brought cookies she made and shared them in the booth.
SUSTech President tasted food
SUSTech President Chen Shiyi showed up “suddenly” in the event, surprising many students. “Mr. President, this is the rice wine from Guizhou…” The students invited the President to taste their food. “Very good, so delicious!”. The President praised the food made by the students.
“Delicious, really delicious. I should have kept some”, said a student in Fujian booth. “After attending it, I feel it is really a meaningful event. And I feel most impressed when discussing with my town fellows & classmates about hometown food, which produced great echo among us”, said Xu Ying enrolled in SUSTech Zhi Cheng Academy in 2015 to the journalist.
Though the annual festival has come to the end, the hometown taste will stay on the tongue tip forever because emotions for hometown never fade.
