On the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival, the Wuhan University (WHU) General Affairs and Logistics Department's Youth League Committee collaborated with the university's affiliated kindergarten, elementary school, and student clubs to organize a labor practice activity titled "Tilling the Land to Pass on Traditions, Savoring Zongzi at Luojia Hills to Celebrate the Festival".

WHU General Affairs and Logistics Department's Youth League Committee organizes Gragon Boat Festival themed activity.

Over 300 Chinese and international teachers and students participated, forming an integrated labor education community across different educational stages. This initiative allowed participants to more deeply appreciate the essence of Chinese culture, organically blending labor practices with cultural heritage and infusing traditional culture with new vitality in the modern era.

WHU international students learn how to wrap zongzi.

WHU international students learn how to wrap zongzi.

Culture as the soul: Creating an immersive traditional culture classroom

"The zongzi leaves wrap not only glutinous rice but also the spiritual essence of the Chinese nation's reverence for nature and remembrance of sages." At the exhibition in Meiyuan Dining Hall, handmade zongzi, salted duck eggs, mung bean paste, and other seasonal foods were displayed, vividly showcasing the richness of Dragon Boat Festival cuisine. International students from the School of International Education joined Chinese students in experiencing folk activities such as wrapping zongzi, making sachets, and braiding five-colored ropes. Members of the Luoyuan Sinology Society explained the Silk Road cultural exchanges behind the tradition of "tying five-colored silk threads around the arm", as recorded in Jingchu Suishiji (a description of holidays in central China during the 6th and 7th centuries).

"Zongzi leaves carry a thousand years of cultural heritage. We hope that through labor practices, traditional culture can truly take root in hearts and minds," said one organizer. The event featured a "Tracing Cultural Origins" experience: performances of excerpts from Hongyang Cave and The Legend of the White Snake by the university's Peking Opera and Kunqu Club transported the audience across time to experience the charm of traditional opera. Meanwhile, the hands-on activity of wrapping zongzi allowed participants to personally appreciate the intricacies of traditional craftsmanship. This "audio-visual + hands-on" multidimensional teaching model elevated traditional cultural education from theoretical understanding to emotional resonance.

Elementary students wrap zongzi by themselves.

Labor as the bridge: Building an educational community across all stages

At the event, dining hall staff members demonstrated zongzi-wrapping techniques, kindergarten children stood on their tiptoes to observe the folding of zongzi leaves, elementary students filled the leaves with glutinous rice under the guidance of craftsmen, and university students explained the botanical characteristics of zongzi leaves to the younger participants. This "older hands guiding younger hands" collaborative model exemplifies WHU's efforts to build a labor education community.

"While wrapping zongzi, my child asked why the rice needed to be packed tightly, and I took the opportunity to tell the story of Qu Yuan. This playful teaching method is more vivid than classroom lessons!" remarked a university staff member. A student from the affiliated elementary school excitedly showed off a self-made five-colored rope: "The teacher said this was an ancient 'talisman' – I'm going to give it to my mom!"

Education as the foundation: Unleashing the power of youth in cultural heritage

In recent years, WHU's General Logistics Department has innovatively integrated labor education into the comprehensive development system of moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education. It has established a service-oriented labor education system, creating a distinctive "Luojia Model" for university logistics education. By exploring the contemporary value of traditional festivals and embedding cultural heritage into labor education, this event not only nurtured patriotism in younger generations but also provided a "university solution" for promoting the international dissemination of Chinese culture.

WHU international students learn how to wrap zongzi.

WHU blends labor education with Dragon Boat Festival traditions

Ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival, WHU brought together over 300 Chinese and international students and faculty for a hands-on cultural event celebrating traditional customs through labor education.

Co-hosted by the university's logistics department, kindergarten, affiliated primary school, and student societies, the event – "Passing on Traditions Through Labor: Celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival at Luojia" – encouraged participants of all ages to engage in activities such as making zongzi, crafting herbal sachets, and braiding five-colored threads. It offered a unique way to experience the spirit of the festival and the values it represents.

Highlights included live opera performances by the Peking and Kunqu Opera Club, traditional food displays, and interactive workshops where students explored the meaning behind Dragon Boat customs. Through these activities, culture came alive not just as knowledge but as personal experience.

Younger children observed chefs and learned from university students, while teachers and parents used the opportunity to share stories like that of Qu Yuan, turning hands-on practice into meaningful storytelling.

This cross-generational approach reflects WHU's innovative "Luojia Model" of labor education – integrating traditional culture into practical learning. By connecting heritage with action, the event deepened cultural understanding and nurtured a sense of pride and belonging among the next generation.