A boy displays tangyuan he made in the shape of Bing Dwen Dwen on Feb 12 in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In celebration of the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on 15 this year, a group of expats participated in folk activities on Nantang Old Street in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on Feb 12.

The delegation from the University of Nottingham Ningbo China visited Nantang Old Street, a popular scenic spot in Ningbo, learned to make tangyuan and Chinese traditional handicrafts, solved lantern riddles and enjoyed a series of performances. 

Jan Tadeusz Jozwik, a professor from the university, joined the activities with his wife Amalia Rodero Lopez. They have been watching the ongoing Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and were interested in tangyuan in the shape of Bing Dwen Dwen, the mascot of the Winter Olympics.

"It's a great pleasure for me to experience a Chinese traditional festival," said Lopez, "I like Bing Dwen Dwen. Making tangyuan in the shape of the adorable panda is very interesting."

Sannia Mareta from Indonesia is a teacher at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. She sewed a cloth tiger packet on her own. Mareta also performed Beijing opera with a local actor, which drew rounds of applause from her colleagues.