To inherit fine traditional Chinese culture and bid farewell to the graduates of the Class of 2026 with distinctive Shanghai-style cuisine, the Youth Dream Workshop of the College of Marine Science and Engineering held the “Meet Shanghai · Shanghai-style Food Culture Experience & 2026 Graduation Season Activity” on the afternoon of June 4. Graduates were invited to the campus canteen to experience the traditional making of Shanghai pork zongzi.
When it comes to Shanghai-style food culture, Shanghai pork zongzi is undoubtedly a classic representative. As a signature delicacy featuring Jiangnan folk customs and local Shanghai characteristics, it served as the highlight of this graduation season event. To help graduates master authentic zongzi-making skills, professional canteen chefs were invited to give on-site guidance.
The chefs demonstrated every standard procedure in detail: smoothing bamboo leaves along their natural texture, folding tight leak-proof funnels, filling glutinous rice with appropriate compactness, and tying the zongzi firmly with cotton threads following the “three wraps and two knots” method. They also shared practical tips on leaf selection, meat-fat ratio matching and leakage prevention, fully explaining key and difficult points of zongzi making with substantial and professional guidance.
The activity proceeded in a warm and lively atmosphere. Graduates worked in groups to make zongzi by themselves. Many students tried it for the first time, carefully adjusting the shape of bamboo leaves and filling and compacting glutinous rice repeatedly. Experienced participants worked skillfully and quickly made neat and well-shaped fresh pork zongzi. Every zongzi was wrapped with sincere friendship among classmates and heartfelt blessings from the college, filling the scene with rich and warm fragrance.
“Meet Shanghai” is a characteristic series of activities of the College of Marine Science and Engineering. This creative activity perfectly integrates Shanghai-style food culture with graduation farewell. Through hands-on practice, students not only appreciated the unique charm of Shanghai delicacies and understood the cultural connotation of Dragon Boat Festival folk customs, but also retained exclusive youthful campus memories in a joyful and warm atmosphere.
Written by: Lei Mengyu, Gao Rui Photographed by: College of Marine Science and Engineering
Figure 1 Activity Scene
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Figure 4 Activity Scene