Egyptian students in Tianjin learned to make traditional vegetarian dumplings for the 2026 Spring Festival, honoring local customs and cultural heritage.

Ahead of the 2026 Spring Festival, two Egyptian students in Tianjin learned to make traditional vegetarian dumplings, a custom tied to the city’s canal history and observed at midnight on New Year’s Eve. They prepared dumplings with red vermicelli, Chinese cabbage, sesame paste, fermented bean curd, and sesame oil, shaped them by hand, and followed rituals including placing pomegranate flowers on the dumplings before boiling—symbolizing the casting away of bad luck. The dumplings, served with laba vinegar and first offered in sacrifice, sometimes contain a one-fen coin for good fortune. The students documented the experience to share with family in Egypt, highlighting how hands-on participation deepens cultural understanding of the Spring Festival’s traditions, which reflect regional folklore and communal values.