On September 19, as the Mid-Autumn Festival drew near, Zhuhai Science and Technology Innovation Bureau (ZHSTIB) and Huafa MSCE jointly hosted a Mid-autumn celebration event titled "A Taste of the East, A Sip of Mid-Autumn: Mooncake Making & Tea Tasting". Over 20 international friends from the US, the UK, Italy, Russia, Canada, Australia, Ecuador, and Japan gathered at Huafa MSCE to make mooncakes, enjoy tea, experience the warmth of Mid-Autumn reunion and celebrate the festival together.

Expats and local residents gather at the community expat service center for a Mid-Autumn Festival cultural sharing session. [Photo/WeChat account: HUAFA MSCE]

At the start of the event, the teacher introduced the featured mooncake of the day — the flower-shaped pastry, including its fillings and making process. The mooncake featured a classic red bean paste filling with a slightly chunky texture and a richer mouthfeel, low in sugar. The pastry skin was naturally colored with plant and fruit powders, made using a traditional flaky pastry method, and hand-shaped into delicate flower petals - beautiful to look at and delicious to eat. From lamination to filling and hand-shaping, every step tested both skill and patience.

Following the teacher's demonstration, the international friends eagerly gave it a try. Rolling the dough into a ball, flattening it, laminating, wrapping the filling, sealing the edges, hand-shaping… What looked like simple steps turned out to be no easy task. Some added too much filling and couldn't seal the edges; others pressed too hard while shaping and their flower petals lost their form. Laughter filled the room throughout.

International friends enjoy the hands-on festive craft experience. [Photo/WeChat account: HUAFA MSCE]

While the mooncakes were baking in the oven, a sharing session on tea quietly unfolded. The teacher began with the long history of tea drinking in China, then introduced how to choose the right tea, the benefits of drinking tea over time, and autumn tea formulas. The international friends sat around, listening with great interest. The atmosphere was relaxed and warm. Alongside the sharing, the teacher also prepared two teas suited to autumn — dryness-relieving tea with pear and imperata root, and mood-lifting tea with rose and jasmine — for everyone to taste.

Participants sip tea and listen to cultural stories. [Photo/WeChat account: HUAFA MSCE]

Guided by the teacher, everyone picked up their teacups to observe the color, savor the aroma, and taste the flavor. As a sip of clear tea went down, paired with a freshly baked, warm and flaky mooncake, sweetness and freshness, richness and lightness blended on the palate — the most classic flavor pairing of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Family members cheerfully hold up their handmade mooncakes. [Photo/WeChat account: HUAFA MSCE]

Pompeo from Italy said: "Thanks a lot! It was a very nice initiative indeed! I enjoyed it very much! And I think from now on I will see mooncakes with very different eyes: they are delicious! While they were baking in the oven, the whole room was filled with such a lovely aroma. Thanks again for organizing such a pleasant event!"

Michelle from Australia shared, "This is my first time making mooncakes by hand. I never knew mooncakes could be pink and shaped like flower petals - how special! Celebrating Mid-Autumn with friends from different countries has been truly joyful and meaningful, and I felt the warmth and sense of reunion."

With the traditional festival as a bridge and hands-on craft and tea culture as a medium, this event allowed international friends to experience the warmth of Chinese culture, and brought different cultures together to meet, understand, and connect. As the organizer, ZHSTIB has always been committed to building a window for foreign residents in Zhuhai to learn about Chinese culture, helping more international friends discover Zhuhai, settle into Zhuhai, and fall in love with Zhuhai.

In the future, ZHSTIB will continue to work hand in hand with Huafa MSCE to offer more diverse and enriching cultural experience activities, helping more international friends see, feel, and share the city's openness and inclusiveness.