On November 14, 2025, 30 students from the Business School, both Chinese and foreign, participated in the "Cultural Walk Classroom: Skillful Cake Making, Inheriting the Artisan Spirit" event. They visited the popular ancient village of Liangnong in Yuyao, where they learned the traditional Chinese pastry-making process step by step under the guidance of skilled masters. From sifting flour, carving patterns, adding fillings to covering with flour, each step was meticulously followed. They experienced the charm of this century-old intangible cultural heritage and savored the unique flavors of the traditional pastries.
In the Ali Daga Experience Center in Hengkantou Village, Yuyao City, old-fashioned wooden boxes, weights, stone grinding wheels and other old items are ingeniously integrated into every detail, and the strong Chinese style attracts the attention of foreign students.
Intangible cultural heritage inheritor Cai Yali received a group of teachers and students on a visit. Pointing at the photos on the wall, she said that each photo had a story behind it. "In 2018, we received an exclusive report from CCTV," Cai Yali said. As an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, only by passing on the craftsmanship can one achieve a "great cause".
Cai Yali introduced that although the technique of making Liangnong rice cakes seems simple, from the selection of raw materials to the use of sieves, every step requires careful consideration. Each household's rice cakes have a unique flavor, and only by putting in the effort can one earn the "old reputation" of the customers. After learning about the production process of the rice cakes, the "immersive" experience began. Under Cai Yali's guidance, Chinese and foreign students entered the workshop together to experience the charm of intangible cultural heritage.
"I know it has a good omen of 'climbing the ladder step by step'. People in Ningbo eat it during the Spring Festival. I just saw that the mold has the character 'Fu' on it. I'm really looking forward to its taste." Samah boustta, a freshman from Morocco who just reported to Ningbo University this year, is making da gao for the first time.
As soon as the steaming hot cakes came out of the oven, everyone couldn't wait to gather around to look for their own share. "This is mine. I made a special mark on it." "I put too much filling in mine, and the bottom cracked." At the scene, foreign students picked up their mobile phones one after another to take pictures as souvenirs, with happiness all over their faces.
Next, we will actively explore new paths for international communication and expand the "circle of friends" for exchanges between Chinese and foreign students. We will lead students to spread the voice of Ningbo University to the world through personal experiences and on-site visits, and feel the infinite charm of cultural export, said Wu Min, deputy secretary of the Party Committee of the Business School.
