German students paint fans at Tianjiabing High School in Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

A delegation from Freie Waldorfschule Halle e.V. in Germany visited Nantong, Jiangsu province, for a three-day cultural exchange.

During their stay, the group explored the city's vibrant landscape, delved into its rich intangible cultural heritage, and visited Nantong Tianjiabing High School and Dongzhou High School.

On March 26, the German visitors participated in a fan painting session at Tianjiabing High School, where they used ink to create intricate patterns on fans, depicting flowers and landscapes.

German students try to make qingtuan at Siyi Glutinous Rice Ball store in Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

In a subsequent cultural experience, they visited the Siyi Glutinous Rice Ball store to make qingtuan (green glutinous rice balls) by hand. Learning that qingtuan is a significant part of Chinese folk culture sparked even greater interest among the students.

Freie Waldorfschule Halle e.V., a private school in Germany, was represented by Principal Rausch Anna, who accepted an invitation to visit Nantong in 2025. Following her visit to Tianjiabing High School, Anna signed a cooperation agreement to foster educational collaboration between the two institutions.

"This is my first visit to Nantong and Tianjiabing High School, and it has provided me with a fresh perspective on China and its education system," Anna said in an interview last year.

"The German students and teachers with me are fascinated by everything here and appreciate the high-quality education in Nantong. I plan to recommend that other German school principals visit Nantong to further educational cooperation and mutual development."