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2026.03.16 15:21 GMT+8

Shaping Spring: Creative Qingming Guo delight eyes and plates

Updated 2026.03.16 15:21 GMT+8
CGTN

A batch of freshly made Qingming Guo at Wang Lijuan's workshop in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, China. /VCG

A batch of freshly made Qingming Guo at Wang Lijuan's workshop in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, China. /VCG

A batch of freshly made Qingming Guo at Wang Lijuan's workshop in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, China. /VCG

As the Qingming Festival approaches, a beloved seasonal snack is returning to the table – this time shaped by creative hands into delicate, eye-catching works that are almost too beautiful to eat.

In a small food workshop in Jinhua, in east China’s Zhejiang Province, Wang Lijuan is a recognized inheritor of the traditional craft of making Qingming Guo, a seasonal snack made from glutinous rice mixed with mugwort or wormwood paste.

A close-up detail of a Qingming Guo made at Wang Lijuan's workshop in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, China. /VCG

A close-up detail of a Qingming Guo made at Wang Lijuan's workshop in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, China. /VCG

At the workshop, Wang and her partners shape batches of the green dumplings to keep up with the steady stream of orders. Each one carries a hint of spring – and the warmth of a centuries-old craft.

Instead of sticking to the simple shapes traditionally associated with the snack, Wang has brought new ideas to the craft by blending old techniques with creativity. She colors and flavors the dough using natural ingredients such as mugwort, purple sweet potato and dragon fruit, avoiding artificial additives so that every shade comes straight from nature.

A dumpling maker shapes delicate floral designs on Qingming Guo at Wang Lijuan’s workshop in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, China. /VCG

A dumpling maker shapes delicate floral designs on Qingming Guo at Wang Lijuan’s workshop in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, China. /VCG

The dumplings are then carefully shaped by hand into delicate forms inspired by spring – peach blossoms, winter jasmine and swallows – turning the humble treat into something that looks like edible art.

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