Maya-Andean twist on Chinese zongzi at Beijing museum

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As China's Dragon Boat Festival approaches, Beijing's Capital Museum has reimagined zongzi, traditional sticky rice dumplings, to promote its latest exhibition, "Maize, Gold, Jaguar: A Grand Exhibition of Ancient Maya and Andean Civilizations."

Special zongzi gift boxes, cultural innovations from Beijing's Capital Museum to promote a current exhibition, are displayed at the 2026 Beijing Inbound Tourism Development Conference and Beijing International Cultural Tourism Consumption Expo on Friday, June 5, 2026./CGTN

Instead of glutinous rice, these special zongzi are filled with maize and quinoa — both staple crops native to South America. The innovative snack was unveiled at the 2026 Beijing Inbound Tourism Development Conference and Beijing International Cultural Tourism Consumption Expo, where it quickly drew crowds.

"This not only promotes traditional Chinese culture but also echoes our exhibition's theme, reflecting East-West cultural exchange and mutual learning," said a museum staff member surnamed Liu. "Traditional zongzi use sticky rice or millet, but this time we used maize and quinoa – ingredients imported from South America.”

The "Maize, Gold, Jaguar: A Grand Exhibition of Ancient Maya and Andean Civilizations" is now underway at the Capital Museum in Beijing. Qi Yong/CGTN

The expo, running through June 7, features over 600 exhibitors, including booths from Beijing's districts, some of China's provinces, and international participants such as Uganda.

Visitors chat at Uganda's booth at the 2026 Beijing Inbound Tourism Development Conference and Beijing International Cultural Tourism Consumption Expo on Friday, June 5, 2026./CGTN

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