Can international friends take on a diabolo performance – a traditional Chinese cultural heritage show? The answer is a resounding yes – with a little help from Chinese professionals.

On June 18, one day ahead of China's Dragon Boat Festival holiday, Beijing's Chaoyang District hosted a celebration, inviting expat residents to wrap zongzi (a kind of traditional sticky rice dumpling), perform diabolo tricks, and even try their hand at dragon boat racing.

The event opened with a dynamic diabolo performance by an intangible cultural heritage team from the district's Gaobeidian area. Their high-flying throws and spins drew rounds of applause from the audience – and more than a few expats eagerly stepped on stage to give it a go.

A bilingual folk culture session gave international guests a deeper look into the holiday's origins and historical stories, complete with lively quiz interactions. "Foreigners celebrating Chinese festivals", an initiative by Chaoyang District, aims to build a warm bridge of steady cultural exchanges.