International students pose with their handmade snow-skin mooncakes. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

International students at Ningbo University got a hands-on introduction to one of China's best-known festival traditions on Sept 16, making mooncakes together ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The activity brought together international freshmen from different countries to make snow-skin mooncakes, from preparing the dough and adding fillings to pressing the finished cakes into molds.

For Nh Abasha Jesca Peter, an economics and trade student from Tanzania, it was her first time making a Chinese mooncake. She was particularly fond of the custard filling and plans to share the experience with her family back home.

She said she already had an interest in Chinese pastries, although many were still new to her. The mooncake-making session gave her a chance to learn more about the food traditions associated with the festival through something she could make and taste herself.

The event was part of a series of cultural activities organized for international students at the university. A recent welcome event at the university's business school also introduced new students to traditional Chinese arts and culture.