To celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival and foster connections among learners, Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning (TCML) – Taiwan Business Families in the South Netherlands (TSN) held its “Dragon Boat Festival Mandarin Songs Learning KTV” event on June 18 in Eindhoven. The gathering brought together students from different classes, along with their families and friends, for an evening filled with music, food, and cultural sharing, allowing everyone to experience the warm and joyful atmosphere of one of Taiwan’s traditional festivals.
Around 40 participants joined the event, including students and guests from France, Denmark, Serbia, and the Netherlands, reflecting the center’s diverse and international learning community. The cross-class gathering offered students the opportunity to meet peers from other classes, while also welcoming family members and partners to take part in the celebration.
Participants brought homemade dishes and snacks from their own countries, turning the event into a vibrant international food-sharing experience. To share Dragon Boat Festival traditions, the center also invited members of the local Taiwanese community to prepare northern-style rice dumplings, braised eggs, and tofu. The table was filled with a rich variety of dishes, creating a warm and lively KTV-style atmosphere where singing, eating, and conversation came together naturally.
Before the KTV session began, TCML–TSN teacher Serena Wang opened the event with a performance of the Taiwanese classic 燒肉粽 (“Shao Rou Zong”), setting a warm and festive tone for the evening. This was followed by a Kahoot quiz with prizes, giving students a fun and interactive way to learn more about the history and traditions of the Dragon Boat Festival.
During the KTV session, students performed a selection of well-known Mandarin songs, including 〈月亮代表我的心〉 (“The Moon Represents My Heart”), 〈我愛夏天〉 (“I Love Summer”), and 〈你是我的花朵〉 (“You Are My Flower”), showcasing both their progress in Mandarin learning and their enthusiasm for Taiwanese music. Students also shared songs in French, German, and English, creating a joyful multilingual atmosphere filled with laughter and applause.
Although the weather was warm, the energy of the group remained high throughout the evening. Beyond the planned playlist, many students naturally joined additional performances, while others invited their partners to dance, adding even more energy and joy to the celebration.
As the event came to a close, a student invited the entire class to thank the teachers for organizing the gathering. Family members and partners also shared their appreciation, saying the event was both enjoyable and meaningful, and offered a wonderful opportunity to better understand the center’s Mandarin learning environment.
TCML–TSN teacher Ho Yi-Ching reflected on the event, saying: “I saw a Dragon Boat Festival filled with warmth, where people from different countries came together to enjoy a beautiful celebration of flavors and music. This rice dumpling was not simply eaten; it quietly found its way into everyone’s hearts, becoming a memory worth cherishing.”
The teaching team expressed their hope that through cultural celebrations like this, students can not only continue learning Mandarin, but also deepen their understanding of Taiwanese culture and build lasting friendships through cultural exchange.
