The Tourism College of Zhejiang in Xiaoshan district welcomed a group of Serbian students on May 27, marking the beginning of the school's first one-month Chinese culinary training and cultural experience program.

Led by Milos Zrnic, senior lecturer from the Belgrade Academy of Applied Studies, 24 Serbian students are participating in this program.

During the opening ceremony, a traditional Chinese apprenticeship ritual was held, pairing six experienced Chinese culinary instructors with the Serbian students, who received chef hats as a symbol of their new mentorship.

Cheng Li'an, dean of the school's China-Serbia Tourism College and one of the mentors, highlighted that the students had previously studied Chinese cuisine and are now in China to deepen their understanding of Chinese culture. Over the next month, they will learn various skills such as the preparation of cold dishes, cooking techniques, pastry making, sugar art, and food carving. They will also engage in cultural courses such as Chinese culinary culture, cooking Mandarin, tea art, celadon making, and Chinese calligraphy.

One of the students, Marija, expressed her excitement: "The versatility of Chinese cuisine is amazing. I didn't expect pastries to be both sweet and savory, and they taste great. My family loved it when I showed them my skills at a gathering."

Another student, Stefan, hopes to learn more Chinese cooking methods, make friends with Chinese students, and experience the unique charm of Chinese culture and modern development during his stay.