Hongshan town locals pick fresh wheat leaves and grind them to extract their juice for making green tuanzi. [Photo by Liu Xia/chinadaily.com.cn]

Twenty families from Wuxi gathered at Lianghong Wetland Park in Hongshan town on March 16 to compete in a tuanzi-making event. Tuanzi is a unique local delicacy made to commemorate Wu Taibo, the founder of Wu culture.

The competition offered a number of awards and all park visitors were invited to select their favorite team according to the flavor and appearance of the tuanzi the participants made, as well as the teamwork they exhibited throughout the event.

Hongshan town locals grind wheat leaves for their special green juice, a key ingredient of green tuanzi. [Photo by Liu Xia/chinadaily.com.cn]

In addition to the 20 families, 50 child reporters recruited in the early stages of the event and their families also participated in tuanzi-making activities such as extracting juice from fresh wheat leaves, kneading dough, and putting stuffing inside.

Hongshan town, the center of Wu culture, boasts a variety of folk activities, of which tuanzi-making is one of the most iconic ones. The gooey and tender rice dumpling balls, white and green in color, are made in preparation for Qingming Festival, which falls on April 5 this year. The process of making Hongshan green and white tuanzi was listed as a Wuxi intangible cultural heritage item in August 2010.

Families compete against each other during a tuanzi-making activity held in Lianghong Wetland Park in Hongshan town, Wuxi on March 16. [Photo by Liu Xia/chinadaily.com.cn]

Hongshan town displays some local specialties during the event. [Photo by Liu Xia/chinadaily.com.cn]