The Beijing-based International Office of Polish Tourism Organisation (Polska Organizacja Turystyczna – POT) brought authentic Polish Christmas ambience right into the very centre of Beijing. Held in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Beijing and the Polish Institute, the Christmas-themed workshop focused on baking and decorating gingerbread cookies.
Enjoying a true winter atmosphere – even the weather cooperated as Beijing was blanked with snow on the day of the workshop – participants learnt more about the tradition of baking Toruń gingerbread, discovered the legend behind the renowned katarzynki type of gingerbread, as well as cooked their own cookies, all under the watchful eye of an expert confectioner. The first part of the workshop was aimed at the youngest attendants, offering the children a chance to cook and taste the quintessential Polish gingerbread. The second part of the meeting involved students of Polish studies programmes at Beijing universities, who combined business with pleasure and were learning difficult Polish prefixes while cooking. In the evening, food and travel bloggers took part in the workshop that – in addition to Polish sweets – also spotlighted traditional Polish Christmas meals.
The workshop attracted a lot of interest among its participants and acted as a first-rate opportunity to introduce the Chinese audience to Polish culture and tradition.
Today, when foreign trips are subject to diverse restrictions, events of the discussed kind constitute a substitute of actual contact with the culture of faraway destinations. In consequence, they make it possible to not only learn more about Poland, but also to experience the Christmas ambience of our country. The event’s warm reception confirms that Chinese tourists continue to be interested in exposure to cultures from all over the world, including Poland.
