NCCU Huayu BEST Program Strengthens Cultural Connections—International Students Celebrate World Bubble Tea Day
Date :
2026-04-29
Department :
Chinese Language Center
【Article by Chinese Language Center】
In preparation for International Bubble Tea Day on April 30, the Huayu BEST Program Office at National Chengchi University (NCCU) organized a cultural event on April 18 at the Kili Bay Bubble Tea Culture Museum. The event featured a workshop on tapioca boba pearl making and brought together international students studying Mandarin in Taiwan, students from Shenkeng Elementary School, and their parents. The visit provided participants with a shared experience designed to give them a closer look at one of Taiwan's most iconic cultural symbols.
For the past five years, NCCU has consistently been recognized as a participating institution under the Ministry of Education’s Huayu BEST Program, actively developing partnerships with leading universities around the world. In recent years, the university’s Huayu BEST Program Office has significantly expanded its collaboration with European institutions. This year, NCCU welcomed five students from Masaryk University (Czech Republic) and four from Trier University (Germany), who came to study Mandarin at the Chinese Language Center (CLC) and participated in the “Big Hands Holding Little Hands” program. In addition, 28 students and parents from Shenkeng Elementary School, 12 CLC students, and 11 students from credit programs under NCCU’s Office of International Cooperation were invited to participate. For many of the foreign students, the workshop marked one of their first opportunities for direct interaction with Taiwanese elementary school students.
This installment of the “Big Hands Holding Little Hands” series was held at the Kili Bay Bubble Tea Culture Museum, the world’s first cultural center dedicated entirely to bubble tea. The museum’s exhibits integrate demonstrations of production processes, the history of the industry, and elements of cultural education, illustrating the transformation of bubble tea from a local specialty into an internationally recognized symbol of Taiwan.
The highlight of the day was a special workshop, where participants learned to craft the signature boba pearls—the key ingredient in bubble tea. Working in groups of five or six, students collaborated on the task using Chinese and English as their shared languages. Despite differences in language proficiency, the participants quickly settled into the workflow and got fully engaged in the task, exchanging tips and helping one another produce as many pearls as possible. Taiwanese student mentors played an active role in facilitating communication and supporting the process through translation and coordination.
The event clearly demonstrated that bubble tea today is more than just a beverage—it serves as a cultural ambassador for Taiwan on the global stage. It also created a dynamic and inclusive environment in which students from diverse academic backgrounds were able to engage directly with local elementary school students and their families. Participants used Chinese to guide the activity and English to support communication with the younger students, adapting flexibly to each situation. Initiatives like this not only align with Taiwan’s Bilingual Nation policy but also deepen international students’ cultural integration and create meaningful points of connection between Taiwan and communities around the world.
To view more photos from our events, please visit our Instagram: https://goo.su/snHEzH
In preparation for International Bubble Tea Day on April 30, the Huayu BEST Program Office at National Chengchi University (NCCU) organized a cultural event on April 18 at the Kili Bay Bubble Tea Culture Museum. The event featured a workshop on tapioca boba pearl making and brought together international students studying Mandarin in Taiwan, students from Shenkeng Elementary School, and their parents. The visit provided participants with a shared experience designed to give them a closer look at one of Taiwan's most iconic cultural symbols.
For the past five years, NCCU has consistently been recognized as a participating institution under the Ministry of Education’s Huayu BEST Program, actively developing partnerships with leading universities around the world. In recent years, the university’s Huayu BEST Program Office has significantly expanded its collaboration with European institutions. This year, NCCU welcomed five students from Masaryk University (Czech Republic) and four from Trier University (Germany), who came to study Mandarin at the Chinese Language Center (CLC) and participated in the “Big Hands Holding Little Hands” program. In addition, 28 students and parents from Shenkeng Elementary School, 12 CLC students, and 11 students from credit programs under NCCU’s Office of International Cooperation were invited to participate. For many of the foreign students, the workshop marked one of their first opportunities for direct interaction with Taiwanese elementary school students.
This installment of the “Big Hands Holding Little Hands” series was held at the Kili Bay Bubble Tea Culture Museum, the world’s first cultural center dedicated entirely to bubble tea. The museum’s exhibits integrate demonstrations of production processes, the history of the industry, and elements of cultural education, illustrating the transformation of bubble tea from a local specialty into an internationally recognized symbol of Taiwan.
The highlight of the day was a special workshop, where participants learned to craft the signature boba pearls—the key ingredient in bubble tea. Working in groups of five or six, students collaborated on the task using Chinese and English as their shared languages. Despite differences in language proficiency, the participants quickly settled into the workflow and got fully engaged in the task, exchanging tips and helping one another produce as many pearls as possible. Taiwanese student mentors played an active role in facilitating communication and supporting the process through translation and coordination.
The event clearly demonstrated that bubble tea today is more than just a beverage—it serves as a cultural ambassador for Taiwan on the global stage. It also created a dynamic and inclusive environment in which students from diverse academic backgrounds were able to engage directly with local elementary school students and their families. Participants used Chinese to guide the activity and English to support communication with the younger students, adapting flexibly to each situation. Initiatives like this not only align with Taiwan’s Bilingual Nation policy but also deepen international students’ cultural integration and create meaningful points of connection between Taiwan and communities around the world.
To view more photos from our events, please visit our Instagram: https://goo.su/snHEzH