The Suzhou Industrial Park One-stop Service Centre for Expats organized an event at SKEMA Business School (Suzhou) in SIP on Jan 20, when 20 international students from different countries gained a good knowledge of sugar painting, a form of traditional Chinese folk art using hot, liquid sugar to create two dimensional objects on a marble or metal surface and an item on the national intangible cultural heritage list.

During the event, Li Yao, a fourth-generation inheritor of sugar painting techniques, gave the international students an introduction to the origin, development, spread and cultural connotations of sugar painting, and taught them to create patterns with this traditional handicraft.

Following Li’s instructions, the students drew houses, lanterns and other patterns to mark the upcoming Chinese New Year, which is known as the Year of the Horse this year according to the Chinese Zodiac.

Li also created the sugar painting of the center’s mascot “Yuan Xiao Fu” for the event.

January 21, 2026