As the new school year arrives, schools in Wenling, a county-level city in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, are carrying out a plethora of colorful activities to welcome students. 

A water carnival unfolded at the Wenqiao No 2 Primary School on Sept 1 to celebrate the beginning of the new semester. In this multi-ethnic campus, various ethnic costumes shimmered against the clear water surface as activities like water volleyball, water soccer, and dragon boat races kept the children engaged.

Students splash around in the water. [Photo/WeChat account: wenlingfabu]

The water-splashing event proved the most popular, with the students enthusiastically playing in the water, joy and glee written on their faces. 

On the same day at Chengbei Primary School, students participated in a traditional lantern dance featuring a kirin, white elephant, unicorn, tiger, and lion. The dance is an intangible cultural heritage item of Taizhou with a history of over a hundred years.

Students hold lanterns featuring a kirin, white elephant, unicorn, tiger, and lion. [Photo/WeChat account: wenlingfabu]

Furthermore, the opening ceremony at the Shentongmen campus of Jiulong Primary School on Aug 27 focused on AI and life, offering various activities including a novel mechanical arm calligraphy demonstration in which a computer-programmed robotic arm autonomously created calligraphy pieces.