The 2018 Mid-Autumn fellowship event with the theme, “Gathering at Mid-Autumn Festival: Affection for Tianjin University” was held successfully at Tianjin University among retired faculty of Tianjin University and overseas students from the School of International Education.  

More than 40 representatives from relevant departments and offices, teachers and students from the Retired Faculty Association, the School of International Education and the Old Service Volunteer Association participated in the event. 

During the event, the host introduced the history, culture and customs of Mid-Autumn Festival, and showed a beautiful picture of a splendid night. The nine Koi in the drawing were playing in the water, symbolizing long-lasting good luck and happiness. Then came the main event: making handmade beaded "goldfish". As a member of the craft group of the Retired Faculty Association of Tianjin University, Liu Jing showed various beaded works made by retired teachers. Of those handicrafts, different designs enjoy distinctive meanings. The work, "two dragons playing with a pearl" symbolizes peace and longevity, while "mischievous monkeys" symbolizes wealth and auspiciousness. She also explained the basic essentials and formulas for making handmade beads and distributed raw materials for the production of “goldfish” to all the teachers and students. They were divided into 7 groups, each of which was under the guidance of a teacher from the craft group of the Retired Faculty Association. The teachers explained every step patiently and meticulously, and sometimes taught them by hand. While students learned the main points of making beaded handicrafts and a series of exquisitely crafted "goldfish beads" were on display in less than an hour. They looked at their own work with the joy of success. At the end of the event, the teachers of the craft group presented beads to the students who took part in the activity both from home and abroad and wished them both academic success and a smooth future at Tianjin University. 

The event was jointly organized by the Retirement Office and the School of International Education.