STORY: Traditional delicacy on Bailu solar term: water caltrop
DATELINE: Sept. 8, 2023
LENGTH: 0:01:35
LOCATION: SHANGHAI, China
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of water caltrops
2. STANDUP 1 (English): LI HAORUI, Student, Shanghai International Studies University
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): WAN JUN, Farmer, Shanghai Jiaxin Agricultural Cooperatives
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LI HAORUI, Student, Shanghai International Studies University
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): WAN JUN, Farmer, Shanghai Jiaxin Agricultural Cooperatives
6. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): LI HAORUI, Student, Shanghai International Studies University
7. STANDUP 2 (English): LI HAORUI, Student, Shanghai International Studies University

STORYLINE:

STANDUP 1 (English): LI HAORUI, Student, Shanghai International Studies University
"White Dew is the 15th of the 24 solar terms on the Chinese lunar calendar. It marks the transition from hot to cool weather in autumn. It's also a season of harvest, and water caltrops are one of the crops. Let's get to see what do water caltrops look like. Hello, Wan Jun."

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): WAN JUN, Farmer, Shanghai Jiaxin Agricultural Cooperatives
"Hello, Haorui. Get on board."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LI HAORUI, Student, Shanghai International Studies University
"OK."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): WAN JUN, Farmer, Shanghai Jiaxin Agricultural Cooperatives
"Take care. Let's go. Water caltrops can be seen everywhere (in the pool). Our water caltrops can be eaten raw, because here is a secondary drinking water source protection area. But you still need to wash them thoroughly. Usually, farmers row wooden tubs to harvest the water caltrops. See, there is a water caltrop. It's very tender. You can take a bite. It tastes as sweet as fruit."

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): LI HAORUI, Student, Shanghai International Studies University
"It's quite tender."

STANDUP 2 (English): LI HAORUI, Student, Shanghai International Studies University
"When freshly picked, they are crisp and refreshing to eat. After cooking, they turn into a dark purple color and have a powdery and sticky texture. In traditional Chinese culture, water caltrop symbolizes good luck and auspiciousness. So eating water caltrops during the White Dew solar term signifies a hope for good luck and is bound for harvest."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Shanghai, China.
(XHTV)