Qingtuan, or green rice balls, are widely consumed in China's Jiangnan area - the region south of the Yangtze River - around Qingming Festival.

The seasonal delicacy is usually made from glutinous rice mixed with pounded mugwort - an edible wild herb thought to prevent toxic insect bites.

Sofitel Shanghai Sheshan Oriental Hotel offers creative green rice balls with various flavors for customers such as sticky rice cake with salted egg yolk and meat floss, sticky rice cake with durian, sticky rice cake with red bean paste and sticky rice cake with seasonal vegetable.

Customers can buy these creative green rice balls at Sofitel Shanghai Sheshan Oriental Hotel from March 25 to April 7. The chef also shows the process of making Qingtuan on site.

Qingtuan in different flavors on display at the Sofitel Shanghai Sheshan Oriental Hotel. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Chef of Sofitel Hotel is making green rice balls. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]