Even though it was cloudy and chilly outside, William Morgan still enjoyed popping corns the traditional way.

After pouring kernels into a black oval container, sealing it, putting it on the fire and spinning it for about 20 minutes, the popcorn is ready to eat.

"The most appealing activity of the day was making Chinese popcorn in the traditional way, which is just like magic," he said.

In Dayan township of Ningbo, Zhejiang province, students and professors from the University of Nottingham Ningbo China are joining hands with local residents to prepare for the upcoming Chinese New Year, which falls on Feb 11.