Yunnan Normal University

The final round of the 9th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students was successfully held in Yunnan from October 14th to the 30th. The theme of the Competition this year is “Learn Chinese, Double Your World”. There is a total of 451 students and teachers from 109 overseas preliminary competition areas in 89 countries, marking the highest record in the numbers of countries and participants involved in the history of “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students ever since.

The competition is divided into five rounds, which are “All-round Knowledge of Western and Eastern Culture—a written test of Chinese language and culture”, “Eloquence and Speech Skills—a test of oral proficiency”, “Singing and Dancing—a competition of Chinese cultural talent”, “Joint Efforts-the continental elimination match” and “Let the Dream Fly—the final round”. The 10 teams advancing to the finals competed for the championship of the 9th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students at the final round, which is also the closing ceremony. The competition focused on testing the Chinese language proficiency, knowledge about China-related cultural facts, oral performance, cultural talent and learning capability of the contestants. Based on a comprehensive grading system, there were several individual and group awards. During the competition period, the foreign contestants also visited local schools, families and communities to have in-depth communications and interactions with Chinese students and experience the family life of the Chinese students.

This year’s “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students is co-hosted by the Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) and the Yunnan Provincial Government; and jointly organized by the Department of Education of Yunnan Province, Yunnan Normal University, Yunnan Radio and Television Station, Yunnan University and Honghe University. This event aims at motivating young students from different countries to learn Chinese and further deepening the global understanding of Chinese language and culture. The “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students has already become an important platform for secondary school students worldwide to learn Chinese and know about China, serving as a bridge of communication between the young people in China and other countries.