On September 21, the global finals of the 19th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students and the 6th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Show for Foreign Primary School Students concluded in Tianjin. Ren Youqun, Vice Minister of Education, attended the award ceremony and delivered a speech. More than 400 primary and secondary school students, parents, and teachers from 105 countries gathered to participate in the event.
Centered on the themes "Fly high with Chinese" (for secondary students) and " Chinese, Joy & Fun!" (for primary students), the competition featured five rounds: "Chinese as a Bridge: Soaring Across the World," "Global Talks: Harmony and Coexistence," "Talents Showcasing: A Colorful Display," "Witty Words: Expressing Views," and "Ultimate Showdown: A World Renewed." The events incorporated elements such as aerospace science, brain-computer interface, Traditional Chinese Medicine, intangible cultural heritage (Yangliuqing New Year paintings), cross-talk, and traditional Chinese opera. Through immersive challenges—including knowledge quizzes, Chinese storytelling, talent performances, and thematic debates—the contestants demonstrated solid Chinese language proficiency, divergent critical thinking skills, and outstanding cross-cultural competence, vividly showcasing the fruitful results of international Chinese education in promoting mutual learning among civilizations.
After intense competition, Nikol Yalamova, a 10th-grade student from the Private Chinese School "Evlogyi and Hristo Georgievi" in Sofia, a partner of the Confucius Institute at Veliko Tarnovo University, won the First Prize in the secondary school category. Maria Ilieva, a student from the Confucius Institute's main campus Chinese class, received the "Outstanding Demeanor Award" in the primary school category. Both contestants had previously won the Bulgarian regional finals of the "Chinese Bridge" competition in May and June of this year, qualifying to represent Bulgaria in the global finals. Nikol’s mentor, Neli Nankova, Vice Principal of the "EG" Chinese School, and Maria’s mentor, Yu Tianqian, an international Chinese language education volunteer from the Confucius Institute at Veliko Tarnovo University, were each awarded the title of "Outstanding Mentor" by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) of the Ministry of Education.
As the world's largest and most influential Chinese language competition, the "Chinese Bridge"—hosted by CLEC—is hailed as the "Olympics" for Chinese language learners. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the "Chinese Bridge" and the 80th anniversary of Chinese being designated as an official UN language. Since the overseas preliminary rounds began in February, the competition has attracted over 50,000 primary and secondary school students from more than 100 countries. And for the global finals, 203 contestants from 105 countries traveled to China. Since its inception, the "Chinese Bridge" has drawn millions of young people from over 160 countries and regions, serving as a vital platform for fostering mutual understanding among youth worldwide.
Held under the guidance of the Ministry of Education and the Municipal Government of Tianjin, this competition was hosted by CLEC and co-organized by institutions including Tianjin Normal University and CCTV (Beijing) Entertainment Media Co., Ltd.