The Dutch Finals of the 25th Chinese Bridge—Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students and the 19th Chinese Bridge—Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students were recently held at the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam. Twenty young Chinese language learners from across the Netherlands, comprising both secondary school and university students, participated in the event. They displayed their progress in Chinese learning and exchanged insights on cross-cultural communication, with language as the medium and culture as the bridge.

Organized by the Education Section of the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the competition was co-organized by the NUFFIC Network Chinese and the Confucius Institute jointly established by Dongbei University of Finance and Economics (DUFE) and Zuyd University of Applied Sciences (ZUYD). This marked the seventh consecutive year that the Confucius Institute has co-organized the university student division and the second time it has hosted the secondary school student division. The Institute continues to serve as a vital platform for Chinese language learners in the Netherlands to demonstrate their skills and engage in cultural exchange.

Prior to the finals, participants attended a two-day immersive Chinese camp. Through a series of language workshops and cultural activities, they enhanced their linguistic competence and cross-cultural awareness.

The finals kicked off with a traditional lion dance performance. Speeches were delivered by Wang Wenhua, Education Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands; Jessica Paardekooper from the NUFFIC Network Chinese; and Wang Xinxin, Dutch Director of the Confucius Institute. Previous champions also shared their experiences, encouraging contestants to polish their Chinese through practice and deepen cultural understanding via communication. The event was hosted by YE Jiaming, winner of the 24th Chinese Bridge Dutch Final.

Contestants in the secondary school group delivered speeches on the theme Fly High with Chinese, while university students presented on the theme One World, One Family.” Their performances demonstrated solid language proficiency and profound cross-cultural insights. The event also featured a traditional Chinese costume show and musical performances on the guqin and guzheng, offering the audience a rich cultural experience.

Following fierce competition, first, second, and third prizes, along with individual awards, were presented. The winners of each category will represent the Netherlands in the global finals.

During the event, the Confucius Institute also hosted an international roundtable titled From Chinese Language Education to International Talent Development. As a key parallel activity, the roundtable worked alongside the contest to build a multi-dimensional platform for language learning and cultural exchange. It further extended the reach of “Chinese Bridge” from classrooms to real-life society and from competitions to practical application, injecting new vitality into people-to-people exchanges and pragmatic cooperation between China and the Netherlands.

More than just a language contest, “Chinese Bridge” stands as a significant platform for exchanges and mutual learning among global youth. Moving forward, the Confucius Institute will continue to connect the education sector, business communities and social organizations, and advance the in-depth integration of Chinese language education and international talent development.

Written by: ZHAO Jiali

Source: School of International Education (International Students Office), International Chinese Education Center