On April, 28, the final competition of the17th Chinese Bridge (Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students), Liberia Division was successfully held in the cultural activity center of Confucius Institute at the University of Liberia. Students Victor Wulu Gaye, Neodo Wang and Rancy Emmanuel Bondo won the first, second and third place respectively. The winners are hopeful of going to China for the international semi and grand finals when they shall have passed a qualification check that is expected to be conducted next month (June).

Protocols of the Competition

After the preliminary competitions, seven contestants stood out and qualified for the final. The contents of the “Chinese Bridge” include three parts, namely, keynote speeches, questions and answers, and Chinese cultural talent show. During the keynote speech section, the contestants made eloquent speeches, focusing on the theme of this year, "One world, one family". Some shared their stories of learning Chinese, expressed their resolution to master Chinese, and articulated their wishes to go to China so as to experience more about China. Some related the profound China-Liberia friendship and conveyed their love for China and Chinese people. Some, by starting from the point of the super family of the world, described the beautiful prospects of "One world, one family", and shared their understanding of this Chinese traditional ideology. In the questions and answers section, the judges asked questions covering various fields such as Chinese traditional festivals, Chinese cuisine, Chinese history, and even Chinese grammar. The contestants answered questions with calmness and confidence, which fully reveals their knowledge about Chinese history and culture, Chinese folk tradition and folk customs, and Chinese language as well.

In the Chinese cultural talent show section, the contestants showcased their unique talents. Some sang Chinese songs with passion, one of them became a rapper, creating his own Chinese rap song. Some performed stick-dancing as the Monkey. King, which is one form of Chinese martial arts, and some made mono- crosstalk, thus thrilling the audience. Guests attending the activity were Vice President of the University of Liberia, Prof. Geegbae A. Geegbae, Director of Confucius Institute Dexter S. Sumo, Director of the Political Division of Chinese, Embassy Zhang Lei, and many other representatives from China Aid organizations and Chinese enterprises. Following the competition, a vice president of the University of Liberia, Prof. Geegbae A. Geegbae and the Director of the Political Division of Chinese Embassy, Mr. Zhang Lei, commended the Confucius Institute for organizing such a unique program.

 

 

They spoke highly of "Chinese bridge", and held the view that it is a very significant event in promoting the exchanges of the two countries, arousing the interest and enthusiasm of students in learning Chinese, and helping them look for jobs with Chinese enterprises. The success of the "Chinese Bridge" is a continuation of the past years of "Chinese Bridge", which opens a window for Liberian people to understand Chinese language and culture, and it also enhances the popularity and influence of Confucius Institute.