The qualifying round of the World Competition “Chinese is a Bridge” took place in the ISU library

The qualifying round of the All-Russian stage of the World Competition “The Chinese Language is a Bridge” took place at the Scientific Library of ISU. Schoolchildren from Irkutsk, Kyzyl and Ulan-Ude took part in the event. The winners of the regional round will take part in the All-Russian competition and get a chance represent Russia at the final stage in China.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Irkutsk Li Hai, Vice-Rector for Research and International Activities of ISU Konstantin Grigorichev, Director of the Chinese Language Center “Confucius Institute of ISU” Svetlana Bayramova, Head of the Chinese Language Center “Meihua” in the city of Kyzyl (Republic of Tyva) Saizana Tovuu. The founder of the competition is the Center for International Language Exchange and Cooperation under the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, the organizers of the competition in Irkutsk are the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China and Irkutsk State University.

Li Hai, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Irkutsk:
— This is a grandiose event, the participants of which can demonstrate their academic success. Events like this help strengthen relations between our countries –
this is an example of cultural exchange between Russia and China. We are glad to see that more and more people are actively learning about the multifaceted culture of the People’s Republic of China. This is an excellent platform for schoolchildren and students to delve into Chinese culture, learn the language, and build relationships. On behalf of the Consulate General in Irkutsk, I would like to thank Irkutsk State University for the large-scale work carried out.

The “Chinese is a Bridge” competition is an international prestigious competition in the Chinese language. The world stage is held in China and broadcast on the central television of the People’s Republic of China in a show format. The winner of the final stage is awarded the title “Ambassador of Chinese Language and Culture.”

The competition has been held annually since 2002. In Russia, a competition for knowledge of the Chinese language among schoolchildren is being held in 2012 in seven consular districts. Since 2021, primary schoolchildren have been participating in it online. In 2023, the All-Russian competition was held in Irkutsk, in 2024 it will take place at the end of May in Novosibirsk.

Elena Apanovich, Deputy Minister of Education of the Irkutsk Region:
— Participants from the Irkutsk region, Buryatia, Tyva, and Khakassia are competing. This means that in these territories children have the opportunity to study Chinese language and culture at a decent level, which is very important. Our region has developed long-standing traditions in the fields of culture, education and science. This competition is an indicator of the fruitfulness of our cooperation.

Konstantin Grigorichev, vice-rector for scientific work and international activities at ISU:
— Today’s competition is part of a large system of Chinese language competitions. It is carried out first at the regional level, then at the national level. The winners of the national competition go to the finals in China. Thanks to this program, schoolchildren and students can not only get involved in learning the Chinese language, but also become familiar with the culture and develop connections with the Chinese side. For them, this is a very good opportunity to build a strategy for their career and choice of place of residence.

In the final of the qualifying round, the participants had to go through several tests, including linguistic games, creative performance, impromptu, and conversation. The results were summed up by the jury members.

Svetlana Bayramova, director of the Chinese language center “Confucius Institute of ISU”:
— Since the number of people wishing to take part in the competition is growing, this year the qualifying round was divided into two stages: semi-finals and finals. 10 junior school students and 12 high school students reached the finals.

Saizana Tovuu, head of the Meihua Chinese language center in the city of Kyzyl:
— Our guys have just started learning Chinese, but have already entered this competition. There are three of them here. This shows their efforts and diligence. The kids really enjoy learning Chinese. Of course, participation in this qualifying round is their success; it is very important for us. Here they can demonstrate their knowledge. The guys are committed to further education in China.

The winners of the qualifying round in Irkutsk were Irina Perfilyeva (Irkutsk), Marina Naydenova (Ulan-Ude), Ulyana Rakhvalova (Irkutsk). Irina Perfilyeva and Marina Naydenova will represent the Irkutsk consular district at the All-Russian competition in Novosibirsk. In the competition among schoolchildren of the younger age category, prizes were taken by Altana Tumundorzhieva (Irkutsk), Victoria Pavlishina (Irkutsk), Timofey Antipyev (Irkutsk). Altana Tumundorzhieva and Victoria Pavlishina will represent the Irkutsk consular district at the All-Russian competition.