The finals of the 14th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students in Antigua and Barbuda and the local first Chinese Proficiency Competition for Secondary School Students were held on the 15th in St. John, the country's capital. After fierce competition, Tang Wan (Chinese name) from Sir Novelle Richards Academy, a secondary school in Antigua, won the championship.
This competition was sponsored by the Embassy of China in Antigua and Barbuda and jointly organized by the Confucius Institute in Antigua and Barbuda and Sir Novelle Richards Academy. The theme of the competition was "Fly High with Chinese". A total of 10 local competitors took part in the competition.
In addition to Chinese proficiency, Chinese culture tests and Chinese speeches, the competitors also gave creative performances focusing on Chinese poems such as "Jian Jia (Reed)" and "Chang Xiangsi (Miss You)". Tang Wan from Sir Novelle Richards Academy combined with Southern Song Dynasty poet Yang Wanli's "Xiaochi (The Pond)" to draw ink lotus flowers on the spot, winning applause from the judges and finally winning the championship.
Mr. Wang Erdong, Chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Antigua and Barbuda, said that language is a bridge for people to communicate and a carrier for the inheritance of human civilization. He encouraged the competitors to learn Chinese well, become ambassadors of friendship between the two countries, and build a "bridge of hearts" between the two peoples. He hoped that more and more friends from Antigua and Barbuda would give their attention to understanding China, tell Chinese stories, and spread Chinese culture.
Daryll Matthew, the Education Minister congratulated the competitors on their achievements and appreciated that China has always treated Antigua and Barbuda equally. He thanked China for its generous support to Antigua and Barbuda over the years in the field of people's livelihood development. He was glad that the practical cooperation between the two sides continued to blossom and bear fruit in the field of education. He said that the Ministry of Education of Antigua and Barbuda will continue to support Chinese language education and promote the integration of the two peoples.
Hong Gang, president of Zhejiang International Studies University, a Chinese cooperative institution of the Confucius Institute in Antigua and Barbuda, also congratulated the contestants through video, encouraging them to not only "promote learning through competition", but also to persevere, keep improving and explore the real China through language.
Sir Novelle Richards Academy is the first high school in Antigua and Barbuda to use a Chinese language course as a special language course. After the establishment of the Confucius Institute in Antigua and Barbuda in December 2019, this middle school and other local schools have successively become teaching centers. (cited from Center for Language Education and Cooperation, Sources：www.news.cn)
