The event brought together the best Mandarin Chinese students in the country, who demonstrated their mastery of the Chinese language and culture.
Recently, the Mandarin Chinese student of the Santo Tomás Confucius Institute (IC ST), Carolina Herrera, won first place in the national final of the Puente Chino 2024 competition; event organized by the Embassy of the PR of China in Chile, the Ministry of Education (Mineduc), the Confucius Institute Santo Tomás (IC ST) and the CLEC Foundation.
In the secondary education category, Diego Pérez from Liceo San Nicolás took first place, followed by Gabriel Godoy, from the same establishment, and Sayen Linzmayer from Liceo Claudio Arrau, who obtained third place. In the university category, after Carolina, Valenthina Pérez from the UC Confucius Institute came in second place. Third place was shared by Pablo Manríquez from the UFRO Confucius Institute and Nicole Gallardo from IC ST.
The national rector of Santo Tomás, Claudia Peirano, highlighted: “This event not only celebrates academic and cultural excellence, but also symbolizes the increasingly stronger bond between Chile and China, and our shared passion for the language and its culture.”
The Chinese ambassador to Chile, Niu Qingbao, congratulated the IC ST: «I would like to express my gratitude to the Santo Tomás Confucius Institute, organizer of the contest, (…) as well as the long-term support of the Santo Tomás University. I thank all the schools that teach Mandarin Chinese, teachers and volunteers who are dedicated to teaching and researching Chinese; Without you, the promotion of Chinese teaching in Chile would be like a tree without roots and water without a source. Marcela Salgado, in charge of the Mandarin Chinese Program at Mineduc, highlighted the impact of the contest and educational cooperation between China and Chile since 2004: “Learning Chinese not only opens job opportunities, but also broadens horizons of thought and fosters respect.” by other cultures.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
The competition aims to provide participants with the opportunity to demonstrate their linguistic skills in Mandarin Chinese, their knowledge of Chinese culture and their artistic talent related to the eastern country. It has been carried out for 17 years in the secondary school version and for 23 years in university students. The Chinese Bridge, also called the Chinese Language Proficiency Contest, is organized by the Confucius Institutes of different countries with the sponsorship of the CLEC Foundation, since 2002.
This competition is an important platform for students from around the world, as it gives them the opportunity to travel to China representing their respective countries, where they can learn about their culture and society, as well as share with young people from around the world. It consists of three phases: a preliminary phase, a semifinal and a final. The preliminary competitions are held in different countries around the world, where local representatives are chosen, and the semi-final and final competitions are held in China. Each of these stages includes three parts: a speech in Chinese, an artistic representation and questions about China.
WINNERS
Carolina Herrera, who obtained first place in the university category, expressed her happiness and pride for this achievement. “I started preparing thanks to the fact that my teacher, Sun Jiaqi from IC ST, motivated me to participate due to the level I had in the Intermediate 3 course. I am very happy to have achieved this first place,” he added, noting that he plans to continue training for the competition at an international level, especially in the spoken part.
Diego Pérez Rivas, winner of first place in the secondary category, highlighted the importance of this opportunity. «The possibility of representing Chile in international competition is incredible. It means the opportunity to learn more about Chinese culture and experience life in China, something I only know superficially until now. We prepared intensively since February, rehearsing the speech and presentation, including the mask change, which was a challenge, but we managed to do it well. “I am excited about this cultural exchange and learning more about China.”
