Chinese language builds bridge to better understand real China

Learning the Chinese language has opened a new door to understanding the real China and building friendship and trust with people around the world, said participants in an international contest on Tuesday.

They made the remarks at the finals of the international contest "My Story of Chinese Hanzi 2024", which was held in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Ten contestants from countries including the United States, France, Sweden, Egypt, Pakistan and Vietnam shared their personal connection with hanzi, or Chinese characters, by delivering speeches in Mandarin.

Ayrton Loureiro, the grand prize winner, who has ties to both France and South Africa, said that learning the Chinese language is not as difficult as many people think.

"There is a history and a story behind each Chinese character. Once you discover their meaning, learning them can be very interesting," he said.

Loureiro said he came to China for travel and study six years ago just out of curiosity, and he never wanted to leave, as it had turned out to be a right decision for him to come to China.

He said that all of his family members and relatives, who knew very little about China, have been attracted to visit the country.

He has taken them to different parts of China according to their interests. "For example, my mother loves animals, so I took her to see the giant pandas in Chengdu in April. She was extremely happy and wore panda-themed clothes from the first day to the last," he said.

Loureiro's sister came to China a month ago to pursue her studies, he added.

Kseniia Krivushina, a Russian student at Liaoning University, said she was preparing to study in China when the COVID-19 pandemic started. It was her faith in studying in China that kept her from giving up and finally enabled her to realize her dream.

Recalling the first time she took an airplane and her first time in a completely unfamiliar country, Krivushina said that coming to China was not easy for her. "But after coming here, I found that my time in China has been one of the most beautiful experiences in my life," she added.

She said that although China is thousands of kilometers away from her hometown, she considers it to be her second home, since she was deeply touched by the care and trust shown by her teachers and classmates.

Nguyen Huyen Anh, from Vietnam, said that during her participation in the contest she made friends from all over the world and learned about their unique insights into Chinese culture.

Her next goal is to establish a Chinese language center in Vietnam to help more people learn the language and better understand China.

Zhang Chaoyi, a judge at the contest and a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said the event has demonstrated the world's growing interest in Chinese culture, which is an inspiration for international Chinese language education practitioners.

"The young people who participated in the event have forged friendships through their shared love for hanzi, and shared their ideas of common development from a global perspective," she said, adding that this is like sowing the seeds of friendship, which will bloom into a better future for all mankind.

The Chinese character-themed event was initiated by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in 2021 and has been held annually ever since, drawing the participation of nearly 10,000 Chinese language learners from 80 countries.