On July 6 and 9, 2025, the "Chinese Bridge" Global Chinese Language Conference "Storytelling" semi-finals and finals, co-organized by the China Center for International Cultural Exchange under the Ministry of Education and our school, were successfully held at Hangzhou Dianzi University.

The Director of the Center for Sino-foreign Language Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education, Yu Yunfeng, the Secretary of the Party Committee of our university, Wu Qing, the Committee Member of the Propaganda Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Spokesperson Luo Lili, the Deputy Minister of Education of Zhejiang Province, Shu Peidong, the Deputy Director of the Center for Sino-foreign Language Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education, Liu Jianqing, the Vice President of the Zhejiang Provincial Friendship Association, Xing Huidong, the Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Hangzhou, Li Daoqiao, the Secretary and Director of the Hangzhou National Edition Library, Wu Xueyong, the Member of the Standing Committee of the Qiantang District Committee and the Minister of Propaganda, Liu Guojuan, and other leaders and guests attended the event and awarded prizes to the winning students in the competition.

After the intense competition of the semi-finals, ten top contestants from around the world—Yi Mingkai, He Yan, Qi Yuxin, Lin Dan, the Douming Si team, Ma Yusi, Tao Haichen, Nguyen Thi Hong Nhung, Qi YunSong, Chen Xiangzhen, and Ai Li—emerged from a pool of 50 competitors, showcasing a peak competition of Chinese expression, storytelling appeal, and cultural understanding on the final stage.

The contestants used fluent, precise, and even poetic Chinese to elevate their personal experiences into touching cultural narratives. American contestant Yi Mingkai shared his journey from Silicon Valley to Hangzhou, where he dedicated himself to the research and development of "China's chip," vowing to "build a global team in the future to benefit humanity with technology." Vietnamese contestant Nguyen Thi Hong Nhung transformed into the "Monkey King" and "Nezha," mimicking them vividly, vividly demonstrating her growth and transformation in her journey of learning Chinese; Nigerian contestant Qi YunSong skillfully played the slapstick on stage, telling a humorous and amusing story of how he became connected with Chinese cuisine culture.

On the stage, heartfelt monologues, humorous segments, and creative performance forms intertwine. The contestants not only "tell" stories but also "act" them out, fully showcasing the rich possibilities of Chinese expression. In the end, after two rounds of intense, thrilling, and spectacular competitions, under the joint scoring of the on-site judges and 100 public judges, the Nigerian contestant Qi Yun Song from South-Central University of Finance and Economics won the first prize, and our American contestant Ye Mingkai won the third prize.

This year's final of the "Chinese Bridge" Storytelling Contest was a feast of language, culture, and emotion. The contestants vividly interpreted the vision of "each being beautiful in its own way, and all being beautiful together" through their wonderful stories and talented performances. They not only demonstrated their high-level Chinese proficiency but also conveyed their sincere love and profound understanding of Chinese culture. "Chinese Bridge" is not only a stage for competition but also a vast platform for connecting the world, conveying friendship, and promoting understanding. Every contestant standing on this stage is a friendly messenger of cultural exchange. The personal stories they tell in Chinese have become a vivid window for the world to understand China, injecting endless vitality into promoting cultural and humanistic exchanges and mutual civilization between China and other countries.

This year's "Chinese Bridge" Global Chinese Language Conference "Storytelling" was simultaneously launched in five major competition areas in Wuhan, Chongqing, Tianjin, Harbin, and Lanzhou, as well as the global online group, attracting a total of 1412 contestants from 90 countries. During their stay in Zhejiang, the contestants also visited the Xiling Printing Society, the Liangzhu Museum, the Hangzhou National Library of Editions, Alibaba, Tiantai, and other places, immersing themselves in the charm of Zhejiang's integration of ancient and modern times and its unique stories of vigorous development and intelligence.

It is reported that the "Chinese Bridge" series of Chinese language competitions is a large-scale international Chinese language event sponsored by the Center for Sino-foreign Language Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education, which began in 2002. Its aim is to further promote Chinese culture and promote exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries in the fields of politics, economy, culture, and education. Since the first competition was held in 2002, it has attracted more than 1.6 million young people from more than 160 countries and regions, and is known as the "Olympics" of the international Chinese language field.