On April 11, the 2026 "Travel in Zhejiang, Sing for the Future" Zhejiang Provincial Chinese Singing Contest for International Students grandly opened at the Xiasha Campus of Hangzhou Dianzi University. The event was co-hosted by the Department of Education of Zhejiang Province, the Information Office of the Provincial People's Government, the Foreign Affairs Office of the Provincial People's Government, the Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and Zhejiang Radio and Television Group, and organized by Hangzhou Dianzi University and the Culture, Education, Movies and Television Channel of Zhejiang TV Station.

More than 250 international students from 41 universities across the province, hailing from Russia, Italy, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Malaysia and other countries, took the stage. Under the spotlight, people of different ethnicities gathered here with their passion for Chinese songs and Chinese culture. They told Chinese stories and expressed emotions through their affectionate singing, turning the contest into an inspiring cross-cultural musical journey. The competition was divided into two stages: the preliminary round and the final round. In the preliminary round, 184 contestants were grouped into six teams to compete. ISRAELYAN VARDUHI, a contestant from Nigeria, amazed the audience with an exquisite ancient Chinese opera-style look. Her performance of The Red Actor perfectly blended opera vocals with pop music, featuring lasting charm and fully demonstrating the allure of Chinese style. LEONARDI PARAMITHA and three other contestants from Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Morocco delivered a touching rendition of Start of Spring, winning unanimous recognition from the judges. After comprehensive scoring by expert judges from multiple dimensions including language expression, singing skills, stage performance and comprehension of the songs, 33 groups of contestants stood out and advanced to the final round.

At 2:00 p.m., the final round kicked off on the first floor of the Xinbo Building. The repertoire included classic folk songs, lyrical hits, and Chinese-style works. Using songs as a bridge, the contestants showcased their charm, conveyed their passion, and delivered numerous highlights. KHANZAADA ZAMIRBEKOVA from Kyrgyzstan performed the energetic and cheerful Flying Songs on the Earth. With uplifting melodies and a touching voice, she vividly expressed her love for life and longing for a better future, weaving the Chinese people’s praise for a happy life into every note. GEORGINA VERNA MARY VICTOR and three other contestants from Grenada, Iraq, and Bangladesh presented a harmonious choral version of Blue and White Porcelain, gracefully interpreting the ancient elegance and poetic tenderness of the Orient. HENDSUN from Indonesia and CHINHARA KUDZAISHE AUBREY EMMANUEL from Zimbabwe sang I Love You, China. Their clear and determined voices conveyed strength and hope, with emotions building up layer by layer.

With full enthusiasm and distinctive voices, the contestants delivered heartfelt performances, demonstrating solid Chinese language proficiency and sincere passion for Chinese songs. Their sincere singing and vivid, natural interpretations immersed the judges and the audience in a musical feast featuring both auditory enjoyment and cultural charm. After intense competition, the first, second and third prizes were awarded. The award ceremony will be held at the“Dream in Zhejiang”International Students’ Chinese Talent Show Gala.

Chinese and international volunteers from our university showed professional competence and fine manners during the contest. They fully ensured the smooth running of the event and won unanimous praise from the participating universities.

This Chinese Singing Contest for International Students is part of the 19th“Dream in Zhejiang”series of events for international students. It aims to use music as a bond to convey the students’ sincere affection for the Chinese language, culture and life, compose a harmonious chapter that transcends race and national boundaries, and write a wonderful story of mutual learning among civilizations through Chinese songs.