The Western Japan Preliminary Round of the 3rd “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students Draws to a Successful Conclusion

Kyoto, July 4th – the Western Japan Preliminary Round of the 3rd “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students jointly hosted by the Education Department of Chinese Consulate General in Osaka and the Confucius Institute at Ritsumeikan concluded at the Confucius Institute at Ritsumeikan. 18 candidates from 9 senior high schools in western Japan’s regions, including Osaka Prefecture Matsubara High School , Higashiosaka Prefecture Nisshin High School, St. Joseph’s Gakuen Nissei High School, Hyogo Prefectural Ashiya International Secondary School, Fukui Prefectural Asuwa Senior High School, Kyoto Ryoyo High School, Ritsumeikan Uji Senior High School, Kochi Prefecture Meitoku-gijuku Senior High School, and Fukui Prefectural Tsuruga Kehi High School attended the competition. In addition, a Malaysian student in Japan also attended the competition.

This year’s competition was comprised of a free topic speech competition, a Q&A on China and an artistic talent show with the theme of “Fun with Chinese, Growing with Vigor”. A warm and bustling atmosphere permeated the competition. Following the topics, candidates demonstrated their Chinese eloquence through the speech competition by telling the audience of their own Chinese learning experiences using vivid and interesting methods. The rich topics and candidates’ wonderful performances one after another raised the event to new heights. In addition to the speech competition, candidates also staged Chinese songs, musical composition, calligraphy and paper cutting performances to showcase their artistic talents. After 4 hours plus of fierce competition, candidate Shirakata Ken from Hyogo Prefectural Ashiya International Secondary School won the award for excellence; his classmates Saito Asukaand and Shirasaka Reika shared the first prizes whilst candidate Nagai Akemi from Kyoto Ryoyo High School, Kuratani Mie from Fukui Prefectural Asuwa Senior High School and Nishida Satoshi from St. Joseph’s Gakuen Nissei High School swept up the second prizes, Ikushima Yudai from Fukui Prefectural Asuwa Senior High School, Kusuyama Ayaka from Ritsumeikan Uji Senior High School and Miotani Reina and Honda Atsuko from Fukui Prefectural Tsuruga Kehi High School won third prizes. Other candidates were awarded with encouragement awards.

Zhang Xin, Deputy Consul-General of the Chinese Consulate General in Osaka and Honorary Prof. Jian Wensheng, Director of the Confucius Institute at Ritsumeikan respectively delivered passionate speeches prior to the competition.