“I sometimes use Chinese to think about how to solve problems in life” - Australian young people improve their understanding of Chinese culture by learning Chinese

(Source: Xinhuanet 2025-05-28)

The 24th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students in Melbourne, Australia, was recently held at the University of Victoria. A total of 11 contestants participated in the competition. They demonstrated their achievements in learning Chinese through speeches on the theme of "We are one family", and also expressed their understanding of Chinese culture through various talents such as poetry recitation, dance, song, and martial arts.

After three hours of fierce competition, Ava Gibbons from Monash University won the first place. She will go to China to participate in the finals. In her keynote speech, Gibbons talked about her experience of traveling to China with her parents when she was 12 years old. The strange and charming culture and the pleasant but incomprehensible language made her very curious about China.

Gibbons said that people are very enthusiastic about her, and the food in China is very delicious. "Everything during the trip has brought me closer to China. This is not the distance on the map, but the distance between the hearts." During the talent show, she performed a fish lantern dance in Hanfu and won warm cheers and bursts of applause from the audience.

The picture shows Gibbons performing the fish lantern dance talent show during the competition. (Photo provided by interviewee)

“I have been learning Chinese for 7 years.” Gibbons said in an interview after the game. “I look forward to using my skills to carry out economic and w88 activities between Australia and China in the future.”

Yijie (Chinese name), the Oceania champion of the 22nd "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students, also came to watch the competition. He now works as a mechanical engineer for an Australian tram company and still gets nervous when he recalls competing in the competition. "If I hadn't participated in the 'Chinese Bridge' competition, my Chinese would not have improved so fast. Although I don't use Chinese in my daily life, I still read Chinese readings and learn Chinese culture on the Internet every day." Yijie said, "The Chinese language contains a lot of wisdom, and I sometimes use Chinese to think about how to solve problems in life."

Zhou Shaoming, associate professor at the Institute of Asian Studies at the University of Melbourne, has been a judge for the Melbourne division of the "Chinese Bridge" competition for more than ten years. "Now students are more and more enthusiastic about participating in the competition." He said that as soon as the player recruitment information was released, many students signed up.

This competition is hosted by the Chinese Consulate General in Melbourne and sponsored by the Australian University Chinese Teachers Association andBusiness Confucius Institute at Victoria UniversityUndertaken by. Fang Xinwen, Consul General of China in Melbourne, said in his speech that language brings us closer to each other, and culture allows us to understand each other. Chinese carries the wisdom and value of five thousand years of Chinese civilization. It is not only a language tool for communication, but also a link and platform for openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning, and win-win cooperation. I hope that by learning Chinese, young people in Australia can build a bridge of communication, mutual trust and mutual learning that connects the friendship between China and Australia.

“China will become an important part of the world in which young Australians will grow up.”Colin Clark, Foreign Director of the Confucius Institute for Business at the University of Victoriasaid, “They can better understand China by learning Chinese, and the ‘Chinese Bridge’ competition is not only a platform for them to display their learning results, but also inspires more people around them to start learning Chinese.”

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