"I can't believe I've won the title because the players are very good." 16-year-old Spanish girl Guangjie said. Recently, she won the global championship of the 14th "Chinese Bridge" World Student Chinese Competition sponsored by the Ministry of Education.
The competition attracted more than 30,000 players from 87 countries around the world, and finally the champions from five continents participated in the global finals. After fierce competition in propositional speeches, talent shows, cultural knowledge quizzes and other links, Spanish players Finally won the crown.
As part of the "Chinese Bridge" series, Guangjie participated in the "Chinese Bridge" World Student Chinese Competition, which builds a bridge of cultural exchange between middle school students from different countries and nationalities through Chinese.
Associated with Chinese culture
Four years ago, the Confucius Institute at the University of Castilla-La Mancha was founded in the polished hometown of Toledo, where the smooth Chinese learning path officially began. But Guangjie tells us that her interest in Chinese culture has been budding for many years. "I've been a big fan of doing crafts since I was a kid. When I first saw the Chinese paper cut, I thought it was amazing! With just a few scissors to subtract and unfold, you can present a variety of stunning patterns. Since then, my interest in Chinese culture has sprung up. ”
Guangjie also recalled that when she first started learning Chinese, she learned paper-cutting to celebrate the Spring Festival, and also cut out various interesting patterns. "I am interested in everything related to Chinese culture, but my passion is Chinese calligraphy and the art of painting, which have also deepened my understanding of Chinese philosophy, history and culture."
"In ancient times, there were hanging beams and cones, and now there are smooth and clean spicy clothes"
In the competition, Guangjie amused the judges with the story of "in the past there was a hanging beam cone piercing bone, and now there is a smooth and clean spicy dress". In order not to let doze off affect learning, the ancient Chinese came up with the method of "head overhanging beam" and "cone thorn strand". In order to stay awake at night and not sleepy, the exclusive method is "eat spicy".
"I go to restaurants and order the hottest dishes just so I don't get sleepy— the peppers are so heavy that they sweat. Especially if you are not particularly able to eat chili peppers, then you will not be able to sleep after eating. ”
Guangjie also said that the process of learning Chinese is sweet, bitter, and spicy. The word "spicy" best describes her inner feelings. "When I can gradually understand the communication of others with Chinese and know how to write those Chinese characters with complex strokes, my heart is full of happiness and sweetness; when I encounter difficulties in the process of learning Chinese, and when I don't do well in the exam, my heart is bitter; but more experience is still 'spicy' - I have invested a lot of time and energy, studied hard, and finally harvested the fruits and was full of happiness." 」
After winning the "Chinese Bridge" competition, Guangjie called her Chinese teachers for the first time and told them the good news. 'They gave a lot for this game and I wouldn't have achieved that without their guidance.' Guangjie said in an interview with People's Daily News.
"Learning Chinese opened another door in my life"
Although Guangjie has never been to China, she is full of expectations for China. "I can't wait to go to various cities in China, to taste the food from all over the world, to go to the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall..."
In addition to Chinese, Guangjie is also learning English and French. "Language can build bridges for cultural exchange, and learning language, especially learning Chinese, has opened another door in my life and brought me to a whole new world." She says her ultimate dream is to "go to China and teach Spanish." In order to realize her dream, Guangjie is studying hard. "I feel that learning Chinese is a light that illuminates my life."
Guangjie also said that in Spain, more and more people are learning Chinese. "A lot of people are taking Chinese classes at Confucius Institutes, from very small children to very old people. People are becoming more and more interested in Chinese culture. Speaking about the critical attitude of some Spanish media to China, Guangjie said: "Only if you have really lived in a country for many years can you know its situation well." So we should not hearsay, but have our own judgment. At the same time, politics should be separated from the cultural and academic fields. ”
Talking about the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, Guangjie said that she was looking forward to it: "Although I can't go to the scene, I will definitely watch the game at home. I will cheer for the athletes of Spain and China!"