On June 21st, the two-day final of the 17th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Competition for Middle School Students in Italy and San Marino came to a successful conclusion at the University of San Marino. The event was organized by the Science, Technology, and Education Section of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Italy and hosted by the Confucius Institute at the University of San Marino. Twenty outstanding contestants selected by Confucius Institutes across Italy and San Marino competed fiercely around the theme "Pursuing Dreams Through Chinese—Making the Most of Our Youth," showcasing their stories through various means.
Before the start of the final round, Guo Xiaoxia, the Chinese director of the Conficius Institute at the University of San Marino, delivered a speech on behalf of Counselor Yu Xingguo from the Education Office of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Italy. Laura Gobbi, General Director of the University of San Marino; Massimo Brignoni, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Confucius Institute; and Barbara Terenzi, President of the San Marino-China Friendship Association also gave speeches to cheer on the contestants representing 12 Confucius Institutes from 11 cities across Italy and San Marino.
The competition consisted of four parts: a written test on Chinese culture knowledge, a prepared speech, talent show performances, and an impromptu speech. Contestants demonstrated their talents through martial arts, Chinese painting, songs, dubbing, and more. After five hours of intense competition, one first-place winner, two second-place winners, three third-place winners, and three special awards were determined. Beniamino Ravera from the Confucius Institute at Milan State University won the top prize, while Greta Sasso from the Confucius Institute at the University of San Marino won the award for best language proficiency.
Chinese Media such as Xinhua News Agency and San Marino’s public broadcaster RTV covered the event, which was also livestreamed on the Confucius Institute at the University of San Marino Instagram official account, receiving active interactions from RTV and multiple other Confucius Institutes. This was the first time the "Chinese Bridge" competition has been held in San Marino since its inception in 2002, and it marked the first time the Confucius Institute at the University of San Marino had hosted such an event, earning high praise and recognition from all sides.
