On October 29, 2024, the 17th Global “Chinese Bridge” World Secondary School Students Chinese language Contest concluded in Tianjin. Ximena Aurora, a student from the Confucius Institute at the University of Guadalajara, the champion of the Mexican region, participated in this global final. After rounds of selection and competition, she ultimately won the Excellence Award for the Americas region.

Known as the "Olympics Game" of the Chinese language contest, the "Chinese Bridge" contest is one of the world's top Chinese language competitions. Over the events of 15 days, 113 secondary school students from 96 countries competed on the same stage. They also explored the cities of Beijing and Tianjin, using these urban settings as platforms for immersing themselves in the Chinese language, experiencing the rich history and culture, and gaining insights into the realities of modern Chinese urban life.

Ximena Aurora, selected by the Confucius Institute at the University of Guadalajara, comes from the Vocacional affiliated middle school of University of Guadalajara. Since September 2022, she has been studying Chinese under the guidance of the Confucius Institute’s teachers. Passionate about learning Chinese and Chinese culture, Ximena is also multi-talented. In May 2024, she won first place in Mexico Secondary School Students “Chinese Bridge” Chinese language contest. Representing Confucius Institute, the University of Guadalajara, and Mexico, she stepped onto the world stage to compete with students from various countries. This not only broadened her horizons but also set an inspirational learning target for all Chinese learners at the Confucius Institute at the University of Guadalajara.

The outstanding performance of the student Ximena Aurora not only brought honor to CI but also showcased its achievements of Chinese teaching. Moving forward, the CI will continue to improve its standards of Chinese teaching, encouraging students to participate in various competitions to achieve more remarkable results.