Sponsored by the Ministry of Education (MOE)’s Centre for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) and co-organized by Liaoning University (LNU) and Wuzhou Hanfeng Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., the Northeast Regional Preliminary of the 2026 Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreigners across the Globe — Storytelling Contest was held at LNU on May 24. Representing 34 institutions across Northeast China, over 130 contestants from 46 countries gathered on campus to present the charm of the Chinese language, experience the delight of storytelling, and embark on their Chinese Bridge journey through Chinese.
Huo Chunhui, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Vice President of LNU, attended the event and delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. Also in attendance were Wu Jilong (member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Director of the Publicity Department), Xie Mingyi (Director of LNU’s Office of International Affairs), as well as Yang Chenggang (Party Secretary), An Shanshan (Dean), and Zhao Chunqiu (Vice Dean), from the School of International Education.
Vice President Huo Chunhui delivers a speech at the opening ceremony
In his speech, Vice President Huo noted that holding the contest marks a full recognition for the university’s progress in international exchanges and education for international students and offers a strong momentum to deepen people-to-people exchanges and improve the quality of education for international students. He encouraged contestants to bear in mind that competitions feature rankings, yet exchanges do not. Regardless of the final results, all of them, through their efforts, served as exemplary ambassadors for cross-cultural exchanges. He hoped that they would cherish this precious opportunity, experience LNU’s hospitality and cultural depth, and share their observations and feelings of China with people back home.
Students from LNU’s School of Art perform the opening dance
Contestants stepped onto the stage and insightfully told their distinctive, personal stories of heartwarming bonds with the Chinese language and China, bridging Northeast China with their exotic cultures. Their splendid performances also showcased fruitful gains from Chinese learning and the charm of diverse cultures.
Contestants perform at the competition
After a day of fierce competition, five contestants including Tran Thanh Huyen Pham from Vietnam secured qualifications for the national semi-final. They will represent the Northeast Division at the semi-final of 2026 Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition — Storytelling Contest. Another 11 participants including Danny Siame from Zambia earned the Charm Award.
Inside the venue, thoughts and views clashed; outside the venue, cultures and sentiments converged. With a relaxed and vibrant atmosphere in the offstage area, contestants freely exchanged ideas on the open-mic stage and performed successive song and dance shows. Provincial-level craft inheritors set up a cultural experience bazaar, featuring intangible cultural heritage items such as dough figurines, sugar painting, paper cutting, woodblock printing, leather carving, cord weaving, traditional Chinese medicine and lacquered fans. It attracted many international students to observe those crafts and try them out. Through hands-on experiences, they marveled at the richness, excellence, and charm of traditional Chinese culture.
Contestants perform on the open-mic stage
Group photo of contestants at the Northeast Preliminary of 2026 Chinese Bridge Storytelling Contest
The event received generous support from MOE’s CLEC, International Exchange and Cooperation Division of Liaoning Provincial Department of Education, Liaoning Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Centre, Xinhuanet, China Daily Liaoning Bureau, China News Service Liaoning Branch, Liaoning International Communication Center and Shenyang International Communication Center.
